Review of Overseas Roaming with Skinny NZ: Guide to Staying Connected Internationally with Skinny

Skinny Mobile is a popular low-cost phone and data provider in New Zealand, with affordable plans and award-winning customer service. The company is a part of the Spark network and uses its platform for mobile and data services within the country. But if you want to use your mobile when you go abroad, and save money, consider purchasing a Skinny international roaming plan.¹

Read on to learn more about the different plans Skinny offers for overseas coverage, how much they may cost, and how to sign up. Plus, check out alternatives for mobile coverage and ways to make spending money abroad seamless.

Skinny International Roaming Plans

Getting an international roaming plan when going abroad can make a lot of sense for three main reasons:

1. You keep your regular SIM card
2. Rates as part of a plan are cheaper than roaming without one
3. You won’t need to find and complete paperwork to get a local SIM

Skinny Mobile offers three international roaming plans that provide coverage in 36 countries, including Australia, the USA, the UK, India, and Japan.

Here are the international plans Skinny offers:

• 3-Day Roam Pack: This pack offers mobile, text and data services for three days.
• 7-Day Roam Pack: This pack offers full mobile, text and data services for seven days.
• 7-Day Roam Data Pack: This pack only offers data for seven days.

To be eligible, you have to have an existing Skinny Mobile mobile plan in New Zealand. Let’s take a closer look at each international plan.

Skinny Roaming Coverage, costs, and benefits.

Skinny offers three plans that provide the same coverage globally but differ in cost, length of time of coverage and services available. Here is how they compare:

The roaming packs with minutes and text allowances include all incoming and outgoing calls and texts. You can also set up your voicemail for international roaming plans by creating a PIN to accu can top up the balance online even when you are overseas.

Skinny allows you to top up your balance or purchase an additional pack while you’re travelling. If you don’t top up and exceed the plan allowance, you will be charged a higher rate for data, texts and calls.

Skinny Customer Care Contact

If you have questions now or are overseas and need help, you can contact the Skinny International Roaming Helpdesk:

1. Phone: +64 3 371 0866 - Skinny Mobile SIM users can call for free from anywhere in the world.
2. Email: Send a request to support@skinny.co.nz.
3. Facebook: Send a message on the Skinny Facebook page

How to Set Up and Activate Skinny Roaming

If you’ve decided to move forward with a Skinny international roaming plan, setting and activating it is easy:

1. First, make sure you are a current Skinny mobile plan user and have activated a local Skinny SIM in New Zealand.
2. Purchase a roaming pack online or through the Skinny app before you leave. Alternatively, text the destination country name to 2424.
3. If you buy a plan beforehand, you can activate the pack automatically by turning your phone on after landing at a destination where Skinny has roaming coverage.

The roaming add-on becomes active automatically. So, a 3-day Skinny international roaming pack will expire in three days. Similarly, a 7-day Skinny overseas data or roaming pack will expire in seven days.

Top Up / Recharge Skinny from abroad

If you need more coverage on your trip, you can buy additional days or services for your Skinny international roaming plan. The plans don’t automatically renew so make sure you buy a new plan in time.

You can use the Skinny app or website to purchase an additional plan. You can also call Skinny at +64 3 371 0866. Calls made from a Skinny mobile connection are free.²

Alternatives to Skinny International Roaming

If you are a Skinny NZ customer, activating an international plan when travelling overseas is the easiest way to go. But if you want coverage for other countries outside of the 36 available from Skinny, want more services or cheaper ways to stay in touch while abroad, here are some alternatives to consider:

• Other mobile and data service providers in New Zealand offer international plans. For more information, check out our complete guides to international roaming plans from 2degrees, One NZ, and Spark International.
• Get a local SIM. It is a good option if you plan to spend an extended amount of time in your destination country. The advantage is that you can make local calls for cheap and a local SIM can be helpful if you’re settling abroad. However, you’ll be required to find a provider that offers local SIMs for non-residents and complete paperwork.
• Using Wi-Fi is also a viable option. Hotels, public spaces and many large merchants offer free Wi-Fi if you hop on their network. WiFi can help you stay in touch with apps like WhatsApp, email and social media.

Travel Smart with Wise: Save on International Transactions

Going abroad can be exciting, but it can also make a dent in your wallet. To save money, sign up for Wise. Wise lets you make international transfers right from your mobile or computer, from or on the go. If you are planning a trip and need to make reservations, Wise can help you secure your reservations with direct local payments.

Wise uses smart tech to make local payments in bank accounts abroad in over 140+ countries. That means you can send money for bookings, reservations or travel costs and your recipient gets the money in their local currency in their bank account. All you’ll pay is one low transfer fee on each transfer.

Sign up for Wise today

Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate on every transfer, so you don’t lose money to extra fees like at a bank or credit card. Instead, you get a transparent exchange rate that can save you money. So before you head abroad, see how Wise can make international payments simple.

And if you want an easier way to spend money overseas, check out the Wise multi-currency account. It is one account where you can send, spend, and hold over 40+ currencies and pay locally with a linked debit card. Learn more about using your Wise card abroad.