A pay as you go travel eSIM lets you use mobile data abroad from one balance, charged only for the data you use, at the rate of whichever country you are in. With Bcengi, you install the eSIM once, it works in 200+ countries, and your balance never expires, so what you don't spend is there for your next trip. A week abroad used a median of 1.38 GB in our usage report, and you pay for exactly what your trip uses.
What a trip costs, by length (United Kingdom, $1.15 per GB)
Median data a trip used in our 2026 usage report, at the United Kingdom rate on the pricing page:
- 3 days: 0.50 GB, $0.58
- 7 days: 1.38 GB, $1.59
- 14 days: 3.16 GB, $3.63
- Over 30 days: 10.85 GB, $12.48
Within each length, use varied: on 7-day trips, the 90th percentile used 6.50 GB, $7.48 here, and a quarter used less than 0.52 GB, $0.60. Every country's rate is on the pricing page, and our data guide helps you size your own trip.
How it compares with a bundle
More on how a Bcengi balance works.
| Bcengi pay as you go | Bundle | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Add money to a balance; each country has its own rate per GB, metered by the KB | A fixed price for a set amount of data, for example 5 GB |
| Data you don't use | Never charged: the money stays in your balance | Lost when the bundle's time runs out |
| Expiration | Your balance never expires | Expires after a set number of days, used or not |
| Countries | One eSIM and one balance in 200+ countries | Covers the countries the bundle names |
| Choosing a size | No data size to pick | You pick a size before the trip |
| Your next trip | The same eSIM and balance | Buy a new bundle |
A bundle only comes out ahead on a stay of 30 days or more in one country with heavy use that uses up the whole bundle. If that is your trip, compare the bundle's total price with your destination's rate times the data you expect to use.
Questions
Usually, because you pay only for what you use and keep the rest of your balance. In our report's comparison, a 3 GB bundle would have covered three in four 4 to 7 day trips, and 58.5% of them would have used less than half of it. A bundle only comes out ahead on a stay of 30 days or more in one country with heavy use.
How do I start?Sign up on travel.bcengi.com or in the Bcengi app, add balance, then install the eSIM from its QR code on Wi-Fi. When you land, select the Bcengi eSIM for mobile data.
How is data charged?Rates are shown per GB for each country, and use is metered by the KB, not rounded up to a full GB. 100 MB in France at $1.15 per GB costs about $0.12.
Can I use one eSIM in several countries on one trip?Yes. Cross a border and you are charged the new country's rate, with nothing new to buy. 47.7% of trips in our report used data in two or more countries (at least 1 MB in each).
What if my balance runs out mid-trip?Your data pauses until you add balance on travel.bcengi.com. With optional auto-refill, your balance tops up when it runs low, up to any daily refill limit you set.
Is there a contract or monthly fee?No. Bcengi is prepaid: you add money first, there is no monthly fee, and nothing is deducted until you use data on your trip.
How we measured: usage is from the 2026 International Mobile Data Usage Report, a stratified random sample of 10,000 travel periods, January 1 to September 30, 2026. Everyone sampled chose a pay as you go eSIM; the results describe these travelers, not all travelers. Trip costs are illustrations: the report's usage times the United Kingdom rate.
