Roaming help for Prepay & Pay Monthly customers

If you're off overseas, you don't have to leave your device at home, just make sure that your Data Roaming settings are turned on and you’ll be able to use your New Zealand plan in most overseas destinations. You don’t need to buy a roaming pack before you go, we’ll send you a text when you arrive in your destination and let you know which roaming service you can access.

If you’re the planning type, you can use our roaming page before your trip to see if the place you’re flying to is included in the over 100 destinations where Daily Roaming is available. In these destinations, you can use your New Zealand plan’s data, minutes and texts for an additional charge of $8 per day.

In some other destinations where Data Roaming isn’t available, you can choose to buy a $57 Roaming Data Add-on which will give you access to 500MB of roaming data for one month.

If you really want to turn off Roaming services while you're away, simply head to the Mobile Data section of your phone's Settings. Find Data Roaming and switch it off on iOS or untick it on Android. Switch it back on when you return to NZ to ensure you get the best possible coverage.

How do I set up roaming on my phone for overseas travel?

Before you arrive at your overseas destination, be sure to turn on Data Roaming from your phone’s setting. Once you’ve done this, all you need to do is turn off flight mode on your phone and connect to a cellular network in your overseas destination. You’ll then receive a welcome text from 2degrees. If you’re travelling in a Daily Roaming destination, you can start roaming immediately.

Please note, if you’re on Prepay, your plan must be active before accessing roaming services.

When you’re in a Daily Roaming destination, you can use your plan’s minutes and texts to call or text any standard mobile or landline in NZ, Aussie, and the destination you’re located in (as applicable).

Only your plan NZ minutes, texts and Data allocations are included in Daily Roaming. Add-ons and extra plan inclusions including the International Chat Pack, special rates, promotions and deals are not included in Daily Roaming and will incur additional charges on use overseas.

Daily Roaming will automatically be activated once your phone connects to a network in an applicable destination. Daily Roaming costs $8 in applicable destinations. Daily rate applies to each day (a day is 00:00 to 23:59 NZ time) you use your phone. This rate will be activated and charged when you do any of the following:

• make a call (including to Voicemail)
• receive a call (or don’t answer an incoming call that diverts to your Voicemail) *
• send a text
• use mobile data (This includes any apps that may refresh or update automatically, even when you aren’t using them.)

If you’re in a destination where you need to purchase a Roaming Data Add-on, follow the instructions in the welcome text. If you don’t purchase a Roaming Data Add-on, you will still be able to call and text for a great rate, but you will not be able to use mobile data in that destination.

When you land back in New Zealand, we'll automatically detect that you're home, and your regular plan use will resume. You don’t need to do anything else.

In certain destinations, answering a call will not trigger the Daily Roaming rate. Instead, you’ll be charged $1.15 per minute. These destinations include:

• Cook Islands
• Samoa
• Tonga
• Vanuatu
• Papua New Guinea
• Nauru
• Fiji

How do I get Roaming on my iPad or tablet

If you’re a tablet or iPad user in a Daily Roaming destination, roaming services will be activated upon turning off Flight Mode on your device. If using your tablet or iPad in Roaming Data Add-on destination, you first need to insert the device’s SIM card into a mobile phone and connect to a cellular network in your overseas destination. Then text ‘Y’ to 237 to purchase the $57 Data Add-on which comes with 500mb of data.

You’ll receive a confirmation text to let you know your Roaming Data Add-on has been purchased. You may then replace the SIM card back into your tablet or iPad.

How do I check my Roaming balances?

You can check your Roaming balances by:

• Logging in to My 2degrees
• Logging in to the 2degrees App and tapping to expand your balance

We’ll send you a notification text if your data is low or has expired. If you're using an iPad or tablet, you won’t receive text alerts, so please remember to check your usage regularly online, or using the app.

You can check your balance of data or set limits to your total spend in the 2degrees App, or by logging in to My 2degrees online.

Will my phone number change?

No. Friends and family in New Zealand can use your regular number to contact you when you’re overseas. If you’re travelling internationally and want to make a call, you need to include the International Calling Code of the destination you’re calling. Even if the number you’re calling is within the destination you’re currently in.

For example, If you want to call 022 123 456, simply drop the ‘0’ and replace it with the country code which starts with ‘+’. New Zealand’s International Calling Code is +64, which means that to call the above number you would dial +64 22 123 456

What will it cost me to make a call while I’m roaming overseas?

	Calling To	Rates Charged
Daily Roaming destination	The destination you're in (or call back to NZ or Australia)	$8 daily charge + your plan’s minutes (your plan’s minutes will be charged as if you were making a local call while still in NZ)
Daily Roaming destination	A different destination (not NZ or Australia)	$8 daily charge + International Rate (Individual rates are set for each international destination. All calls are charged from NZ to the international destination you’re calling)
Not in a Daily Roaming destination	Anywhere	$3.45 per minute

Will it cost me if someone calls me while I’m overseas?

If you’re not in a Daily Roaming destination, you will be charged $1.15 per minute when you answer a call. This rate also applies for answering a call in the following Daily Roaming destinations:

• Cook Islands
• Samoa
• Tonga
• Vanuatu
• Papua New Guinea
• Nauru
• Fiji

In these situations, it may be cheaper to make a call from your destination than to receive a call. We suggest asking your friends, family and colleagues to send you a text and let them know you’ll call them back whenever possible. The Daily Roaming rate will not be charged when your phone receives a call in any of the Daily Roaming destinations listed above. However, if you let the call go to Voicemail, Daily Roaming rates will apply.

How do I make a call or send a text?

If you’re travelling internationally and want to make a call or send a text, you need to include the International Calling Code of the destination you’re calling. Even if the number you’re calling or texting is within the destination you’re currently in.

For example, if you want to call 022 123 456, simply drop the ‘0’ and replace it with the country code which starts with ‘+’. New Zealand’s International Calling Code is +64, which means that to call the above number you would dial +64 22 123 456

Where can I find the rates for in-flight and cruise ship roaming?

You’ll find the rates that you’ll be charged if you were to use in-flight roaming or roaming on a cruise ship here.

Will my mobile phone work overseas?

If you're travelling overseas with your 4G or 5G capable phone and you have Data Roaming turned on, you shouldn’t have any problem accessing all the services you need. If you’re headed to the USA or Canada, you need to make sure the mobile you take supports the American or Canadian network frequencies. North American mobile networks run on 850MHz and 1900MHz, so check your phone will run on one of these before you hop on the plane.

If you want to take your phone overseas but want to avoid all roaming charges, you can turn off Data Roaming while you're away. You will only be able to connect to the internet and check emails if you use WiFi. Switch it back on when you return to New Zealand to ensure you get the best possible coverage.

Can I use 2degrees roaming services in the US and other VoLTE roaming destinations?

If you have a VoLTE roaming-compatible device and are travelling to a VoLTE roaming-enabled destination, you can use a 4G on a 4G or 4G/5G network to make and receive calls. Read more here about using VoLTE roaming. With the launch of VoLTE roaming, 2degrees will automatically connect you to a local network operator to aim to provide the best connection experience. It's important to know that mobile operators in some countries are either starting to or have already shutdown their 3G networks. This means that without a VoLTE capable phone, you won't be able to use voice services while roaming. You can check if you have a VoLTE enabled phone here.

I’m having trouble connecting to an overseas roaming network, what can I do?

If you’re experiencing issues connecting to a roaming network, make sure your phone’s Network Search mode is on ‘Auto’ which is found under ‘Settings’ and then ‘Network’ on most Android phones (or ‘Carrier’ on iPhones). If this doesn’t fix the issue, power off your phone for one minute and restart it.

When you roam overseas, you use networks that aren’t controlled by 2degrees. While we expect those networks to provide a quality service, we aren’t responsible if there are performance or other issues.

What happens to Voicemail when I’m roaming?

When we detect your mobile is in use overseas, we automatically turn Voicemail off because there are additional charges to you when receiving calls while you’re overseas as well as international roaming charges applied when you check your messages. Read more about using Voicemail while roaming here.

How can I manage my data costs while I’m roaming?

For an idea about how much data you might use while using your device overseas check out our how to manage data while you’re roaming.

How can I keep costs down when I'm roaming?

Travelling can be expensive, so here are some tips to help you keep costs down while roaming.

• Check if you are travelling to one of our 100+ Daily Roaming where you can use your NZ plan by paying $8/day
• If you aren’t in a Daily Roaming destination, choose to text rather than call; or use WiFi Calling
• If you're on a Pay Monthly plan, any charges you incur while roaming may be billed several months later, so it’s important to manage your account before you go by setting up a Spend Control Limit to manage your bill. Spend Control is a handy tool that keeps an eye on your total spend (including any extra Add-ons you may purchase). Set up Spend Control online by logging into My 2degrees or our 2degrees App, set your Spend Control limit, and we’ll notify you when you’re within $10 of your limit so you can decide if you want to increase your spend.
• Make sure you know how to manage your data effectively and understand how much data you can use in online activities such as sending emails, browsing social media and streaming music; this is where most of your roaming costs may come from
• Make use of free public WiFi where available
• When WiFi is available, use WiFi Calling
• Download maps and online documents before you travel so you don't have to use data to access them when you arrive
• If it’s cheaper to make a call from your destination than to receive a call, we suggest asking your friends, family and colleagues to send you a text and let them know you’ll call them back whenever possible

How can I avoid roaming charges?

Turn on Airplane Mode: One of the more rigid ways to avoid roaming is to turn on Airplane Mode on your phone. This switches off all the connectivity settings for your phone/device including WiFi, Mobile data, and Bluetooth.

While in this mode, you’ll still be able to use any offline apps you may have and access your phone’s camera. However, you won’t be able to make calls, send texts, or browse the internet.

Accessing Airplane Mode via your phone’s settings varies depending on whether you use an iOS or Android powered device.

Turn off your device: Turning off your device is the safest way to avoid all roaming charges. However, if you switch your phone on at any time and it connects to a local network, you’ll be charged Roaming rates for that day.