Frequently asked questions

Four things: travel eSIM data plans, a personal phone number for calls and texts over the internet, a VPN subscription, and an AI travel advisor. You can also keep a balance in a Roamlu wallet and earn loyalty points.

Yes. You have to be signed in to check out. You cannot buy as a guest on the website or in the app.

An email address, a phone number and a password. We send a one-time code to your phone to confirm the number is yours. The code may come by WhatsApp or by SMS, so make sure you can receive WhatsApp messages or texts on that number.

No. Roamlu never asks for identity documents, a photo of your face or any biometric scan. The only check we run is on your phone number: we send a code to it, and we ask our telecoms partner whether it is a real mobile line.

Any phone that has eSIM hardware and is not locked to a single carrier. You need both. If you bought your phone on a carrier contract or instalment plan, it may be carrier-locked even though it supports eSIM. Ask your carrier to unlock it before you buy.

Our checker tests one thing: whether your phone model has eSIM hardware. The list covers common models but is not complete, and it does not and cannot check whether your own handset is carrier-locked. Carrier lock is the most common reason an install fails. If the install fails on a phone the checker approved, ask your carrier about unlocking, then contact us at hello@roamlu.com. See 8.6 for refunds.

Partly, and only on Android. On a supported Android phone, the app opens your phone's own eSIM setup screen with the activation details already filled in. You still confirm the install there. On iPhone, on the web and on older Android phones, you install the eSIM yourself with the QR code or by typing in the activation details. Phone operating systems do not let any consumer app install a carrier profile without your confirmation.

No. An eSIM profile downloads once. After it is installed on a device, it generally cannot be moved to another one, and if you delete the profile from your phone you usually cannot reinstall it. That means the plan is lost. Install it on the phone you will travel with, and keep the profile until the plan has ended.

Keep it in unless you have a reason to take it out. Your Roamlu eSIM carries data only (see 3.11). Your home SIM keeps your normal number and normal calls working. Most importantly, it keeps your phone's own dialler able to reach emergency services.

Stripe confirms your card payment first. We order your eSIM from our supplier only after that confirmation. Usually the QR code appears within a few seconds, and we also email it to you. If the supplier does not send it back straight away, your order shows as "Provisioning" until the supplier's system responds (see 8.3).

Card payment through Stripe, or your Roamlu wallet balance if it is in the same currency as your quote (see 6.3). Your card details go straight from your device to Stripe and never reach Roamlu's servers. Card payments are handled by Stripe.

Roamlu is not yet accepting live payments. See 2.4.

Where VAT or a similar tax applies, it is shown before you pay.

Roamlu is in the process of incorporating its operating company. Before we accept live payments, we will publish the company's full legal name, registered address, licence details and any tax registration on this page, and let account holders know.

The governing law and courts for your purchases will be published at the same time. Nothing in our terms removes the mandatory consumer protections of the country where you live.

Card-paid eSIM orders get a receipt. Wallet-paid purchases do not currently generate a receipt. Where VAT or a similar tax applies, it is shown before you pay. Any tax registration details will be published with the company details described in 2.4.

The currency shown at checkout. Your wallet holds one specific currency and can only pay for a quote in that same currency. There is no currency conversion (see 6.3).

Yes. If some items in a basket cannot be provided, we refund only those items and keep the ones that were delivered. You will get a notification that part of your order was refunded, and your receipt bills only for what was actually delivered.

That is our automatic failure handling. If your payment goes through but the supplier cannot deliver your eSIM or number, we automatically refund the amount for whatever could not be delivered. If nothing in the order could be delivered, we refund the charge in full and mark the order as failed. Depending on your bank, the charge and the refund can both show on your statement for a few days before they cancel out. If you paid from your wallet, the refund goes back to your wallet.

If the refund still has not reached your statement after your bank's normal processing time, email hello@roamlu.com with the date and amount of the charge.

Rarely, the automatic refund itself fails at the payment processor. When that happens it will not fix itself. Email hello@roamlu.com with the date and amount of the charge, and we will process the refund by hand.

No. You cannot buy gift cards. Gift codes do exist, but only Roamlu issues them (see 6.6).

Roamlu counts your plan's validity from the moment the eSIM is delivered to you, not from when you first connect abroad. For example, a 30-day plan bought two weeks before your trip has about 16 days left when you land. Buy your plan close to your departure date, not weeks ahead.

The app does not show an expiry date. The eSIM screen shows "Validity: N days", "Purchased" and "Activated". "Activated" is the date we delivered the eSIM to you. To find your expiry date, add the number of validity days to the "Activated" date.

No. Roamlu does not send low-data or expiry warnings by email, by push notification or in the app. Check your remaining data in the app before you rely on it.

It stops working and shows as "Expired" in your list. Any unused data is lost. It does not roll over, the plan is not extended and unused data is not refunded. The expired plan stays in your history.

Your data stops and the plan shows as used up. You can top up (see 3.6), but read 3.7 first.

There is no choice of sizes. A top-up buys your plan's original package again, at its original full price. Where VAT or a similar tax applies, it is shown before you pay. For example, if you bought a 10 GB plan, the top-up is another 10 GB at the same price. If you only need a little more data, a top-up may not be good value, so compare it with buying a smaller separate plan.

No. A top-up adds data, but the plan's clock keeps running. If your plan expires tomorrow, data you add today also expires tomorrow, whether or not you have used it. Check your remaining days before you top up.

Not every plan can be topped up. Some plan types, daily-unlimited packs in particular, have no top-up package from the supplier. In that case your payment goes through, the top-up fails and you are refunded automatically. Your statement will show a charge and a reversal for a top-up you never received. Buy a new plan instead.

The figures update when you pull to refresh in the app, and when usage syncs each day. Pull to refresh before you contact support.

Plans labelled "Unlimited" give you a set amount of full-speed data in each 24-hour period. After you use that amount, your speed is reduced for the rest of the period, then it resets. The full-speed amount and the reduced speed are set by the network at your destination. Where the network sets them, they are shown in the plan details. Reduced speed is not guaranteed to work for any particular app or activity. If this matters to you, email hello@roamlu.com before you buy.

No. A Roamlu data plan carries data only. Calls and texts need a separate Roamlu phone number, which you buy on its own (see section 4). Apps that work over data, such as WhatsApp, iMessage and Signal, will work on the data plan.

It depends on the network at your destination. Not every plan allows hotspot. Where the network sets hotspot or speed limits, they are shown in the plan details. If you need hotspot or a particular speed for your trip, email hello@roamlu.com before you buy.

Regional and global plans do cover several countries. In your eSIM list, though, the plan may be labelled with just one country code, usually the first country in the region. Global plans may show a code that does not match any country you are visiting. The label is only a label; your coverage is what you bought. If you are unsure, check the coverage list on the plan's product page.

Try these three things in order:

1. Do not scan the QR code from the same phone you are installing on. Show it on another screen, or use manual entry.

2. Use manual entry. Your eSIM details include an SM-DP+ address and an activation code. Type them into your phone's "Add eSIM" screen under "Enter details manually".

3. Connect to Wi-Fi. Installing an eSIM needs an internet connection, and the eSIM you are installing cannot provide it.

Work through these steps in order:

1. Turn on data roaming for the Roamlu line. You need this, and most phones have it switched off by default.

2. In your phone's mobile data settings, choose the Roamlu line for mobile data.

3. Check that you are in a country the plan covers. Most travel plans do not work in your home country.

4. Turn flight mode on and off, or restart your phone, so it searches for networks again.

5. If your phone lets you choose a network manually, try a different local network.

If none of that works, email hello@roamlu.com with your ICCID (shown in the app) and the country you are in.

See 8.3.

Usually not. Travel eSIM plans are sold for the destination they name and normally do not work in your home country. Check the plan's coverage list before you buy.

A real phone number that works through the Roamlu app over the internet. You can make and receive calls and send and receive text messages. Numbers, calls and messages are carried by third-party licensed carriers. Because the service runs over the internet, you need a working data or Wi-Fi connection, and the app must be installed, signed in and allowed to send notifications. If you force-close the app, incoming calls and messages may not reach you.

No. Do not use Roamlu to contact emergency services. Emergency calls made through Roamlu may fail, may reach the wrong service and cannot share your location. Roamlu cannot tell an emergency operator where you are. To call for help, use your phone's own dialler or a local line, for example through your home SIM, a local SIM or another phone.

No. Internet calling is restricted or prohibited in some countries, including the United Arab Emirates. Roamlu does not hold a telecommunications licence. Do not use your Roamlu number, or calling through the Roamlu app, anywhere local law does not allow it. Check the rules for each country you will be in before you use it.

Because it is an internet phone number, not a mobile line. Banks, ride-hailing apps and many other services check what type a number is and reject internet numbers for security codes. This is not a fault, and Roamlu cannot fix it. We cannot get a number taken off a bank's blocklist. Roamlu's own verification also treats non-mobile lines this way, so expect this to happen every time, not just now and then. For bank codes, use a mobile line from a normal carrier.

No, even though the price is shown per month. You pay once for the number. There is no recurring charge and no automatic renewal. The number stays on your account until you release it, or until it is suspended for misuse (see 4.11).

No. The list of available numbers is a snapshot, and someone else can take a number between the time you choose it and the time your payment completes. If that happens, we give you a similar available number in the same country and tell you which number you got. If you want one particular number, complete the purchase quickly.

The app has no way to move numbers between providers. You cannot bring an existing number into Roamlu or move a Roamlu number to another provider through the app. If you want to move a number, email hello@roamlu.com.

The number is marked as released in your account, and you can no longer send texts or make calls from it straight away. Your call history and message threads stay in your account. Release does not take effect at the carrier instantly, so texts sent to the number may still reach you until it is given to someone else. Treat a released number as gone.

Assume not. A released number may be given to another customer, and there is no way to get it back. If you have given the number to your bank, your employer or your family, think carefully before you release it.

No. You have the right to use a number provided through a third-party licensed carrier under a national numbering plan. You cannot sell, transfer or share it.

Anything unlawful, and in particular:

• bulk or automated messaging, or marketing texts
• robocalling
• phishing or scam messages
• pretending to be someone else
• reselling the number or sharing it with other people
• calls to premium-rate or special-service numbers
• calling or messaging anywhere local law does not allow internet calling (see 4.3)

We can suspend a number that is used for this kind of traffic.

No. There are no per-minute or per-message charges. You pay for the number and then use it.

No. Deleting a call hides it from your view only. The call record and related technical data stay in our systems, and Roamlu administrators can still see them. You cannot delete text messages in the app. To have your call records or messages erased, email hello@roamlu.com (see 7.7).

No. Roamlu does not record or transcribe calls. We do keep records about calls: the numbers involved, the direction, the time, how long the call lasted and how it ended.

Yes. We store the full text of every message you send and receive on your Roamlu number, and messages are not end-to-end encrypted. When a message arrives, the push notification includes the message text and the sender's number, and it is delivered through Google's messaging service. Do not use Roamlu texts for anything you would not want stored.

Texting is switched on as a separate step when your number is set up, and that step does not always complete. That can leave you with a number that only makes calls. If your number cannot send or receive texts, email hello@roamlu.com. We can usually fix it without changing your number.

It creates an encrypted tunnel between your phone and a VPN server. Networks you use, such as hotel, airport or café Wi-Fi, cannot see what you browse, and the sites you visit see the VPN server's address instead of yours. Some countries restrict VPN use, so do not use the VPN anywhere local law does not allow it.

It does not hide your activity from Roamlu's own records. Each time you connect or disconnect, we record it: your account, the server you used and the time. It also does not hide your traffic from the company that runs the VPN servers, which is a third-party provider, not Roamlu.

VPN Pro subscription plans are available. At present, every VPN server is open to every signed-in user, so a VPN Pro subscription does not unlock extra servers or features. If this changes, we will explain what a subscription includes before you buy one.

The "Kill switch" toggle in the app reconnects the tunnel automatically if it drops. It does not block your traffic while the tunnel is down. A true kill switch can only be set in your phone's operating system. On Android, the app links to the "Always-on VPN" setting, which does this. On iPhone, the app has no such link.

On Android, yes. This is called split tunnelling, and your choice of apps is stored only on your phone and never sent to us. On iPhone, no.

No. Cancelling takes effect straight away, and there is no refund or partial refund for the rest of the period, except where Roamlu fails to provide the service. On a yearly plan, you lose the remaining months. Cancel near the end of your period, not the start.

We store every question you type and every answer you get against your account for as long as your account exists, and Roamlu administrators can read them. To answer you, we send your message and up to 20 earlier turns of the conversation to Anthropic, or to Mistral if Anthropic is unavailable. Nothing is removed or hidden before sending. Do not put personal, financial or confidential information into the advisor. To have your AI conversations erased, email hello@roamlu.com.

No. It only gives advice. It cannot buy anything, change a setting, move money or place an order.

A stored balance that you top up with a card and spend on Roamlu purchases.

Not while your account is open. There is no withdrawal, cash-out or payout. Money in the wallet can only be spent on Roamlu, so only add what you plan to spend.

If you close your account, we refund your remaining wallet balance unless it came from fraud or abuse. To get your balance back when you close your account, email hello@roamlu.com.

Your wallet holds one specific currency and can only pay for purchases priced in that currency. There is no conversion between currencies. If your wallet and the plan are in different currencies, pay by card.

No.

When you pay from your wallet, Roamlu buys the lowest-priced plan that matches the destination, data amount and duration of the plan you chose. That may not be the exact plan you picked. A card payment buys exactly the plan you select. If the specific plan matters to you, pay by card. Wallet purchases also do not generate a receipt.

Roamlu issues gift codes, and you redeem them in the app. The amount goes straight into your wallet. Each person can use a code once, and some codes also have an overall limit on how many people can use them. A gift code may be in a different currency from your usual wallet. If so, redeeming it creates a second wallet in that currency, which can only pay for purchases priced in that currency (see 6.3).

You earn:

• 10 points per AED spent on a paid order
• 20 points per AED on subscription renewals
• 100 points for completing your profile
• 500 points for a confirmed referral

When you redeem, 100 points take 1 AED off, and points can cover at most half of an order.

Not at present. If we introduce an expiry, we will tell you at least 30 days before it applies.

Nothing at present. You earn 500 points; your friend gets no reward.

You get the reward only when your friend makes their first paid eSIM plan purchase. It is not triggered by buying a phone number, adding money to the wallet, topping up an existing eSIM or buying a subscription. Your friend also has to enter your code in their own account after signing up, and they can only do this once. You cannot refer yourself.

In summary:

• your name, email address, phone number and account settings
• your orders, payments, wallet and points history
• your eSIM records, including the SIM identifier
• your Roamlu number, call records and the full text of your messages
• contacts you upload with "find friends" (see 7.2)
• your conversations with the AI advisor
• your VPN connect and disconnect events
• your consent records
• the IP addresses linked to your sessions and your consents

We keep this information for as long as your account exists. See 7.7 for what happens when you delete your account. Full details are in our privacy policy.

Only if you use the optional "find friends" feature and give the app permission to access your contacts. The app then uploads up to 2,000 contacts so we can show you which of them already use Roamlu. We store the names and phone numbers from your address book, plus a scrambled version of each number used for matching. If someone in your uploaded contacts joins Roamlu later, they may be matched to your account then.

You cannot delete uploaded contacts in the app. To have them erased, email hello@roamlu.com.

No. Roamlu does not ask for location permission on iPhone or Android and does not use GPS. We do know two rough things: the country your device reports when data usage is measured, and the country, region and city our content delivery network works out from your IP address when you visit the website.

The app includes Google AdMob, an advertising service. AdMob starts when you open the app and receives your device's advertising identifier. Users without a VPN Pro subscription may see an AdMob ad when they start a VPN connection. You can reset or limit your advertising identifier in your phone's settings.

On iPhone, the app also includes Meta's Facebook software kit, which is used for signing in with Facebook and is set up in a way that allows it to collect the device's advertising identifier.

On the website, use the "Cookie preferences" control to give or withdraw consent for analytics at any time.

The app does not currently have a settings screen for analytics or marketing preferences. App analytics and crash reporting stay off unless you have given consent. The app uses Firebase Performance Monitoring, a Google service that measures the app's speed and reliability and reports the web addresses of requests the app makes. To withdraw consent or object to any of this, email hello@roamlu.com.

Request deletion in the app. Your account is then scheduled for deletion 30 days later. If you sign in during those 30 days, the deletion is cancelled. See 7.7 for what deletion covers.

When the deletion runs after 30 days, your sign-in access is removed and your email address and phone number are removed from the account.

For full erasure of everything else, including uploaded contacts, messages, call records, AI conversations and other records, email hello@roamlu.com and Roamlu will erase it. Data-protection requests are answered within one month.

Deleting your account does not by itself refund your wallet balance, cancel an eSIM or release your Roamlu number. To get a wallet refund when you close your account, email hello@roamlu.com (see 6.2).

The app has a data export, but it includes only your profile, your consent history and your active sessions. It does not include your orders, payments, wallet, points, calls, messages, contacts, AI conversations, VPN events or notifications. For a full copy, email hello@roamlu.com. Data-protection requests are answered within one month.

• Stripe, which handles card payments
• our eSIM supplier
• third-party licensed carriers, which carry your number, calls and messages and deliver your one-time sign-in codes by SMS
• WhatsApp, when a one-time code is sent that way
• our VPN provider
• Anthropic, and Mistral as a fallback, for the AI advisor
• Google, for push notifications, app performance monitoring, diagnostics and AdMob advertising
• Meta, through the Facebook software kit in the iPhone app
• our email provider
• our hosting and content delivery providers

Named details are in our privacy policy.

There is no refund button. Apart from automatic refunds, every refund is handled by our support team. Email hello@roamlu.com. Our refund rules are:

• Failed delivery: if we cannot deliver an eSIM you paid for, you are refunded automatically.
• Never delivered or never installed: you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase.
• Installed or activated: once an eSIM is installed or activated, it is not refundable, unless Roamlu fails to provide the service.

Nothing in these rules removes the mandatory consumer protections of the country where you live.

No. Once an eSIM has been refunded, it is no longer part of your purchase. Do not install or use it.

If our supplier does not send your eSIM straight after you pay, your order is saved without the QR code or activation details until the supplier's system responds. There is no estimated time, retry button or push notification. When delivery completes, you will get the delivery email. If you are still waiting, email hello@roamlu.com with your order reference and we will follow it up with the supplier. If your eSIM is never delivered, you can get a refund (see 8.1).

If delivery fails, you are refunded automatically. If you have a charge but no eSIM and no refund, email hello@roamlu.com with the date and amount of the charge.

Email hello@roamlu.com before you install the eSIM. An eSIM that has never been installed can be refunded within 30 days of purchase. Once it is installed, it is not refundable unless Roamlu fails to provide the service.

Yes, if you have not installed the eSIM. An eSIM that has never been installed can be refunded within 30 days of purchase. Email hello@roamlu.com before you try to install anything else.

Email hello@roamlu.com. Support replies within 5 working days. Use the same address for complaints, legal notices, privacy and data requests, and cancellation or withdrawal requests.

We answer complaints within 5 working days. If you are not satisfied with our answer, you can contact the consumer protection authority in the country where you live. For data-protection matters, you can contact the data protection authority there. Nothing in our terms removes the mandatory consumer protections of the country where you live.

If we make a material change to our terms, we will give you 30 days' notice.