Calling other countries from the US

Calling another country from your couch in the US is a different feature than using your phone abroad — and it's the one that surprises people on their bill. Here's how it works and how to make it cheap.

Roaming vs. international calling

• Roaming is you, physically abroad, using your phone. Largely included with your plan.
• International calling is you, in the US, dialing a foreign number. Without an add-on, these calls bill per minute at rates that vary widely by country — and can add up fast.

The add-on

An international calling add-on runs $15/month and dramatically reduces or removes per-minute costs to most of the world. If you call family or colleagues abroad even semi-regularly, it typically pays for itself with a single phone call.

Want it? Send us a note with the countries you call most — we'll confirm the exact rates for those destinations and switch it on for you. (Adding features is one of those things that goes through us, not a carrier app.)

Traveling instead of calling?

If your international needs are about being abroad rather than dialing abroad, look at what your plan already includes — and for heavier data use overseas, the hotspot add-on upgrades your international roaming too.

The free alternative

For the people you talk to most, app-to-app calls — FaceTime, WhatsApp, Signal, and friends — cost nothing on either end and work over any internet connection. Many members use the add-on for landlines and businesses abroad, and apps for everyone else.