Frequently Asked Questions

An eSIM is a digital SIM card built into your phone. Instead of inserting a physical SIM, you scan a QR code and your phone downloads the carrier profile. No physical card, no waiting for delivery, no swapping SIMs when you travel. It takes about 60 seconds.

Your phone downloads a carrier profile when you scan the QR code. This profile tells your phone which network to connect to. Your eSIM works alongside your physical SIM, so you can keep your regular number for calls and texts while using the eSIM for data. Most phones support 5-10 eSIM profiles, so you can have plans for different countries loaded and ready.

Most phones released after 2018 support eSIM. iPhone XS and later, Google Pixel 3 and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later all support eSIM. Check our full device compatibility list to confirm. One thing that trips people up: phones bought through a carrier on a payment plan may have eSIM locked. If your phone says "SIM locked," contact your carrier to unlock it.

After purchase, you'll get a QR code. Open your phone's Settings, go to Cellular/Mobile Data, tap "Add eSIM," and scan the QR code. Full step-by-step instructions with screenshots are in our setup guide. The #1 thing people forget: turn on Data Roaming for the eSIM after installing. Without it, the eSIM won't connect.

No. simZILLA requires zero personal information. No KYC, no ID verification, no accounts. Your order ID is randomly generated. It's the only identifier we have for your purchase. No passport, no forms — just pick a plan and pay.

We collect the minimum needed to deliver your eSIM: the product you bought, the amount paid, the payment currency, and your order status. We never collect your name, address, IP address, browser fingerprint, or any identifying information. No analytics. No cookies beyond what's functionally required. No third-party scripts. See our privacy policy for the full details.

At checkout, you can optionally provide a PGP public key. When your eSIM is ready, the QR code is encrypted with your key before delivery. Only your private key can decrypt it. No other eSIM provider offers this. Not one. Even if our email provider gets compromised, your eSIM is safe. Even if we get compromised, your eSIM is safe, because we don't have your private key. Learn more about our privacy features.

Your carrier can see which towers you connect to. That's how cellular networks work. But simZILLA doesn't track you. We don't log IPs, we don't use analytics, and we don't link your purchase to your identity. For maximum privacy, pay with Monero (sender, receiver, and amount are all hidden) and use PGP delivery. The purchase itself leaves zero trace.

We accept credit/debit cards (Visa/Mastercard) for instant delivery, plus Bitcoin (BTC), Monero (XMR), stablecoins (USDT, USDC), Ethereum (ETH), and 300+ altcoins via Trocador. Monero payments get a 5% discount, Bitcoin Lightning 2%. We self-host our payment infrastructure: BTCPay Server for Bitcoin and altcoins, MoneroPay for XMR. For crypto payments, no third-party payment processor sees your transaction. Card payments are processed by Stripe.

Monero transactions cost us less to process and are private by default. We pass those savings to you as a 5% discount. We want to incentivize the most private payment method. Bitcoin is pseudonymous. The transaction is public forever. Monero is anonymous. Sender, receiver, and amount are cryptographically hidden. If you're buying something you'd rather not have permanently etched into a public ledger, use Monero.

Contact support with your order ID. If you underpaid, we'll ask you to send the remaining amount. If you overpaid, we'll refund the difference. Crypto payments are final. They can't be reversed, but we'll work with you to resolve any issues. Send the EXACT amount shown on the checkout page. Double-check before hitting send.

Yes. We accept Visa and Mastercard through Stripe. Card payments don't get crypto discounts and may require additional verification by the payment processor. For maximum privacy, use Monero. For maximum convenience, use card. Your call.

After your payment is confirmed on the blockchain (typically 10-30 minutes for Bitcoin, 2-5 minutes for Monero), your eSIM is activated within 30-60 seconds. You'll see the QR code on your screen immediately. The whole process from payment to connected is usually under 5 minutes with Monero.

Your QR code appears on-screen immediately after payment confirmation. You can screenshot it, save it, or have it emailed to you. If you provided a PGP key, the email will be encrypted. Screenshot your QR code when you get it. The download link expires after 10 minutes for your privacy.

If you lose your QR code before installing, you can re-issue it yourself. Go to your order page and use the "View QR Code" button — it mints a fresh download link that works for 10 minutes. If that link has expired, contact support with your order ID and we'll re-issue it (we can only do this for paid, delivered orders). Save your QR code when you receive it — take a screenshot. If you lose it after installing, you're fine: the eSIM profile is already on your phone.

We offer eSIM plans for 209 destinations worldwide, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Each destination is priced honestly, with no hidden fees. Browse all destinations.

Yes. We offer regional plans (Asia, Europe, Africa, Americas, Oceania) that work across multiple countries in a region, and Global plans that work worldwide. Check the plan details for the specific country list. Not all "Europe" plans cover the same countries. One eSIM, one QR code, multiple countries.

Regional plans cover multiple countries in one region. For example, our Asia plan works in 60+ Asian countries. Our Europe plans cover 30-51 European countries depending on which variant you pick. One eSIM, one QR code, multiple countries. Regional plans are usually cheaper than buying individual country plans if you're visiting 3+ countries.

First, check our setup guide. Most issues are fixed by enabling Data Roaming or toggling Airplane Mode. If it still doesn't work, email us with your order ID. We'll troubleshoot with you, and if we can't fix it, we send a replacement eSIM for the same plan. If the replacement also fails, we refund you. A plan that activated but couldn't connect and only burned a few megabytes is broken, not used. We don't deny a real failure over a few megabytes.

Refunds and replacements are handled case by case. If we never delivered your eSIM, you get a full refund automatically. If you bought the wrong plan, email us before installing and we'll swap it. If your eSIM won't connect, we troubleshoot first, then send a replacement, then refund if the replacement fails. If you used the eSIM and it worked, we don't refund. The supplier already billed us for it. See our refund policy for the full details.

Email info@simzilla.io with your order ID. We respond within 24 hours. We don't have phone support or chatbots — by design. Your order ID is how we find your purchase since we don't have accounts. No support ticket system. No "your call is important to us" hold music. Just email. Contact page.

When a plan shows a Local IP badge, your data traffic exits through a server in the country you're visiting. Your phone gets a local IP address, which means local websites, local search results, and no "you appear to be in a different country" redirects. It's the same experience as buying a SIM card at a local shop, minus the passport photocopy.

Regional and global plans route your traffic through different servers depending on which carrier network handles your connection. The IP exit country depends on the network, not on your destination. If you need a specific country's IP, buy a single-country plan instead. If you just need data across multiple countries, a regional plan is fine.

A Reloadable plan can be topped up with more data after you use it. You don't need to buy a new eSIM or scan a new QR code. Just pay for the top-up and your existing eSIM gets refilled. One-time plans are single-use: when the data or duration runs out, they're done. Look for the Reloadable badge on plan cards.

Almost no eSIM is unlimited at full speed forever. "Unlimited" means you won't be cut off, not that you get unlimited fast data. Most unlimited plans give you a daily or total allowance at full speed, then throttle you to a slow trickle (typically 512 kbps to 2 Mbps) once it's gone. The connection stays up, the speed doesn't. If you're a light or steady user, unlimited is fine. If you binge heavy data, a fixed-data plan with no throttle is often cheaper and faster. Full explainer here.

Unthrottled means full network speed, no artificial cap, on a fixed data allowance. Throttled means your speed is cut to a fixed low rate after you use up the full-speed allowance. The difference matters: a plan labeled "Unlimited" is often throttled after a small allowance, while an "Unthrottled" fixed-data plan stays fast until your data runs out. Always check the allowance and the throttle speed before buying. Full explainer here.

Local plans cover a single country. They're the cheapest option if you're staying in one place. Regional plans cover multiple countries in a region (Asia, Europe, Africa, Americas, Oceania) with one eSIM. Global plans work worldwide. Regional and global plans are usually cheaper than buying individual country plans if you're visiting 3 or more countries. Check the plan details for the specific country list.

Yes, if you buy a regional or global plan. One eSIM, one QR code, multiple countries. Local plans only work in the country you bought them for. Check the plan description for the full country list before you buy.

For most travelers, 3-5GB per week is enough for maps, messaging, email, and light browsing. Streaming video uses about 1GB per hour. Video calls use about 0.5GB per hour. If you're unsure, start with a smaller plan. Reloadable plans let you top up if you run out.

Yes, and you should. An eSIM gives you mobile data without linking it to your identity, but your traffic still goes through the carrier's network. A VPN encrypts that traffic so the carrier can't see what sites you visit. simZILLA + a no-log VPN (we recommend Mullvad or IVPN, paid with crypto) is the gold standard for travel privacy. The eSIM handles the connection, the VPN handles the encryption. Two different layers, both important.

Bitcoin transactions are recorded on a public blockchain forever. Anyone can see the amount, the sending address, and the receiving address. With chain analysis, your eSIM purchase could potentially be linked to your identity if you funded that Bitcoin from a KYC exchange. Monero uses ring signatures, stealth addresses, and confidential transactions to hide the sender, receiver, and amount. Even if someone knows your Monero wallet address, they can't see what you bought or how much you spent. For maximum privacy, Monero is the answer, and we give you 5% off for using it.

Most simZILLA eSIMs are data-only. They don't come with a phone number for calls or SMS. This is a privacy feature: no phone number means no SIM registration, no carrier database entry, and no way to link the eSIM to your identity. You can still make calls using Signal, WhatsApp, or FaceTime over the data connection. If you need a phone number for SMS verification, use a separate privacy-focused service for that. Keeping your connectivity and your identity in separate compartments is better OpSec.

Nothing. We don't keep usage records, connection logs, or browsing history. We couldn't even if we wanted to, because we never collect that data. When your plan expires, the eSIM profile stops working. Your order record contains only: what product you bought, how much you paid, what currency, and the order status. No name, no email (unless you chose email delivery), no IP address, no device ID. After your download token expires (10 minutes post-activation), even the QR code is gone from our servers. Your order link is your only proof of purchase — treat it like a key. We designed simZILLA so there's nothing to hand over.

eSIMs connect to local carrier networks, which are subject to local laws, including censorship and surveillance. In countries with heavy internet restrictions (China's Great Firewall, Iran's national internet), your eSIM data connection will be filtered just like any local SIM. The privacy benefit of simZILLA is that your eSIM isn't linked to your identity. The carrier doesn't know who you are. But the traffic itself is still visible to the local network. For accessing blocked content, you'll need a VPN with obfuscation. The eSIM gives you anonymous connectivity; the VPN gives you private content access. You need both.