Travel anywhere in the US and all of your calls and data are covered by Verizon's basic plan. But if you cross an international border, you are subject the Verizon's rules of international roaming.
The firm wants you to remain in contact for work, but hopes we can avoid unnecessary charges. Below are a few tips for taking your phone outside the country.
Plan Ahead
If you are leaving the country, and plan to take your phone, please send me an email with as much advance notice as possible. I need to know your dates of departure and return, as well as what countries you will be visiting.
I can make sure that you are on an international plan. This reduces per minute call charges by about 30% (give or take depending on the country). You also must have a data plan if you wish to use data at all (including sending tor receiving email). Use of data without such a plan can cost over $20 per megabyte, meaning the firm could pay over $100 for a single email with a sizable attachment. Data plans are sold at $25 per 100 MB. If you go over 100 MB, you are charged for another 100 MB at the same price.
Verizon also recommends that you call them directly to get billing information about the countries you will be visiting. You can call Verizon with any questions or problems while abroad at these numbers:
Within US: 800-711-8300
Outside US: 908-559-4899
Set Phone for Roaming
Even if you have your roaming plan in place on your account, your phone may still be blocking your access. Make sure your phone is set to allow for international voice and data roaming.
On the Android, you can find these settings in SETTINGS, MORE NETWORKS, MOBILE NETWORKS. Make sure Global Data Roaming Access is turned on. Voice calls are always on, so if you do NOT want to receive expensive calls, turn your phone off completely or turn on Airplane mode.
On the iPhone, your settings are under SETTINGS, CELLULAR, ROAMING. You can turn on or off voice roaming for calls and/or data roaming for other data features.
Watch Your Usage
There are special rules for Canada and Mexico travel that make calling cheaper. So I'm less concerned about calls if visiting those countries.
Similarly, with data, connections, the average user uses perhaps 500 MB in a month, although some people use 8 or 9 GB in a month. If you are a low end user, it would not be hard to go through 100 MB in a week while overseas, so be aware of that.
Also, text messages are charged separately while roaming. The cost is usually 5 cents for each message received and 50 cents for each message sent. So don't use messaging frequently thinking it will save money.
Money Saving Tips
Use WiFi whenever possible. If you can connect your phone to a local WiFi network at the hotel, a home, or some other public place, you can upload and download all the data you like at no charge. Text messages still incur a charge, as do voice calls.
Roaming charges apply to voice calls regardless of who originates the call. There is no savings in having someone call you.
Make sure your email is sent not to download attachment except when connected to WiFi. This is usually the setting we use by default, but it is especially important when roaming since those attachments can really impact your data usage. You still have the ability to download an attachment by clicking on it once you have opened the email.
If you have problems while abroad
Your first call should be to Verizon's International Support line: 908-559-4899.
If you call me, the main things I'm going to tell you are, check your roaming settings as explained above. Turn your phone on and off. Beyond that, Verizon is much better suited to helping you with any particular connectivity issues.
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