Buy eSIM Online – How To Do It

The process that you have to go through to get coverage and buy eSIM online can vary from provider to provider. In fact, at the time of writing none of the top US service providers allow you to get a prepaid eSIM online from them. eSIM technology with T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T is essentially reserved for their postpaid plan customers. Which, in our book, is a bit of a shame. Since, getting an eSIM on a post paid with a locked phone makes the idea of even having an eSIM rather pointless. In any case, this does not mean that you can’t get a prepaid eSIM plan. In fact, we happen to know a marketplace where you can buy eSIM coverage virtually anywhere in the world.  

There are multiple options out there to buy eSIM online, we are going to be focusing this article on the options provided by the Airalo eSIM marketplace. Since, in our opinion, they happen to be the easiest way to get an eSIM online. With some of the main established wireless service providers the process of getting an eSIM is going to be the same as it was with a regular SIM Card. What we mean by that is that you’ll have to either call or go to the local store that the service provider has. You have to then sign up to get a long term plan with them. Some companies have certainly improved the buying process overall. However, they are mostly nowhere near where the Airalo eSIM marketplace happens to be. 

• Buy eSIM Online Must Haves
• Buy eSIM Online – Prepaid Plans
• Step-by-Step Plan
• Getting An eSIM From A Reputable Service Provider
• Benefit Of Having an eSIM Over Regular SIM Card
• Better Deals Are On The Way

Buy eSIM Online Must Haves

To buy eSIM online there are two main things that you have to have in order to complete the process. Number one is a phone that is eSIM compatible. Most of the newer phones from the top mobile phone manufacturers are going to be eSIM compatible. Yet, depending on the part of the world that you live in there is a chance that you won’t be able to get an eSIM from your regular service provider. That’s ok though, as long as the phone is eSIM compatible you are going to have a chance to buy eSIM online. To be able to guarantee that you’ll be able to get an eSIM you need to get the other must have. 

The second must have is an unlocked phone. Many people don’t really have this in mind. Since you don’t have the regular SIM card it would seem much easier that scanning a QR code to get another eSIM will be second nature. At this point in time though wireless service providers are still locking phones that customers get directly from them. Before you travel or at least before you try and insert a eSIM into your phone make sure that the device is unlocked. That’s surely going to save you at least one headache that you won’t have to deal with.    

Buy eSIM Online – Prepaid Plans

We just want to clarify that we are mainly referencing buying eSIMs that give you access to prepaid plans. When it all comes down to it, this is really where eSIM technology has a major leg up over regular SIM cards. If you just get an eSIM from your regular service provider and really have no intention of getting service from another company simultaneously, the idea that you don’t have a SIM card anymore is “ok”. A sign that technology has evolved for sure and the idea that you don’t have to worry about the card getting damaged are essentially the positives. The way we see it though, eSIM technology really comes alive when you use different service providers. 

The fact that most American wireless service providers have not embraced eSIM cards for their prepaid plans is beyond us at this point. Perhaps by the time that you are reading this, this is no longer the case. Still, we feel that wireless service providers are in a sense trying to limit the benefits of eSIM technology. Certainly the fact that they are still locking the phones that they sell is a sign of that. When you really think about it though, how else could they guarantee that most people will still want to stick with them long term? In any case, eSIM technology allows you to house different prepaid plans under one roof. At least with the company that we are going to talk about next!  

Step-by-Step Plan

The best company that we’ve come across to buy eSIM online is Airalo. We have a full review of the company on this site as well. Granted, in certain cases it can be argued we’d like better rates, the accessibility to the service and how practical everything is may offset some of the costs. Here is how you can get an eSIM with them. 

First Step: Create An Account 

This is potentially the first step that everyone expected. You have to log in to the site to create an account. They ask for very basic information to complete the process. It’s important to point out that you are going to want to use an external device to create an account. Like a computer or tablet. It’ll make more sense in the final step.

Second Step: Pick The eSIM You Want To Buy

You are going to have to pick the country that you need coverage in. You can pick a country or a region. So for example on a Euro trip you could potentially just use one eSIM for the duration of your stay. What you’re also going to have to decide on is the amount of data that you require. With Airalo you’ll only be able to choose data only eSIM options. That narrows things down a bit for sure.

Third Step : Pay, Scan The Code, & Enjoy 

Once you’ve selected the eSIM that you are going to need you are going to be able to scan the QR code to be able to activate the eSIM card. Once you get that done you’ll be able to activate the coverage. Remember to use two devices for the process. You need to scan the QR code with the phone that you want to have coverage on!  

Getting An eSIM From A Reputable Service Provider

Is there a way to get an eSIM from a more reputable service provider? Note that the eSIMs that Airalo offers come from cheap brands. They just may not be as known. There are companies out there like Virgin who are offering eSIMs. The problem at least with most US service providers is that they are offering eSIM options only for post paid plan users. If you are going to be traveling though, and you want to see if you can get an eSIM from a reputable service provider on a prepaid plan there is a quick way to figure things out. 

Apple has an updated list of companies that offer eSIM options in different countries. Even if you have an Android phone you can certainly use this list. Scroll down to the country that you are going to be traveling to. The list already features links to the sites of these service providers in each country. What you are going to be able to do is click on the reputable service provider that you want to get an eSIM from. On their site you’ll be able to check if that particular company offers prepaid eSIM options. From there you’ll be able to decide which career fits your needs best!   

Benefit Of Having an eSIM Over Regular SIM Card

There are plenty of benefits that you’re going to be able to obtain from an eSIM. The fact that you don’t have to deal with an actual card that you have to insert into the phone is a major benefit to many. By just scanning a QR code you are going to be able to access an eSIM. You may need two devices to be able to get this done. You won’t have to worry though about the eSIM getting damaged. With a regular SIM card if you remove the card from the phone the card itself can get damaged. 

When it all comes down to it though, the main benefit that you get with an eSIM is that en eSIM is way more practical. Especially if you are going to be looking for a way to get coverage from multiple service providers. To be honest if you are only interested in getting coverage from one service provider you won’t really notice a major difference between having a regular SIM card or an eSIM. Unless the card gets corrupted or something like. Even if you don’t remove a traditional SIM card there is a chance that if you drop the phone that the regular SIM card can get damaged. That’s not necessarily an issue that you would have with an eSIM.     

Better Deals Are On The Way

We can’t really say that we are 100% certain about this. However, with the advancements in technology we feel very strongly that better deals through eSIMs can be on the way. Currently, eSIM marketplaces like Airalo still offer prices that are a bit above what you can currently get from regular SIM cards. Particularly when you are looking at travel options. We have the theory that a lot of these eSIM providers that we see today are having to pay a fee to some of these larger networks to be able to provide the coverage. So if you want a better price for coverage you may want to look for direct coverage from service providers and not necessarily eSIM networks.

These eSIM networks either need to find a way to provide coverage at lower prices or they may end up having trouble staying alive when some of the larger carriers start going all in on the eSIM game. We’ve been monitoring and doing research in this industry for years. We feel that there’s a very good chance that rates are going to go down in the coming years. Particularly as COVID issues begin to dissipate, and travel spikes back up again. At least that’s what we are hoping happens. 

Buy eSIM Online – Conclusion 

When you buy eSIM online be sure that you are clear on why you need the eSIM. Travel eSIMs are on the rise along with sites that offer them. From our perspective though they are still priced a little bit over what we typically see from regular SIM cards that can be used by travelers. That in our mind could be one of the reasons why eSIM penetration isn’t deeper at this point. Also, we are still seeing just a couple models come out with eSIM compatibility at this point. That’s certainly something that’s going to change potentially in the very near future. Where we predict that eSIM phones are going to become the norm. With certain phone manufacturers potentially still incorporating regular SIM card outlets into phones. To make sure that people in countries where networks have gone completely over to eSIM technology can still buy their phones. 

If you want to buy eSIM online you need to make sure that your phone is unlocked. A lot of people feel that locked phones are a thing of the past. That’s not going to be the case. Whether your phone runs on a regular SIM card or an eSIM it doesn’t really matter. To be able to get it to work with a SIM that is not issued by your regular service provider you need to make sure that the device itself is unlocked. Once you get that done you are going to be able to add virtually as many eSIMs as you’d want. As long as you follow the instructions on how to get that done accordingly.