U.S. Roaming Guide for Canadian Travelers and Snowbirds

 

Many Canadians visit the United States as cross-border shoppers, weekend tourists, snowbirds, or travelling for business. Before going, make sure you know how your existing cell phone plan works when you cross the border, how to avoid excessive roaming charges, and your rights as a Canadian cell phone user.

In this guide, we'll break down everything you need to know about using your cell phone in the U.S. We’ll also cover U.S. roaming rates and how to choose a local American cell phone plan, if you decide to go that route.

Recommended Canada+US Cell Phone Plans

Use data, minutes, and texts throughout Canada and the U.S. (Fizz is only available to Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba residents)

How to use your cell phone plan in the U.S.

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The easiest way to use your Canadian phone in the United States is with the roaming options on your current plan.

Most major Canadian carriers offer roaming add-ons, travel packs, or plans using your data, text, and minutes while travelling in the U.S. Popular carriers with roaming add-ons include:

• Telus
• Rogers
• Bell
• Koodo, Fido
• Virgin Plus

Across carriers, you can choose from one or more roaming options to stay connected while travelling in the U.S. Let’s go over how add-ons, travel packs, and roaming plans fit into your next adventure across the border.    

Option 1: Daily roaming add-on

The simplest way to use your Canadian data in the U.S. is with a daily roaming add-on. Once enabled, your phone will automatically connect to a partner American network when you cross the border. You can then use the same talk, text, and data from your Canadian plan.

Daily roaming add-ons are extremely convenient, but costs can add up quickly. If you're planning a week-long trip or are venturing out of Canada for longer, your roaming charges will stack up more than most people will want to pay—or need to.

Putting Canadian roaming charges into perspective:

• A 7-day trip for a Rogers customer: $84 + your monthly bill
• A two-week vacation for a family of three on Telus: $588 + monthly bill

If you’re travelling longer than a week, we recommend avoiding a daily add-on and considering a travel pack instead.

Option 2: Travel packs for extended vacations (1 week+)

If your travel plans take you away for a week or longer, a travel pack can save you cash with a little planning ahead.

Many Canadian carriers offer travel packs that include options for U.S. travel, Europe, Asia, and South American destinations. These options are convenient because you continue using the same phone number that you have at home and can cover you for 14 days or up to an entire month.

The rates tend to be very high. When looking at the Big Three, which includes Rogers, Bell, and Telus, travel pass options are typically available for around $60. But some international travel packs can cost upwards of $100 on top of your monthly bill, and ultimately, the destination and length of your stay determine the price.

Considering the range of prices, you’ll want to explore the price differences between your carrier’s add-ons and travel packs. A little comparison and prep upfront lets you save the most money with the option or combo of options that fits your travel.

If you’re someone who travels frequently to the U.S., consider one more option: swapping to a phone plan designed around roaming.

Option 3: Canada–US plans

Canada–U.S. plans include full roaming access in both countries, so you can use your phone exactly how you would at home. Many carriers now offer these plans with 50–150GB of data, so you likely won’t need to limit your data use to avoid extra costs.

These roaming plans are ideal for snowbirds, frequent business travellers, and cross-border commuters. Canadians who live close to the U.S. border will also benefit from these plans if they accidentally catch a U.S. tower signal, causing unexpected roaming charges.

What are my rights when roaming in the U.S.?

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The CRTC Wireless Code helps protect Canadian mobile customers from unexpected roaming bills. Carriers must suspend international data roaming charges after $100 per billing cycle. The code also requires carriers to cap voice roaming charges at $50 per billing cycle.

While these protections are important, they won’t always save you from higher roaming charges. If you activate a daily roaming add-on or travel pass, you are considered to have consented to the charges. Additionally, if your trip spans two billing cycles, you could hit the roaming caps twice—hitting you with up to $300 in roaming fees.

No matter which route you go, most carriers’ mobile apps can monitor roaming usage in real time, so use yours to stay within your plan’s limits.

Should I get a U.S. cell phone plan?

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Canadians enjoy some of the most reliable and stable 4G LTE and 5G speeds in the world, with coverage for 99% of the population. Unfortunately, that also comes with some of the highest prices in the industrialized world. The U.S. doesn’t have the best prices either, but it’s easy to find a plan that includes twice as much data and almost half the cost you’re probably paying now.

Because of this, you might want to just get a simple prepaid cell phone plan from a U.S.-based carrier to save with cheaper rates. However, you’ll need to be aware of a few potential issues:

• You might have to buy a cell phone for the new plan, which cuts into most of the cost savings. We recommend bringing your own phone to take advantage of the lower pricing, so all you need to pay for is the plan. If you choose to bring your own phone instead of buying a new one, check that your phone is unlocked and compatible with the new plan before travelling or signing into a new plan. WhistleOut has a complete guide to help you unlock a cell phone in Canada.
• You'll have a different phone number. Anyone who wants to reach you while you’re travelling will need to know your new U.S. phone number.
• You’ll need to research even more carriers. Picking your new U.S. service quickly could leave you spending the same amount you tried to avoid. For help, WhistleOut’s American counterpart has a complete guide to finding the best U.S. cell phone plan for visitors, including plans for short or long visits. You can also check out our picks for the best U.S. phone plans.

Canada-U.S. roaming rates by carrier

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The simplest solution for any Canadian traveler is to pay an extra fee and take your smartphone, your existing plan, and your phone number when you travel. Roaming costs were once prohibitively expensive, but now most sit only a little pricier than if you bought a prepaid plan while visiting the United States.

To get started, find out what rates your current carrier charges for roaming. Jump to your carrier’s section below to see its roaming rates and plans:

• Bell Mobility
• Rogers Wireless
• Telus Mobility
• Fido
• Koodo
• Virgin Mobile
• SaskTel
• Videotron
• Fizz Mobile
• Public Mobile
• Chatr
• Lucky Mobile

Bell Mobility US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: Roaming rates to the U.S. with a Bell plan are $1.99/minute, $0.99/text, and a whopping $6/MB.

Daily plans: For $13/day, you can bring your complete data plan from Canada with you to use in the United States through the Roam Better plan add-on.

Vacation plans: Roam Better maxes out after 20 days ($260), allowing you to keep using the add-on for the rest of the month without additional charges.

Frequent visitor: Upgrade your cell phone plan to the Bell Ultimate 150GB Canada-US plan and get unlimited Canada & U.S. calling and use your plan while visiting the U.S. without any restrictions.

Rogers Wireless US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: Phone calls within the U.S. are $1.45/minute, outgoing texts are $0.75 each, and data costs a steep $7.99/50MB.

Daily plans: You can take your existing plan minutes, texts, and even data with you to the U.S. for $12/day. To find out if you have Roam Like Home enabled, text travel to 222 from your Rogers device.

Vacation plans: After 20 days per monthly bill ($240 total), then you can continue using Roam Like Home for the rest of that billing period without additional charges.

Frequent visitor: The Rogers Infinite Premium Canada+US Plan adds more full-speed data to your monthly plan and full coverage across the United States.

Telus Mobility US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: Calls within the U.S. or back home to Canada cost $1.60/minute, texts are $0.75 each, and data is $5/MB.

Daily plans: Telus' Easy Roam add-ons allow you to use your phone in the U.S. for $14/day and cover a full 24 hours from when you make your first call, text, or use data; Bell and Rogers end your daily plan at midnight Eastern Standard Time.

Vacation plans: Along with increased daily rates, Telus appears to have eliminated individual travel packs. Your best option is to use the Easy Roam option for up to a maximum of 20 days.

Frequent visitor: Upgrade to the Unlimited 150 5G+ Can-US plan. It costs a little more than other plans, includes up to 150GB of full-speed data, and you can use it anywhere in Canada or the U.S.

Fido US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: If you'd like to use pay-per-use rates, you need to opt out of Fido Roam by contacting Fido. Fido's pay-per-use rates are calls for $1.45 per minute and $0.99 per text message. Data is $12 for 50MB.

Daily plans: Fido Roam allows you to call, text, and use data in the U.S. for $12/day.

Vacation plans: After 20 days of Fido Roam (roughly $240), you can continue using your phone plan while visiting the U.S. until the end of your billing month at no additional charge.

Frequent visitor: Fido does not currently offer Canada-U.S. plans.

Koodo US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: Koodo customers who choose to use their existing cell phone in the U.S. without a daily Easy Roam plan will pay $1.60/minute, $10 for 100 outgoing texts, and a steep $10/50MB.

Daily plans: For $14/day, you can use your existing Koodo phone and plan while traveling throughout the United States on Easy Roam.

Vacation plans: Start your trip using Easy Roam, and once you hit $240 (20 days), you can continue using the service at no additional charge until your next billing cycle.

Frequent visitor: Koodo does not currently offer Canada-U.S. plans.

Virgin Plus US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: In the U.S., phone calls on your existing Canada-based cell phone plan cost $1.99/minute. Sending a text message costs $0.99. Data service in the U.S. requires a data pass.

Daily plans: Virgin Plus Roam Sweet Roam costs $13/day for access to every byte of data from your monthly plan while you’re travelling in the U.S.

Vacation plans: Roam Sweet Roam maxes out after 20 days ($260), allowing you to use the service in the U.S. for the rest of the month without additional charges.

Frequent visitor: Virgin Mobile does not currently offer Canada-U.S. plans.

Freedom Mobile US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: Phone calls anywhere in the U.S. cost $0.20/minute, $0.10 for text messages, and data is $0.03/MB.

Daily plans: Freedom no longer offers daily roaming plans.

Vacation plans: The Roam Beyond Pass offers unlimited texting in 73 destinations and unlimited local/back-to-Canada calling for 30 days. There are two data options for the Roam Beyond Pass:

• $20 for 1GB of roaming data
• $30 for 5GB of roaming data

Frequent visitor: Freedom's Roam Beyond Plan is the best bet for frequent travellers to the U.S.

SaskTel US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: SaskTel charges $0.07/minute for voice calls and $0.07/MB for data. SaskTel cellular customers who already have text messaging on their plan at home can use it while travelling in the U.S. at no additional cost.

Daily plans: Opt-in for roam & RELAX, and the next time you travel to the U.S., unlimited calls anywhere within the country (or back home to Canada) are only $3/day. If you need the internet, then enable data roaming, and your device will connect automatically with up to 500MB for $6/day (300MB for $5/day if you’re on an older plan).

Vacation plans: Call ahead and have SaskTel add a monthly roam & RELAX U.S. add-on. For $40, you get unlimited talk time in the U.S. and 8GB of data. For $55, SaskTel will give you 15GB of data.

Frequent visitor: The totalSHARE Canada & U.S. plan option is only slightly more expensive than the regular version of the plan. When subscribing, you choose your data pack—from 1GB to 50GB—which you can share with other shareMORE phone lines on your account.

Videotron US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: Using your existing cell phone and plan on a pay-per-use basis in the U.S. isn’t too expensive for calls at $0.75/minute, with text messages at $0.25 each. Roaming data costs you $0.15/MB.

Daily plans: For $10/day, Videotron offers one of the lowest daily rates for travellers to the U.S. Activate the Daily Traveller Pass option to use the minutes, texts, and data from your monthly cell phone plan while travelling in America.

Vacation plans: After ten days at $10/day, Videotron puts a hold on the daily charges, and you can continue using your at-home plan while in the U.S. for the rest of your billing cycle. Videotron also has U.S. data add-on packs, but the Daily Traveller Pass offers far better value.

Frequent visitor: Hook up to a Canada-US Without Borders plan, which includes 25GB of 4G LTE data in Canada and the U.S. (with 5G connectivity available in Quebec) for $60/month. While in Canada, you also receive 100GB of full-speed data per year.

Fizz Mobile US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: Talk time in the U.S. is $0.10/minute, and text messages cost $0.02 each. Data is $0.02/MB.

Daily plans: If you’re gone for more than a day or hope to use data while abroad, pick up one of Fizz Mobile’s affordable Travel Add-ons: $5 adds 500MB of data, $8 adds 1GB of data, or $10 adds 2GB of data.

Vacation plans: The travel add-ons listed above each stay active for the remainder of your billing month or until you use them up.

Frequent visitor: Fizz offers a few Canada-U.S. plans. The best is the Unlimited Canada + USA, which offers plenty of data and unlimited talk and text on both sides of the border.

Public Mobile US roaming plans

Pay-as-you-go: If you don’t purchase an international travel add-on from Public Mobile, you will not have service in the United States.

Vacation plans: For Public Mobile customers who plan ahead, there is a selection of 15-day U.S. roaming add-ons that let you use your favourite cell phone while travelling.

• $30 for unlimited U.S. talk, text, and 3GB of data
• $15 for unlimited U.S. talk and text
• $10 for 250MB of data only
• $20 for 1GB of data only
• $25 for 3GB of data only

Frequent visitor: Public Mobile does not currently offer any Canada-U.S. plans.

Chatr US roaming plans

In July 2022, Chatr announced that U.S. carriers were shuttering their 3G wireless networks, meaning Chatr could no longer guarantee roaming in the U.S.

Lucky Mobile US roaming plans

There are no U.S. roaming options for Lucky Mobile customers. If you bring your phone with you to the U.S., you will not have access to phone calls, text messages, or data.

FAQs

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How can I avoid roaming charges when travelling to the USA from Canada?

The easiest way to avoid roaming charges when travelling to the United States is to choose a Canada-U.S. phone plan. These plans allow you to use your talk, text, and data in both countries without paying daily roaming fees.

How do I know if my Canadian plan has US roaming?

It's best to review your plan details through your carrier account or mobile app.

Is roaming free if in the United States?

Roaming is not usually free for Canadians travelling in the United States. Most Canadian carriers charge a daily roaming fee within the range of $10 to $14 per day, depending on your carrier.

Can I use eSIM for USA roaming?

Yes. Many modern smartphones allow travellers to use eSIM for U.S. roaming, which can be a convenient alternative to traditional roaming plans.