Choosing a mobile phone and a mobile payment plan can be quite complicated when you consider all of the different options available. There are so many mobile phone companies, so many phone models to choose from, and once you have finally figured that out, seemingly endless versions of different payment plans. The idea of all of this is that you have a great deal of variety to choose from, but in the end it can also be a bit overwhelming. Add on the often-complicated concept of using your mobile phone abroad frequently, and the process gains a whole new dimension. Fortunately, however, using your mobile abroad can actually be surprisingly simple, so long as you know where you are going and what you want in your plan.

To begin with – while this seems relatively simple – be sure to look into whether or not your travel destination is compatible with your own mobile phone provider. Different services operate on different frequencies, so you cannot always expect your mobile to work everywhere you go. However, all it takes is a quick call to your mobile provider, or even a glance at their website, to determine whether or not your specific destination will work with your mobile service provider.

Similarly, your payment plan will likely be determined by your destination. Depending on which type of tariff you use (Pay & Go or Pay Monthly) and where you are going, your calls and texts will cost different amounts. Generally, Pay & Go plans work better for people who travel frequently, because your payment rate will depend upon how much you use your phone. Often, people with Pay Monthly plans do not use their phones frequently enough while abroad to justify their monthly costs. However, again, this depends entirely upon how much you use your phone, and how your tariff plan matches up with your destination.

Finally, there are also a number of ways that you can try to save money on your data costs while traveling abroad. For example, depending on your mobile payment plan, receiving voicemails or downloading data on your phone can be quite costly, and in many cases you don’t even realize you are doing these things. However, these are features that can be turned off as you please, which means that it’s always a good idea to check with your provider about the specifics of these costs before you actually take off on your trip. Particularly if you travel frequently, you can save a great deal of money with this sort of advanced preparation.