ALDImobile international roaming. The rates, fees & how it works

Roberto Efflandrin

Figuring out your phone plan and how you’ll stay connected is one of the key tasks to cross out when planning a trip abroad. Telco providers like ALDImobile are popular among those who wish to keep their own number while travelling abroad by opting for international roaming.

In this article, we’ll guide you through ALDImobile’s international roaming services for Australians, including how it works, international rates, usage tracking, and other must-know details.

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ALDImobile international roaming. What is it and how does it work

Recently, Australian travellers were caught off-guard by international roaming plans that excluded popular destinations, leading to high bills.¹⁴ It’s important to consider the nitty-gritty of international roaming plans to ensure you get the best deal. On the other hand, there’s also the option of buying a local SIM card when you get to your destination.

ALDImobile offers international roaming services using only Pay As You Go (PAYG) credit in some overseas countries. None of ALDImobile’s fixed-term plans include international roaming services.¹

ALDImobile’s base plan is a PAYG plan. Prepaid fixed-term mobile plans, family plans and data plans are available as optional add-ons.²

With a PAYG plan, you recharge your account with a certain amount of credit based on your usage. For international roaming, ALDImobile requires you to recharge your PAYG account with enough credit to last you the whole duration of your overseas travel.¹

Do you get internet data & coverage internationally with ALDImobile roaming

Since ALDImobile international roaming is available on a PAYG basis, you will be able to access internet data in eligible countries if you recharge your account with enough credit to cover the roaming data rates.

Most fixed-term mobile plans and all family plans include unlimited standard calls and SMS to 20 countries and limited standard calls and SMS to other select countries from Australia.³

What is the cost to use ALDImobile’s service abroad?

If you want to enable ALDImobile’s international roaming, it’s important to be aware of the charges you’ll incur so that the PAYG credit can be recharged appropriately.

Regardless of whether you’re on a PAYG plan or with a fixed-term prepaid plan add-on, the international roaming rates for calls, SMS and data remain the same. The international roaming rates differ from country to country.⁴ The rates and offerings of other ALDImobile’s services differ between its many prepaid plans.

The following provides a summary of the range of the costs:

PAYG Plan 30-day Mobile Plans⁷ 30-day Family Plans⁸ 365-day Data Plans⁹
Send and receive AU texts and calls¹⁰ 15c per minute

15c per 160-character SMS

Unlimited Unlimited n/a
Send international texts and calls from Australia to 20 countries n/a Unlimited Unlimited n/a
Send international texts and calls from Australia to other international countries¹¹ AUD $0.62 TO $1.69 per minute

25c per 160-character SMS

100-400 minutes

50 SMS

200-600 minutes

100-300 SMS

n/a
International roaming calls AUD $1 to $2 per minute AUD $1 to $2 per minute AUD $1 to $2 per minute AUD $1 to $2 per minute
International roaming SMS AUD $0.50 to $1 per SMS AUD $0.50 to $1 per SMS AUD $0.50 to $1 per SMS AUD $0.50 to $1 per SMS
International internet data AUD $0.50 to $1 per megabyte (MB) AUD $0.50 to $1 per megabyte (MB) AUD $0.50 to $1 per megabyte (MB) AUD $0.50 to $1 per megabyte (MB)

As seen on 19 October 2023

How do you activate roaming with ALDImobile

To get international roaming, you’ll need an ALDImobile SIM card. Once the SIM is activated, you can recharge the PAYG credit on ALDImobile’s website or mobile app. When overseas, PAYG credit recharge can only be done on the website as the app will become inaccessible.

You’ll need to manually enable roaming to use ALDImobile overseas. ALDImobile recommends that this should be done at least a week before you travel to ensure that the number is ready to use overseas.

Follow these steps to enable international roaming:¹

  1. Log in to your ALDImobile online account on the website or the mobile app
  2. Go to “Manage Account” menu
  3. Click “International Roaming” and select your preferences

Destinations eligible for international roaming with ALDImobile

ALDImobile offers international roaming in 59 different countries across the globe. It’s important to know if your destination is supported. You can find out by referring to the following table⁴:

Asia Europe Oceania North & South America Middle East Africa
Cambodia Austria Fiji Brazil Israel Nigeria
China Belgium New Zealand Canada Qatar Egypt
East Timor Croatia Papua New Guinea Mexico Turkey South Africa
Hong Kong Czech Republic Samoa USA United Arab Emirates
India* Denmark Tonga
Indonesia Estonia Vanuatu
Japan Finland
Malaysia France
Philippines Germany
Russia Greece
South Korea Hungary
Singapore Ireland
Sri Lanka Italy
Taiwan Latvia
Thailand Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovak Republic
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom

How to track roaming usage with ALDImobile

It’s great to keep a track of your usage while travelling overseas to assess if there’s enough PAYG credit in your account. Here’s how you can do it⁵:

  1. Log in to your ALDImobile account on the website
  2. Go to "Manage account"
  3. Click "My service" and then select "Usage"
  4. Set the dates you wish to view your usage between
  5. Select “My usage”

ALDImobile’s usage records are updated daily and so they might not always be accurate. In such a case, you’ll need to check back for your latest usage.

What to keep in mind before you travel.

Since ALDImobile requires enabling “international roaming” manually, it’s recommended that you do so at least a week before you travel by logging into your account online or via the mobile app to ensure that the services are ready to use overseas.

ALDImobile app does not work overseas and any PAYG recharges or changes to the account will have to be done on the website.

Contacting ALDImobile

You can get in touch with the ALDImobile team in a few different ways. Call the following numbers between 8 am to 9 pm (AEST) seven days a week⁶:

  • Australia contact no: 1300 989 000
  • Overseas contact no: +61 3 9223 5590

Additionally, existing ALDImobile customers can:

  • Log in to your account and create an eSupport ticket
  • Call 2534 (ALDI) from ALDImobile number for free between 8 am to 9 pm (AEST) throughout the week

FAQs about international roaming with ALDImobile

What is VoLTE international roaming?

VoLTE or Voice over LTE is a feature that allows you to make calls over the 4G network. While ALDImobile offers VoLTE in Australia, it’s not available for international roaming.¹²

Can I make emergency calls while abroad?

You can make free calls to emergency services while abroad even with minimum credit.¹³

What communication services can you use while abroad with ALDImobile?

You can send and receive calls, SMS and MMS, and use internet data while abroad with ALDImobile’s international roaming.

What is ALDImobile’s Pay As You Go (payg) Credit for international roaming?

ALDImobile’s Pay As You Go (PAYG) plan needs you to recharge the PAYG credits with the amount of money you’ll need to use the services you need. So, you need to recharge the PAYG credit for international roaming too, keeping in mind that international roaming rates are higher than the usual rates. You’ll need to keep the credits updated at all times to continue using the services abroad.

How do I know if ALDImobile’s international roaming is working?

You will receive SMS notifications informing you that ALDImobile’s international roaming is active once you arrive at your destination and have connected to the foreign carrier network.¹⁵

What should I do if I’m experiencing issues with ALDImobile’s international roaming?

If you have not received notifications about ALDImobile’s international roaming being active after arriving at your destination, switch your device off and on and then try making a test call or send a test SMS. Make sure that your device is set to “Auto Select” or “Auto Connect” to the foreign carrier network in your network settings. Additionally, check if the foreign network carrier covers the area you’re in. If issues still persist, you can log in to your ALDImobile account and create an eSupport ticket.¹⁵

Travel wisely — Give the Wise Account and Debit Card a try

Now that you have a better understanding of ALDImobile international roaming options, you may be wondering how to minimise international card charges. The Wise Account is an international payment and account that facilitates international spending at the mid-market rate.

With a Wise Account you can hold money in over 40 currencies and spend it in over 150 countries. Whenever you exchange currencies it’s done using the mid-market rate with a conversion fee shown upfront.

To make everyday spending easier you can order a Wise Debit card for your Wise Account and generate virtual cards as needed. If you have the local currency in your Wise Account the Wise card will use it for local payments. If you don’t have local currency, it uses smart technology to auto-convert your money at the mid-market rate, for a conversion fee.

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Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

Sources:

  1. ALDImobile International roaming information
  2. ALDImobile What is the difference between the Pay As You Go plan and a Mobile Plan?
  3. ALDImobile Mobile plans
  4. ALDImobile International roaming rates and providers (PDF)
  5. ALDImobile How can I check my data usage?
  6. ALDImobile Contact us
  7. ALDImobile Mobile plans (PDF)
  8. ALDImobile Family plan (PDF)
  9. ALDImobile 365 Day Data Plans (PDF)
  10. ALDImobile Pay As You Go – Plan Rates (PDF)
  11. ALDImobile Pay As You Go International Rates (PDF)
  12. ALDImobile Can I access 4G when I'm roaming overseas?
  13. ALDImobile Customer Terms (PDF)
  14. The Sydney Morning Herald $5 a day or $75 an hour? Aussies caught out by mobile roaming gaps
  15. ALDImobile Why isn't my International Roaming working?

Sources checked on 20 October 2023


*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

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