The words you meet while buying a travel eSIM, explained in one or two sentences each.
| Term | What it means |
|---|
| eSIM | A SIM chip built into the phone. Instead of inserting a card, you download a profile from the store. |
| eSIM profile | The plan you download. One phone can hold several profiles and switch between them. |
| EID | The identifier of the eSIM chip. If a phone shows an EID, it supports eSIM. |
| Carrier lock | A restriction that ties a phone to one carrier. A locked phone will not accept a travel eSIM from another store. |
| QR install | Installing the profile by scanning a QR code sent by the store; apps can also install it with one tap. |
| Activation | The moment the eSIM first connects. At some stores, such as TonMobile, the package starts being counted from here. |
| Data roaming | A phone setting that lets a line use networks outside its home country. A travel eSIM line needs it switched on abroad. |
| Term | What it means |
|---|
| Data-only plan | A plan with mobile data but no phone number or SMS. Most travel eSIMs work this way. |
| Unlimited plan | A plan without a data cap. Stores may reduce speed after a usage threshold. |
| Usage threshold | The amount of data after which an unlimited plan can slow down. |
| Top-up | Adding more data or days to an eSIM you already installed. |
| Hotspot or tethering | Sharing the phone's data with a laptop or another device. Some stores cap it per day. |
| Regional or global plan | One plan that works in several countries, from a region to most of the world. |
| Refund window | The time in which a store accepts a refund request, from 14 business days to 180 days in our rating. |
