What is AT&T International Day Pass?

Leaving the country doesn’t mean you need to abandon your cell phone plan. AT&T’s International Day Pass, the carrier’s daily roaming service, gives customers the ability to take their cell service wherever they go, so they can talk, text, and use cellular data just like they would at home.

In this article, we’ll break down how to use AT&T Wireless’s International Day Pass, explain how to use the service, and analyze whether it’s worth the price.

How Does AT&T International Day Pass Work?

The AT&T International Day Pass lets you use your phone like you would if you were at home, allowing you to make calls, send texts, and browse the web while traveling. You can access all of your plan’s minutes, messages, and data, though your data speeds will depend on the quality of the area’s coverage. 

The International Day Pass is available in over 210 countries, including most of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. AT&T provides coverage through partnerships with those countries’ cellular networks, offering its customers reliable service without paying overpriced data roaming fees.

How to Activate AT&T International Day Pass

You can contact AT&T to add an International Day pass before leaving the country, but there’s no need: all it takes to activate the AT&T International Day Pass is saying “yes” to the service when you arrive at your destination.

When you go to use your AT&T plan while abroad, you’ll receive a text message asking if you’d like to use the AT&T International Day Pass. You can respond “yes,” which will activate the International Day Pass for 24 hours, or “no,” which will prevent the Day Pass from taking effect.

The International Day Pass works for 24 hours and will appear on your next monthly bill statement. If you use your phone again while abroad, you’ll trigger another 24 hour Pass and will be billed accordingly. 

AT&T International Day Pass: Price, Charges, and Fees

The AT&T International Day Pass costs $12 for every 24 hours of use. If you’d like to add the Pass to additional lines on your account, you’ll pay an additional charge of $6/line. These costs are billed on the monthly bill statement following your use of the International Day Pass. Some carriers still handle roaming via pay-per-use rates, which can lead to unseen extra charges that can rack up enormous bills. The International Day Pass, on the other hand, charges by time rather than usage, cutting down on unforeseen charges.

Even better news is that AT&T caps charges for the International Day Pass after 10 days of use per bill cycle. That means the most you’ll be charged for a month of using a single-line plan is $120. When the bill cycle restarts, you will once again be charged until you reach another 10 days of use.

AT&T Plans With International Day Pass

All AT&T phone plans allow you to use the International Day Pass, including AT&T’s most popular domestic plans like the Value Plus VL, Unlimited Starter SL, Unlimited Extra EL, and the Unlimited Premium PL.

If you use the International Day Pass while visiting family and friends outside the U.S., AT&T also provides an optional add on to keep in touch with them when you’re back home. The International Calling can be added to any plan, providing unlimited talk to over 85 countries for $15/month. 

The Bottom Line

It may be convenient, but is AT&T International Day Pass worth it? In our opinion, it’s well worth its $12 daily fee. Traveling can be filled with headaches and complications, but the International Day Pass is easy to activate and use—all you need to do is opt in via text message when you want to use your phone. 

The International Day Pass isn’t the only option for AT&T customers abroad, though. Travelers could purchase a prepaid SIM from a local carrier and activate it for the length of their stay. In most cases, that will be cheaper than AT&T’s $12 per 24-hour period fee.

Folks who don’t consider themselves especially tech savvy, though, might find the process difficult. For those users, the frictionless process of activating the AT&T International Day Pass is the obvious choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does AT&T charge for international calls without a plan?

AT&T charges per minute (rounded up to the nearest minute) for all calls made from the U.S. to another country unless your plan includes international calling. If your plan doesn’t include international calling, you can add unlimited international calling for $15/month with the International Calling add on. 

Does AT&T International Day Pass turn on automatically?

No, AT&T International Day pass does not turn on automatically, though you will automatically receive a text message asking if you’d like to opt in to the service. If you reply “yes,” International Day Pass will turn on.

Can I use my phone without turning on AT&T International Day Pass?

Yes, you can use your phone (and send texts, use apps, and browse the web) without turning on AT&T International Day Pass, but you’ll only be able to use it while using WiFi. If you’d like to make calls while on WiFi, you’ll need to make sure you have WiFi calling enabled.