Tello SIM card and eSIM: what the plans cost, and what happens abroad

What do Tello plans cost on 10 November 2026?

Tello is a prepaid, no-contract US network. Its plans page lets you build a plan from five data levels (none, 2GB, 10GB, 20GB or unlimited) and three minute levels (none, 300 minutes or unlimited). Unlimited texts come with every plan. These were the ready-made Tello prepaid plans when we read the plans and family pages:

The Unlimited plan includes 10GB of hotspot. On every other Tello data plan, Tello says the hotspot allowance is the same as the plan's data. Unused high-speed data rolls over. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time without a fee, and the family page says plans start from $5 a line.

Tello's blog showed two recent promotions that had already ended when we read it. A deal of 10GB for $10 a month for three months ended on 9 November 2026. An offer of Unlimited at $19 a month for six months closed to new lines on 14 September 2026, with the plan renewing at $25 after that. The plans page itself showed no discounted price on 10 November.

Tello does not name its host network. It describes it as America's largest 5G network and says its partner agreement doesn't let it use the name.

This is desk research from Tello's own pages. We have not bought or tested a Tello plan.

Is there a Tello eSIM, and where do you buy the SIM card?

Yes, Tello sells both. At checkout you choose a physical SIM sent by post or an eSIM. Tello's help centre sets two limits that matter to travellers:

• eSIM activation needs a US signal. Tello says you must be physically in the United States, connected to a US cell tower, to activate a Tello eSIM for the first time. It will not activate abroad, so set it up before you fly.
• Physical SIMs ship to US addresses only, including military APO and FPO addresses. Tello says it does not ship to Canada, Mexico or anywhere else outside the US.

Shipping when we read it was free by USPS First-Class Mail (3 to 5 transit days), $5 by USPS Priority Mail, $10 by FedEx Ground and $15 by FedEx Standard Overnight.

To bring your own phone, Tello asks for an unlocked, VoLTE-compatible device and checks it by IMEI (dial *#06# to see yours). You can transfer your number after the service is active. Tello also sells phones, from $45 on its bring-your-own-phone page. We only confirmed buying online at tello.com. The pages we read did not list shops, so we can't say where else a Tello SIM card is sold.

How do Tello family plans work?

A Tello family plan is one account with several lines. Each line has its own plan, phone and number, and there is no shared balance. Tello lists ready-made family deals at $8 (2GB and 300 minutes), $15 (10GB), $20 (20GB) and $25 (Unlimited). Each line bills on the day it was activated, and adding a line costs nothing extra. If one person needs unlimited data and another only needs calls, you pay for each separately rather than for a shared bucket.

What does Tello international calling include?

Tello says any plan with minutes includes calls to more than 60 countries, taken from your minute balance. Canada, Mexico and India were shown as free on its international calling page. Calls to other destinations come out of Pay As You Go credit. Wi-Fi calling is free and also uses your plan allowance. We did not copy the full 60-country list, so check your destination on Tello's calling page.

Does a Tello plan work abroad?

It depends on where you go.

Europe, until 31 January 2027. Tello's Free Roaming in Europe offer lets you use your normal monthly allowance in its list of European destinations at no extra charge. That list includes the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine. On the Unlimited plan, Tello says that means up to 50GB at full speed plus unlimited talk and text. You need to switch International Roaming on in your Tello account while you are still in the US. Tello calls this a limited-time promotion.

Everywhere else. Roaming in Tello's 200+ other countries is charged from Pay As You Go credit, which you top up in $20, $30, $40 or $50 amounts. That credit expires three months after purchase unless the line has an active plan. The rates we checked:

One cent a megabyte sounds small. It works out at about $10 a gigabyte.

When is a travel eSIM cheaper than Tello roaming?

In Europe before February 2027, almost never: your Tello allowance already works there. Outside Europe, usually, because of that $10 a gigabyte.

Take two weeks in Japan using 10GB. On Tello Pay As You Go that is roughly $100 of data. Our verified prices, read on each seller's own site in August 2026, were $16 for Nomad's 10GB over 30 days, $17.99 for Saily's 10GB over 30 days and $17 for Airalo's 10GB over 7 days. In Mexico, Nomad's 10GB over 30 days was $15.50. Even a light 2GB trip costs about $20 on Tello roaming, more than a 3GB plan from any of the three.

The Tello line still has a job abroad. Keep it on for texts and Wi-Fi calling so your US number stays reachable, and switch its data roaming off. Our data roaming guide shows where the setting is, and the cheapest eSIM table ranks plans by cost per gigabyte. For Japan specifically, see the Japan SIM card guide.

Is a Tello SIM card a good choice for visitors to the US?

It can be, for longer stays. Tello's Everyday plan gives 10GB for $15 a month. The verified US travel eSIM prices from August 2026 were $21.50 for Airalo's 10GB over 7 days, $22.99 for Saily's 10GB over 30 days and $25 for Nomad's 10GB over 30 days. Tello also gives you a US number, which travel eSIMs usually don't.

The catches are practical. The eSIM has to be activated on a US tower, so you'd do it after landing. A physical SIM has to be posted to a US address. The pages we read did not say whether Tello accepts payment cards issued outside the US, so we could not confirm that a visitor can sign up. For a short trip, a travel eSIM bought before you fly avoids all of that. Our cheap US SIM card guide compares the options, and the USA SIM card hub covers arrival, airports and coverage. If you want the big network's own prepaid plans instead, see our T-Mobile guide.