What are Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customer Awards?

Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers Awards recognise companies with the most satisfied customers overall based on consumer surveys.

How many people do we survey for our travel SIM ratings?

Canstar surveyed 1,519 Australians for their feedback on travel phone plan providers they’ve used. Respondents had to have used a SIM card or roaming pack for overseas travel in the past three years, not including SIM cards for use in Australia or purchased overseas. Market research company PureProfile manages the survey on Canstar’s behalf.

How do we rate travel phone plan providers?

Survey respondents are asked to rate their satisfaction with their travel SIM provider from zero to 10, with zero meaning extremely dissatisfied and 10 meaning extremely satisfied. Travel SIM provider satisfaction is rated on the following criteria: Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with a travel phone plan provider as an individual score, NOT the combined total of all criteria. Network coverage: there was good mobile network coverage and reception in the country/countries travelled in. Sign-up and activation: the plan was easy to sign up to and activate. Value for money: the price paid for the travel or roaming pack was reasonable for the inclusions. Customer service: the provider was easy to get in touch with and offered good customer support. App or website: the provider offered an app or website that was easy to understand and use. Ease of recharge: it was easy to recharge the travel phone plan when needed.

How do we work out the winner?

The winning brand receives the highest overall rating once all the scores from each category are combined and averaged.

What other awards does Canstar give?

Canstar also gives Star Ratings to top performing financial products, and Outstanding Value Awards to providers with a range of high-performing products. Canstar’s Innovation Excellence Awards also showcase products and services that break new ground when it comes to helping customers.

Does Canstar rate other products?

Canstar rates products and services over a range of consumer categories, in addition to financial services. Explore Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers awards here.

How do you choose a good travel phone plan?

Having access to our mobile phones and phone service overseas is an essential for many of us. It’s vital for keeping in touch with friends and family back home, sharing our journey on social media, using maps and browsing great places to visit. Of the Australians we surveyed in 2025, 33% used their travel SIM more for data than calls and texts and 31% chose a travel SIM because roaming on their regular plan was too expensive. Although 36% said that they’d recommend their travel SIM to friends and family or other travellers, there are a few things to consider when choosing a travel phone plan. Plan type: First up, you’ll need to decide what type of travel plan you’ll need. 53% of our survey respondents choose to buy a prepaid SIM for their travels, while 47% added a roaming package to their usual phone plan. If you’re a light data user, or if you’re with a telco that offers a good international roaming plan, you might prefer to just switch roaming on and use your plan’s included roaming rates. But if you’re looking to do a lot of photo sharing on social media, you might be better suited to a travel-specific plan with lots of data. SIM card or eSIM?: Some plans might also be available with an eSIM. The advantage to using eSIM is that there’s no need to switch out your Australian SIM for a physical SIM card, so you’ll be able to get text messages to your Aussie number while travelling — very important for receiving verification codes from your bank and other services. You can also set up your eSIM before you hop on your flight. Keep in mind that eSIM is not available with every phone, so you’ll need to check if your mobile phone offers eSIM compatibility. Some phones might have dual-SIM capability so you’ll be able to have your Aussie SIM and a physical travel SIM in your phone at the same time. Destinations available: The most popular travel destinations in Europe, Asia, Oceania and North and South America are covered by many travel phone plans, but it’s important to check a plan’s included destinations before signing up. Likewise, if you’re travelling to multiple destinations, you may prefer to find a travel phone plan that will cover all of those places. Inclusions, cost and plan length: Once you’ve narrowed down your search, you’ll need to consider how long the travel plan is active. Some plans might have limited expiry periods, so you might need to recharge your plan when still travelling. If that’s the case, make sure you know how to recharge, have any required app installed and your payment details already connected to the account (if possible). Also consider what inclusions you need, such as how much data you’ll likely use each day, and how much the plan will cost. Travel phone plans are often expensive and data inclusions can be small so it’s a good idea to make use of secure WiFi networks when available. It’s also a good idea to download all your favourite movies, shows, music, podcasts and audiobooks before you travel so you’re not draining your data by streaming.

Are there other travel phone plan providers?

Whether you’re looking for an international roaming add-on, or you want a separate SIM with a specific travel plan, there are plenty of providers offering a range of travel phone plans. While not all providers (or telcos offering international roaming on plans) are covered in our ratings, it doesn’t mean you can’t find a good-value travel plan to suit your needs. Some other travel phone plan providers include: GoSIM Flexiroam TravelSim Tripsim (by Sydney Airport)

Best Travel SIM And Travel Plan Providers

Written by

Emma BradstockSenior Telco writer

Edited by

Grace KinrossResearcher

17 Jul, 2025

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Most Satisfied Customers

Taking out its first win in Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customer ratings for travel phone plans, Airalo scored five stars for overall satisfaction, network coverage and value for money.

About Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers Travel Phone Plan Awards

Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers Awards showcase the travel SIM card and plan providers with the happiest customers across Australia. We ask customers to rate their satisfaction with their current travel SIM provider by overall satisfaction, as well as other criteria including network coverage, sign-up and activation, value for money, customer service, app or website and ease of recharge.

Numbers crunched by Canstar’s researchers

1,519 customers surveyed
10 providers assessed
Seven providers shortlisted
One award winner

Read our methodology

The best travel SIM and plan providers

1. Airalo

Taking top spot in our travel phone plan ratings, Airalo scored five stars for overall satisfaction, network coverage and value for money, four stars for app or website and ease of recharge, and three stars for sign up and activation and customer service.

Airalo is an eSIM provider, offering a range of travel packs that can be used in a select country or region, or a global travel pack if you’re visiting multiple regions and countries. Most of these packs are offered as data-only: however if you want call or text inclusions, you’ll need a global pack.

2. Telstra

Telstra took out second place scoring four stars in most categories, including overall satisfaction, while it scored five stars for ease of recharge.

Telstra offers its travel plans in the form of international roaming add-ons for existing Telstra customers. This means you’re able to keep your Telstra SIM in your phone (and still have access to your Australian phone number) and add on a Day Pass. Inclusions, prices and eligible destinations vary between the plans.

3. Vodafone

In third place, Vodafone scored four stars in all categories including overall satisfaction, value for money and ease of recharge.

Vodafone’s $5-per-day roaming has been a standout offer for several years now. Rather than offering a roaming SIM or add-on packs, Vodafone customers on eligible plans can pay $5 per day of roaming to access their phone plan’s inclusions while overseas. While access to some inclusions (such as unlimited capped-speed data) are excluded, it offers a convenient way to use your phone plan when travelling.

4. SIM Corner

Last year’s winner, SIM Corner, came in fourth place with four stars for overall satisfaction and customer service. It scored five stars for network coverage, sign up and activation and value for money, and three stars for app or website and ease of recharge.

SIM Corner is an Australian-owned and operated provider offering a range of prepaid travel SIM packs. Most plans require the purchase of a physical SIM card that’s shipped to you, however eSIM packs are also available. Travel packs include destinations in Europe, the US, Asia, the UK, South America, New Zealand and more, with different inclusions and expiry dates available.

5. Optus

Optus came in fifth place scoring four stars in almost all categories, including overall satisfaction and network coverage, while it scored three stars for sign up and activation.

Optus offers a $5-per-day roaming add-on to eligible customers. Unlike Vodafone’s offering that allows access to existing domestic inclusions, Optus’ version comes with its own set of inclusions, which can be used in more than 100 destinations.

6. Everyday Mobile

In sixth place, Everyday Mobile (formerly Woolworths Mobile) scored four stars in most categories, including overall satisfaction, while it scored five stars for both customer service and app or website.

Everyday Mobile offers international roaming as an add-on to an existing phone plan. There are several roaming add-ons to choose from, with varying prices, inclusions and expiry periods, however it’s only available to use in select countries.

7. WorldSIM

Rounding out our ratings was WorldSIM, which dropped down from third place in our 2024 ratings. It scored three stars in all categories including overall satisfaction and value for money.

WorldSIM is a UK-based travel plan provider, offering a range of options to suit your travel plan needs, including data-only plans. While you can choose to get a physical SIM card shipped to you, you can opt to go eSIM for quicker access.

Previous travel phone plans provider winners

Here are past winners of Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers – Travel Phone Plans ratings:

2024: SIM Corner
2023: SIM Corner
2022: Vodafone
2021: Telstra
2019: SIM Corner

FAQs about Canstar’s Travel SIM and Plan Provider Awards

Meet our mobile phone experts

Emma BradstockSenior Telco writer

Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for more than six years, having written more than 300 articles for Canstar. Emma covers a range of topics — from NBN speeds and technology to the latest release phones — and strives to help readers find the right phone and internet plans for their needs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University, has more than a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media, and contributed to Canstar’s Highly Commended award for Best Consumer Technology Coverage in 2024. You can follow Emma on LinkedIn.

Grace KinrossResearcher

Grace is in the final semester of her Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) degree at The University of Queensland, majoring in Business Analytics and Marketing. Her studies have equipped her with strong capabilities in data analysis and consumer research. Grace began her journey with Canstar in early 2025 as a casual research assistant and has since progressed into her current role, where she oversees the consumer research ratings across a wide range of product and service categories. She is responsible for survey design and consumer data analysis, and enjoys her focus on uncovering insights that inform Canstar’s ratings and awards and help support consumers to make more informed decisions.