It can sometimes be tempting to lock up our phones and keep them out of sight when traveling. For one, this would allow us the much-needed reset and disconnect many smartphone users desperately need. (The no phones policy at the Thailand wellness resort in Season 3 of The White Lotus was onto something.) Another reason, which we’ll dive into here, is the significant roaming fees we’d accrue when traveling overseas.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, most U.S. customers have domestic service plans, which don’t cover usage out of the country. This has led travelers to either pay the charges (even if they’ve activated international roaming with their carrier) or, like we said, resist the urge to use their devices at all costs.
However, the partnership of mobile technology company GigSky and multinational payment card VISA has solved this dilemma by rolling out a new service that allows Americans to use their phones while traveling abroad for free. While the two widely successful companies first teamed up in 2023, it wasn’t until early March 2025 that they launched this expansion, offering complimentary and/or discounted global mobile data plans to millions of Americans through the GigSky app.
This would grant eligible U.S. VISA cardholders with a free or low-cost resolution to evade pricey roaming fees when traveling abroad — a breakthrough for people battling whether to leave their phones in the hotel safe or risk being charged a hefty fine if they used them. We spoke with GigSky’s Chief Revenue Officer, Samuel King, to share the perks of the new service and what qualified VISA customers can expect moving forward.
What Are the Benefits of This Offer?
King explained that specifically, U.S. Signature and Infinite cardholders would benefit from this invitation. Each of these credit cards provides customers access to premium rewards and experiences, like rental car privileges, special guest status at select luxury hotels, and primetime reservations, as per the VISA website.
U.S. Signature cardholders would receive a complimentary 1 GB plan to 175 countries, 20 percent off all 200 plus countries, all cruise plans, and all inflight plans. The gains are similar for Infinite cardholders, except they’d earn 30 percent off these plans.
Are There Any Limitations to Using the App?
As we said, eligible VISA cardholders can take advantage of this service via the GigSky app, and very few wouldn’t have access. According to King, any device capable of using an eSIM (a digital adaptation of a physical SIM card built directly into the phone, as per T-Mobile’s website) has access to this opportunity.
He noted that all iPhones have been eSIM compatible since 2018, and a limited number of Android devices are unable to use eSIM. “Some U.S. cardholders may also have their devices locked by their home carrier, but that number is also dwindling rapidly,” King added. So, the bottom line is most U.S. Signature and Infinite cardholders can utilize this service.
Is This Service Available for VISA Cardholders Everywhere?
While any U.S. Signature and Infinite cardholder with an iPhone and most Androids can use this new program, King noted that it’s not available everywhere just yet. GigSky’s partnership with VISA currently includes cardholders in all of North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean (an estimated over 600 people). However, they are looking into expanding globally in the coming months.
More About the GigSky and VISA partnership
For the last two years, GigSky and VISA have worked together to implement an attractive service for eligible cardholders, starting with their first banking partner — US Bank — in July 2023. They began with a pilot for US Bank’s Altitude Signature card, which afforded cardholders a 5 GB complimentary plan to use once per month
Thankfully, for Altitude Signature cardholders, the pilot was a massive success, and US Bank has continued with this offer. The program has since rolled out through Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada with complimentary rewards.
“The expanded partnership between GigSky and Visa is a game-changer for U.S. travelers,” said King. “We’re excited to offer these valuable benefits to Visa cardholders, helping them stay connected wherever their travels take them without worrying about roaming costs.”
Other GigSky Collaborations
VISA is not the only mega-giant that GigSky has collaborated with in recent years. The company, known for providing eSIM and SIM card-based data services to world travelers, has teamed up with numerous other businesses to ease travelers’ experiences.
One that King is particularly proud of is GigSky’s conjunction with the Cellular at Sea network, in which they became the only eSIM provider to supply connectivity on over 200 cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Disney, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, and many more. They created a single plan that combines coverage on land as well.
“Imagine taking a European cruise and being able to purchase a single plan that covers you in 44 European countries as well as your time at sea. That’s unique in the industry,” said King.
On top of that, GigSky also equips over 60 leading global airlines with connectivity to deliver dependable service for pilots, crew, and critical aviation infrastructure. “As we like to say, if the airlines can rely on us for their infrastructure, travelers can certainly rely on us when they travel across the globe,” inserted King.
Customers can locate their complimentary and/or discounted plans by downloading the GigSky app and following the prompts to check their VISA eligibility. Upon registration, the VISA cardholder benefit is automatically activated for the duration that the customer uses their VISA card to pay for their service.
Questions? Connect with GigSky’s customer support team, which is available anytime via email and live chat within the app.
<p>The post Americans Can Now Use Their Phones for Free While Traveling Abroad first appeared on Travelbinger.</p>