Boost AU international roaming. How does it work and what’s the cost?

Bill shock, a phrase coined by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to explain the feeling someone gets after returning home from a trip overseas and owing a substantial amount from using their phone.¹ Yes, it is unfortunately a real issue and can be avoided by taking a few preemptive steps before leaving Australia.

Boost Australia, or Boost AU offers customers a way to manage how they use their phone abroad with their international roaming packs.²

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Boost AU International roaming. What is it and how does it work

Boost AU offers international roaming packs as a stand-alone service to its domestic prepaid packages. All prepaid packs are on a no lock in contract.³ The international roaming packs use a prepaid eSIM to access data, calls and messaging overseas on their mobile device.²

International roaming packages available with Boost Australia

There are three prepaid roaming packs available with Boost AU including²:

Package	International Roaming Small	International Roaming Medium	International Roaming Large
Data limit (GB)	1GB	3GB	5GB
Overseas call and text allowance	15 minutes of calls and 15 texts	30 minutes of calls and 30 texts	60 minutes of calls and 60 texts
Expiry	3 days	7 days	14 days

Call minutes are inclusive of ingoing and outgoing calls. The International Roaming Large is recommended to be the best value by this provider.²

Do you get internet data & coverage Internationally with Boost AU roaming

The short answer to this is yes, you do get internet data coverage internationally with Boost AU roaming packs. The amount of data you can use varies per pack. This may require subsequent purchases if you want to access the internet abroad frequently.²

What is the cost to use Boost AU service abroad

Before you can even buy a Boost AU roaming pack, you will need to download the Boost AU app. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an existing Boost AU customer to buy an international roaming pack.

To buy a Boost AU pack, you will need to follow these steps²:

1. Download the Boost AU app
2. Make an account
3. Scroll down to “Extra’s”
4. Choose your preferred roaming pack
5. Your pack is active

The cost to use Boost AU abroad depends on how much you will need your phone abroad.

Boost AU international roaming fees with upfront/prepaid packages

The costs of the international roaming backs are tiered based on usage expectations.²

International Roaming Small	International Roaming Medium	International Roaming Large
$20	$30	$40

Price as seen on 1st July 2024

You can buy multiple packs at once. However, each pack will activate from the moment of you buy and the expiry period will not change. For example, if you buy the International Roaming Large pack, and an International Roaming Medium pack, the pack that expires first will be used first.²

Boost AU international roaming fees with subscription/contract packages

All the Boost AU international roaming packs are prepaid and purchased as needed.²

How do you activate roaming with Boost AU

Activation is automatic once you purchase a pack. If you notice that it is not working, you should check that data roaming is switched on in your settings. Just download, purchase your pack and go.²

Destinations eligible for international roaming with Boost AU

All packs include coverage in the following 42 international destinations.²

Canada	China	Croatia	Czech Republic	Fiji	France
Germany	Greece	Hong Kong	Hungary	India	Indonesia
Ireland	Israel	Italy	Japan	Malaysia	Nauru
Netherlands	New Zealand	Norway	Papua New Guinea	Philippines	Poland
Portugal	Qatar	Samoa	Serbia	Singapore	Solomon Islands
South Korean	Spain	Sri Lanka	Sweden	Taiwan	Thailand
Tonga	Turkey	UK	USA	Vanuatu	Vietnam

If you are travelling to a country or countries outside this list, you should contact Boost AU to ask what their options are or shop around to see the best option for your destination.

How to track roaming usage with Boost AU

You can track your roaming usage through the Boost AU app. You’ll be able to see how much data you’ve used, available call minutes or text remaining and when your pack's expiry date is. Boost will also notify you via a free text when you’ve hit 50%, 85% and 100% of your packs inclusions.²

What to keep in mind before you travel.

While a prepaid roaming pack can be a great help to manage and monitor your phone use abroad, there's a few other things to keep in mind before you travel.

Data usage & needs

It’s hard to know how much data you are going to use when you are travelling. Generally the packs above are catered to light to medium usage. Light usage covers minimal web browsing and checking email, whereas medium usage is more frequent social media use, music streaming and watching videos.³ A hot tip is to only use roaming where necessary and use WIFI everywhere you can.

Expiry time

It’s important to note that the expiry time of your packs will be referred to in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). This means if you buy a pack at 10am (AEST), you should check the equivalent time zone differences for the anticipated expiry day of your purchased pack.⁴

Contacting Boost AU

To contact Boost AU, you can:

• Call 125 8881 from within Australia
• Call +61 439 125 881 from overseas

Otherwise, you can find other support methods on their website here.

FAQs about international roaming with Boost AU

You can never be too prepared to save some money on your travels. Here are some extra FAQs that answer some other questions when it comes to Boost AU International roaming packs.

What is an eSIM and are all devices compatible?

An eSIM is an inbuilt component on eligible mobile devices that removes the need to input a physical SIM card. Older devices may not have eSIM capability. You can check if your device is eligible before purchasing an international roaming pack on the Boost AU website.²

When should you purchase an International Roaming pack?

You can purchase an international roaming pack before or after you leave Australia. However, it is recommended to download the Boost AU mobile app and buy a pack before you leave. Otherwise, on arrival at your destination you can call Boost to manually buy a pack.²

What happens if I travel overseas but don’t buy an international roaming pack?

Depending on your provider and destination country will vary what international roaming costs you incur. A key benefit of buying a prepaid roaming pack is that you can control how much you spend and manage your usage yourself. International roaming charges can quickly add up if left unmanaged.¹

Does any unused data, call minutes or texts rollover from an expired pack to a new one?

Once a pack expires, so do unused inclusions even if you buy a new pack prior to the original pack expiring.⁴

What are some tips for saving data abroad?

Depending on your provider at home in Australia, you may not have ever had to think about your overall data usage or call minutes. To make sure your purchased pack inclusions aren’t drained quicker than necessary, you can¹:

• Turn off auto-updates on your device
• Toggle your apps network connection to only use WIFI rather than mobile data
• Turn on aeroplane mode where you don’t need your phone
• Download offline maps or other entertainment before you leave

These simple tips will help your roaming pack go further.

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Sources:

1. ACMA bill shock
2. Boost AU roaming packs
3. Boost AU Data Usage
4. Boost AU terms

Sources checked on: 01 July 2024