How Telisco works
Two kinds of travel eSIM. Data-only plans that start when you connect, or Calls + SMS + Data with a phone number. Both arrive by email in minutes and install without a physical SIM.
Data plans
Mobile data for one country or a whole region, on an eSIM that lives next to your own SIM. Your own number keeps working for calls and SMS; the Telisco eSIM carries the data.
Choose your destination
Pick a country or region and the data size that matches your trip. Unlimited plans are available for many destinations.
Pay and receive instantly
Secure checkout by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. The eSIM arrives by email in seconds, with a link that installs it in one tap.
Install at home, connect on arrival
Install on Wi-Fi before you leave. Turn on data roaming for the new line when you land; the plan starts on first connection.
- Buy in advance. Installing does not start the clock. Validity begins when the eSIM first connects to a network in the destination.
- Keep your number. The eSIM is data-only, so your own SIM stays active for calls and SMS. Turn off data roaming on your own line to avoid its charges.
- Top up any time. Add data to the same eSIM from My account without installing a new one.
- Regional plans cross borders. One eSIM works in every country on the plan's coverage list, shown before you buy.
- Unlimited plans use fair use. Full speed up to a daily amount, then reduced speed for the rest of that day. The exact numbers are on each plan.
- Refund if unused. Not installed and no data used within 14 days: full refund. See the Refund Policy.
Calls + SMS + Data
One eSIM with data, calls and SMS and a real mobile number, assigned the moment you buy. Ideal when you need to be reachable on a local number, call hotels and restaurants, or receive verification codes abroad.
Pick your destination
On the country page, switch the toggle to Calls + SMS + Data and pick a data size. The plan shows the number's country, the calls and SMS allowance and every covered country.
Get your number at checkout
You confirm three things before paying, then the plan starts and the number is assigned. It appears in your delivery email and in My account.
Install and call
Tap the install link, turn on data roaming for the new line, and use it for data, calls and SMS everywhere the plan covers.
Three things to know before you buy
- Starts when you buy. The days count from purchase, not from installation. Buy it on your travel day, or the day before.
- Not refundable. The number is assigned at purchase, so the plan cannot be returned or exchanged.
- The number has a country. A French number on the Europe plans, a UK number on the O2 and Vodafone plans, a US number in the US, a local number on single-country plans. Calls and SMS to other countries may be limited; the plan says what is included.
- Your own number stays. The eSIM is a second line. Choose per call which number to use.
- Roaming inside the coverage list is included. Data, calls and SMS come out of the one plan in every covered country, whatever the number's country.
- Receive calls and SMS anywhere the plan covers. Callers pay their normal rate for calling that number's country.
- Hotspot allowed on all Calls + SMS + Data plans unless the plan says otherwise.
- No top-ups. When the plan ends, buy a new one.
- Identity check only where local law requires it, and only to keep the number beyond the first period. The plan details say so before you pay.
Questions people ask
Do I keep my own phone number?
Yes. The eSIM adds a second line with its own number. Your own SIM stays in the phone with its number, and you choose which line handles calls, SMS and data in your phone's settings.
My number is from the UK but I'm travelling in Spain. How is my data used?
Exactly like at home. The plan has one allowance of data, calls and SMS that works in every country on its coverage list, so in Spain your data comes out of the same plan with no roaming charge. The number's country only decides what the number looks like to people who call you.
What happens if I travel to a country that is not on the plan's coverage list?
The eSIM has no service there: no data, no calls, no SMS. Buy a Telisco plan for that country instead, and keep the calls plan for when you are back inside its coverage. The coverage list is shown on every plan before you buy.
Can people call and text me on the new number?
Yes, anywhere the plan covers. Callers dial your French, UK or US number and pay their normal rate for calling that country. Incoming SMS are included on every plan, including the ones that do not include outgoing SMS.
Can I use the number for WhatsApp, banking codes or account verification?
Yes. It is a real mobile number, so SMS codes arrive on it. Most travellers keep WhatsApp on their own number and use the new one for local contacts, but you can register WhatsApp with the new number if you prefer.
Can I make emergency calls?
Yes. Emergency numbers such as 112 and 911 work on any available network.
Does the plan work for hotspot and tethering?
Yes, on all Calls + SMS + Data plans, unless the plan details say otherwise.
What does "incoming SMS only" mean?
You can receive SMS on the number, including verification codes, but not send them. Use WhatsApp or another app to send messages on those plans.
Can I top up a Calls + SMS + Data plan?
No. When the plan ends, buy a new one. Data-only plans can be topped up from My account.
Which phone settings do I need?
Turn on data roaming for the new eSIM line, set it as your data line, and choose it for calls when you want to use the new number. Your own line can stay on for calls to your own number.