An eSIM day pass gives you a set amount of high-speed data each day, instead of one allowance for the whole trip. On 23 October 2026 Code eSIM sold 152 day passes for 19 destinations. Most give 1 GB of high-speed data a day for 1 to 10 days; the 66 Japan passes also come with 2 GB or 3 GB a day and run for up to 30 days. After the daily allowance, data keeps working at 256 to 512 kbps until it resets. A 1 GB pass for one day cost $1.99 in 17 destinations, and in 15 of the 19 a 5-day pass cost the same as the cheapest plan with 5 GB we sold there.
If you have roamed with a US carrier, the idea is familiar: Verizon TravelPass and AT&T International Day Pass also charge by the day, at $12 a day on 1 October 2026. Code eSIM’s passes are prepaid travel eSIMs, paid once for a set number of days. Two details decide whether one suits you: how a “day” is counted, and the speed once the daily gigabyte is used. Below is every pass we sell with its price and rules, how a day pass compares with a fixed data plan, and who should buy which. We have not run speed tests.
- Passes: 152, for 19 destinations. Most come in 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days; Japan has 66, with 1, 2 or 3 GB a day for 1 to 30 days.
- Prices: $1.99 to $15.39 for 1 GB a day; up to $31.59 for 3 GB a day for 30 days in Japan.
- Data: 1 GB of high-speed data a day, or 2 GB or 3 GB on some Japan passes; then 512 kbps on 50 passes, 384 kbps on 36 and 256 kbps on the 66 Japan passes.
- A day is: 24 hours from first use on 34 passes, and a calendar day in a set time zone on 118.
- Start: on first data use, on all 152. Install and start within 60 days of purchase, or 180 days for two of the China passes.
- Top-up: listed as supported on 86; not on the 66 Japan passes.
- Phone number: none. All 152 are data-only.
- Data exits in: Poland (52 passes), Indonesia (25), Japan (66), Hong Kong or Singapore (the 5 China passes) and Macau (the 4 Taiwan passes).
eSIM day pass prices by destination
Prices are in US dollars on 23 October 2026, for 1 GB a day. Each pass covers the destination named; some also work in neighboring countries, listed in the next table.
| Destination | 1 day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days | 10 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | $1.99 | — | $5.80 | $7.80 | — |
| Canada | $1.99 | $8.19 | $9.79 | $11.99 | $15.39 |
| Mexico | — | $7.40 | $9.79 | $11.99 | $15.39 |
| United Kingdom | $1.99 | $4.20 | $6.00 | $6.59 | $7.54 |
| France | $1.99 | $4.20 | $5.79 | $6.49 | $7.54 |
| Germany | $1.99 | $4.20 | $6.00 | $6.59 | $7.54 |
| Italy | $1.99 | $4.20 | $6.00 | $6.59 | $7.54 |
| Spain | $1.99 | $4.20 | $6.00 | $6.59 | $7.54 |
| Greece | $1.99 | $4.20 | $6.00 | $6.59 | $7.54 |
| Switzerland | $1.99 | $4.20 | $6.00 | $6.59 | $7.54 |
| Turkey | $1.99 | $3.80 | $4.20 | $5.09 | $6.45 |
| Japan | $1.99 | $4.00 | $5.30 | $5.89 | $7.00 |
| Mainland China | $1.99 | $4.00 | $5.50 | $6.49 | $8.00 |
| Hong Kong | $1.99 | $4.00 | $5.50 | $6.09 | $7.00 |
| Taiwan | — | $4.20 | $5.80 | $6.79 | $8.50 |
| Thailand | $1.99 | $4.00 | $4.80 | $5.59 | $7.00 |
| Singapore | $1.99 | $4.00 | $5.00 | $5.80 | $7.80 |
| Malaysia | $1.99 | $4.00 | $5.00 | $5.29 | $5.80 |
| Saudi Arabia | $1.99 | $7.39 | $8.99 | $10.89 | $13.79 |
The 1 GB pass for one day costs $1.99 everywhere it is sold; Mexico and Taiwan start at 3 days, and the USA has no 3- or 10-day pass. A week costs $5.09 in Turkey and $5.89 in Japan, up to $11.99 in Canada and Mexico. The cheapest 10-day pass is Malaysia, at $5.80. Japan’s passes also come with 2 GB or 3 GB a day and run for up to 30 days, for example 2 GB a day for a week at $8.09; our Japan local eSIM page lists all 66.
How a day is counted
This is the detail that matters most, and it is not the same on every pass. Our plan pages use two methods.
- 24 hours from first use (34 passes). A 3-day pass is valid “for 3 days (72 hours) from the first data connection in a covered country”, and the daily gigabyte resets every 24 hours from that first connection. Whenever you start, you get full days.
- A calendar day in a set time zone (118 passes). The day you first connect counts as day 1, and the pass ends at midnight in that time zone on the last day. 50 passes use UTC+0, the 66 Japan passes use Japan time (UTC+9) and two China passes use China time (UTC+8). The daily gigabyte resets at the same midnight.
On a calendar-day pass, the time you start matters. In Europe, midnight UTC+0 is 1 am or 2 am in France, so day 1 is close to a full local day if you start in the morning. In the Americas it is not: midnight UTC+0 is 7 pm or 8 pm in New York, depending on daylight saving time, and 6 pm in Mexico City. Connect at 9 am in New York in summer, and day 1 of a 5-day USA pass ends at 8 pm that evening; the pass ends at 8 pm on the fifth day, about four and a half days in all. The plan page advises starting just after that evening reset to get a full first day.
| Destination | How a day is counted | Speed after 1 GB | Also works in | Data exits in | Top-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 1 day: 24 hours from first use 5–7 days: Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 7 pm or 8 pm in New York |
1 day: 384 kbps 5–7 days: 512 kbps |
Canada | Poland | Yes |
| Canada | 1 day: 24 hours from first use 3–10 days: Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 7 pm or 8 pm in Toronto |
1 day: 384 kbps 3–10 days: 512 kbps |
United States | Poland | Yes |
| Mexico | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 6 pm in Mexico City | 512 kbps | Canada, United States | Poland | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at midnight or 1 am in the UK | 512 kbps | 32 more European countries | Poland | Yes |
| France | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 1 am or 2 am in France | 512 kbps | 32 more European countries | Poland | Yes |
| Germany | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 1 am or 2 am in Germany | 512 kbps | 32 more European countries | Poland | Yes |
| Italy | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 1 am or 2 am in Italy | 512 kbps | 32 more European countries | Poland | Yes |
| Spain | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 1 am or 2 am in mainland Spain | 512 kbps | 32 more European countries | Poland | Yes |
| Greece | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 2 am or 3 am in Greece | 512 kbps | 32 more European countries | Poland | Yes |
| Switzerland | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 1 am or 2 am in Switzerland | 512 kbps | 32 more European countries | Poland | Yes |
| Turkey | Calendar day (UTC+0), ends at 3 am in Turkey | 512 kbps | — | Poland | Yes |
| Japan | Calendar day (UTC+9), ends at midnight in Japan | 256 kbps | — | Japan (local network) | No |
| Mainland China | 1, 5 and 7 days: 24 hours from first use 3 and 10 days: Calendar day (UTC+8), ends at midnight in China |
384 kbps | 3 and 10 days: Hong Kong, Macao | 1 day: Singapore or Hong Kong 3–10 days: Hong Kong |
Yes |
| Hong Kong | 24 hours from first use | 384 kbps | Macao | Indonesia | Yes |
| Taiwan | 24 hours from first use | 384 kbps | — | Macau | Yes |
| Thailand | 24 hours from first use | 384 kbps | 1–7 days: Malaysia, Singapore | Indonesia | Yes |
| Singapore | 24 hours from first use | 384 kbps | 1 day: Malaysia, Thailand | Indonesia | Yes |
| Malaysia | 24 hours from first use | 384 kbps | 1 and 10 days: Singapore, Thailand | Indonesia | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia | 24 hours from first use | 384 kbps | — | Indonesia | Yes |
A 24-hour pass is the simpler choice if you land late in the day. A calendar-day pass works just as well if you start early in the local day in Europe, Turkey, Japan or China, or just after the evening reset in the USA, Canada and Mexico. If you land late in the evening on a calendar-day pass, day 1 will be short; hotel or airport Wi-Fi can carry you to the next day.
What happens after 1 GB
On every pass the first 1 GB each day is at high speed, or 2 GB or 3 GB on the larger Japan passes. After that, in the plan page’s words, “data keeps working” at a lower speed until the daily allowance resets: 512 kbps on 50 passes, 384 kbps on 36 and 256 kbps on the 66 Japan passes. You are not cut off, and you do not need a top-up to get through the day.
At those speeds, messages, email and maps keep working; video, video calls and photo uploads will be slow. Our data guide puts a standard tourist at 500 MB to 1 GB a day, and a heavy user, with short videos, video calls and hotspot, at 2 to 3 GB. A heavy user will spend much of each day at the lower speed, so a larger fixed plan or an unlimited plan is the better fit.
Day pass or fixed data plan?
For the same amount of high-speed data, a day pass often costs the same as our cheapest fixed plan. On 23 October 2026 the 5-day pass cost exactly what the cheapest plan with at least 5 GB cost for the same destination in 15 of the 19 destinations. In Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia a fixed plan was cheaper: in Japan, 5 GB for 5 days cost $4.19 against $5.30 for the 5-day pass. For 10 days the prices matched in 12 of the 18 destinations with a 10-day pass; the pass was cheaper in Saudi Arabia and Taiwan, and a fixed plan was cheaper in Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Global plans are left out of the comparison.
| Destination | 5-day pass (5 GB) | Cheapest plan with 5 GB or more | 10-day pass (10 GB) | Cheapest plan with 10 GB or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | $5.80 | $5.80 5 GB, 30 days (USA) |
No 10-day pass | — |
| France | $5.79 | $5.79 5 GB, 30 days (France) |
$7.54 | $7.54 10 GB, 30 days (Europe) |
| United Kingdom | $6.00 | $6.00 5 GB, 30 days (Europe Special) |
$7.54 | $7.54 10 GB, 30 days (Europe) |
| Japan | $5.30 | $4.19 5 GB, 5 days (Japan) |
$7.00 | $6.39 10 GB, 10 days (Japan) |
| Mainland China | $5.50 | $5.50 5 GB, 30 days (China) |
$8.00 | $8.00 10 GB, 30 days (China) |
| Thailand | $4.80 | $4.45 5 GB, 15 days (Thailand) |
$7.00 | $6.45 10 GB, 15 days (Thailand) |
| Turkey | $4.20 | $4.20 5 GB, 30 days (Turkey) |
$6.45 | $6.45 10 GB, 30 days (Turkey) |
| Mexico | $9.79 | $9.79 5 GB, 30 days (North America) |
$15.39 | $15.39 10 GB, 30 days (North America) |
| Saudi Arabia | $8.99 | $8.99 5 GB, 30 days (Saudi Arabia) |
$13.79 | $14.04 10 GB, 30 days (Saudi Arabia) |
| Taiwan | $5.80 | $5.80 5 GB, 15 days (Greater China and Taiwan Premium) |
$8.50 | $9.50 10 GB, 30 days (Greater China and Taiwan Premium) |
| Singapore | $5.00 | $3.75 5 GB, 15 days (Singapore) |
$7.80 | $5.25 10 GB, 15 days (Singapore) |
So the choice is about how you use data, not the price:
- Choose the day pass if you use about 1 GB a day or less, fairly evenly; if you want data to keep working, slowly, after the daily allowance; or if you want the bonus countries: a France pass also covers Italy, Spain and 30 other European countries.
- Choose the fixed plan if your use is uneven, because a fixed plan lets you spend 3 GB on a travel day and almost nothing at the beach; if your trip is longer than the pass; or if you want unused data to last. Most of the fixed plans in the table last 30 days. When a fixed plan’s data runs out it stops until you top up; see what happens when an eSIM runs out of data.
Day pass or your carrier’s day pass?
On their own pages on 1 October 2026, Verizon TravelPass and AT&T International Day Pass cost $12 a day in most destinations, and Verizon charged $6 a day in Canada and Mexico. A week in France on either adds $84 to the bill; our 7-day France pass cost $6.49 on 23 October 2026.
The carrier passes do things ours do not. They keep your own number for calls and texts, and Verizon’s gives 5 GB of high-speed data per TravelPass session, against our 1 GB a day. T-Mobile’s Experience plans already include 5 GB or 15 GB abroad. If what you need is data, a travel eSIM day pass costs a fraction of a carrier pass. Our carrier comparison sets out each carrier’s prices and when its daily charge still applies while you use a travel eSIM.
Bonus countries: one pass, more places
- Europe. The France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom passes each work in the same 33 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Poland is not on the list, and the Turkey pass covers Turkey only.
- North America. The USA passes also work in Canada, the Canada passes in the United States, and the Mexico passes in Canada and the United States.
- Asia. The Hong Kong passes also work in Macao. The 1- to 7-day Thailand passes also work in Malaysia and Singapore. The 1- and 10-day Malaysia passes work in Singapore and Thailand, and the 1-day Singapore pass in Malaysia and Thailand. The 3- and 10-day China passes also work in Hong Kong and Macao.
The Japan, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan passes list no other countries. In Asia the extra countries differ by size, so check the plan page for the exact pass you buy. For a longer trip across Europe, our Europe eSIM guide compares the regional plans.
Where your data exits
Like most travel eSIMs, a day pass may send your data through a gateway in another country, and websites see that location rather than where you are. On our passes it is Poland for the Europe, Turkey, USA, Canada and Mexico passes (52 in all); Indonesia for Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia (25); Hong Kong for the China passes, or Singapore or Hong Kong for the 1-day China pass; and Macau for Taiwan. The Japan passes use a local Japan network, and your IP address appears in Japan.
When a day pass is not the right choice
- You need a phone number. All 152 passes are data-only. See our guides to USA eSIMs with a number and UK eSIMs with minutes.
- You use well over 1 GB most days. You will spend much of each day at the lower speed; a larger fixed plan or an unlimited plan suits you better.
- Your trip is longer than 10 days outside Japan. Outside Japan, the longest pass lasts 10 days. Our guide to eSIMs by trip length lists the cheapest plan for two weeks and for a month.
- You may need more data in Japan. The Japan passes cannot be topped up, and their speed after the daily allowance is the lowest, 256 kbps. Choose 2 GB or 3 GB a day, or a fixed or unlimited plan; our Japan local eSIM page compares them.
- Your destination is not on the list. Our guide to the cheapest travel eSIM by country covers 22 destinations.
Frequently asked questions
What is an eSIM day pass?
A travel eSIM that gives a set amount of high-speed data each day for a fixed number of days. Code eSIM’s passes give 1 GB a day, or up to 3 GB in Japan, then keep working at 256 to 512 kbps until the allowance resets. On 23 October 2026 we sold 152 passes for 19 destinations, from 1 to 30 days, starting at $1.99.
How much does an eSIM day pass cost?
On 23 October 2026 a 1 GB pass for one day cost $1.99 in 17 destinations. A 7-day pass with 1 GB a day cost $5.09 to $11.99, and a 10-day pass $5.80 to $15.39; Canada and Mexico were the most expensive.
What happens when I use the 1 GB for the day?
Data keeps working at a lower speed until the allowance resets: 512 kbps on 50 of our passes, 384 kbps on 36 and 256 kbps on the 66 Japan passes. Messages and maps keep working; video will be slow.
When does an eSIM day pass start?
All 152 of our passes start on first data use, so you can install before you fly. On 34 a day is 24 hours from that first use. On the other 118 a day is a calendar day in a set time zone, usually UTC+0, so day 1 can be short; in New York it ends at 7 pm or 8 pm.
Is an eSIM day pass cheaper than Verizon TravelPass or AT&T International Day Pass?
For data, yes. On 1 October 2026 both carriers charged $12 a day in most destinations, $84 for a week, while our 7-day France pass cost $6.49 on 23 October 2026. The carrier passes keep your number for calls and texts, which ours do not.
Does an eSIM day pass work in more than one country?
Some do. Our France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and UK passes each work in 33 European countries. The USA pass also works in Canada, and the Mexico pass in Canada and the United States. Several Asian passes add neighboring countries, depending on size.
Can I top up an eSIM day pass?
Top-up is listed as supported on 86 of our 152 passes; the 66 Japan passes cannot be topped up. Because data keeps working at a lower speed after the daily allowance, you do not need a top-up to stay connected for the rest of the day.
A day pass is the simplest way to pay for exactly the days you travel, especially for a stopover or a short trip. Check how the pass counts a day, start it at the right time, and if you use more than 1 GB on most days, compare it with a fixed plan for the same destination.
Last reviewed 23 October 2026. Pass counts, prices, day counting, speeds after the daily allowance, bonus countries, top-up and exit locations come from our catalogue and plan pages on that date; product pages are authoritative. Carrier prices come from Verizon’s, AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s own pages on 1 October 2026, as set out in our carrier comparison. We have not tested speeds or coverage. Verizon, TravelPass, AT&T, International Day Pass and T-Mobile are trademarks of their owners; this article is independent of them. The price of our Greater China and Taiwan 10 GB plan was updated to $9.50 on 26 October 2026.