Airalo eSIM Review: Hong Kong Phone Compatibility, Japan and Mainland Prices, Roaming Pass Comparison and US$3 Off a First Purchase

Airalo is operated by AirGSM Pte Ltd, a company registered in Singapore, at 6 Raffles Blvd, #03-308 Marina Square, Singapore. Under its general terms, Airalo is an "aggregator and marketplace" for connectivity services: it obtains data services from network providers in each location and resells them through its website and app, and it claims coverage of more than 200 countries and regions. The app on the App Store (Hong Kong) offers Traditional and Simplified Chinese interfaces.

Hong Kong users should note the position the terms take: wherever the service is used, the terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, with disputes handled exclusively by the courts there; users waive the right to bring claims through class actions; and Airalo's total liability to a user is capped at US$100. This site has been unable to verify whether Airalo holds a Hong Kong telecommunications licence. An eSIM is a prepaid data service with no arrangement comparable to deposit protection, so it is advisable to buy only the plan needed for an imminent trip.

This is the first point Hong Kong readers need to confirm. Airalo's terms of use require the phone to be "unlocked and eSIM-compatible", and its help centre further requires that the phone has not been jailbroken (iOS) or rooted (Android). Airalo's device list (September 2026 version) states that the following phones have no eSIM: iPhones from mainland China; iPhones from Hong Kong and Macao (except the iPhone 13 mini, 12 mini, SE 2020 and XS); all Samsung Galaxy phones originating from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan; and all Huawei phones bought in China.

An Apple support article published on 17 September 2026 contains more recent information: the Hong Kong and Macao models of the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 17e, Air, 16e, 13 mini, 12 mini, SE (2nd and 3rd generation) and XS have eSIM, whereas the Hong Kong models of the iPhone 11 to 16 series (except the mini models and the 16e), the XR and the XS Max take two physical nano-SIM cards only and cannot install any eSIM.

The most direct check is to enter *#06# on the phone's dialling screen: if a 32-digit EID is shown, the phone supports eSIM. If you also wish to keep your Hong Kong number active to receive calls and SMS messages (such as one-time passwords from banks), the phone must also support dual SIM.

Airalo's plans fall into three categories: local plans cover a single country or region; regional plans cover several places, such as Asialink, which covers 18 destinations (including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand), and Eurolink, which covers 41 countries (including the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Turkey); and the global plans are called Discover. Each plan is defined by a data allowance and a number of valid days, and the data is shared across the whole validity period rather than allocated per day.

Most plans provide data only. Airalo states that "Data/Calls/Texts" eSIMs come with a phone number, while data-only eSIMs do not; Airalo's local plans for Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the mainland, the destinations Hong Kong travellers visit most often, are all data only. Plans with a number each carry restrictions: the global Discover+ plan provides a US (+1) number with no call forwarding or voicemail, and its cheapest option, 1GB with 10 SMS messages and 10 minutes of calls valid for 7 days, costs US$9; the UK plan can call local numbers only; and the US plan cannot make international calls.

When using a data-only eSIM, you can keep your Hong Kong SIM switched on to receive calls and SMS messages while data is routed through the Airalo line. Airalo cautions that if data roaming remains switched on for the primary line, your Hong Kong operator may still charge roaming fees, so it is advisable to switch off data roaming on the primary line; whether receiving SMS messages or calls is charged depends on your operator.

The following are the US dollar prices shown on Airalo's website on 13 October 2026, roughly converted at US$1 to about HK$7.8. Japan: 5GB for seven days US$10 (about HK$78), 10GB for seven days US$17 (about HK$133), and unlimited data for seven days US$26.50 (about HK$207). Taiwan 5GB for seven days US$11 (about HK$86); South Korea 5GB for seven days US$10 (about HK$78); Thailand 5GB for seven days US$7 (about HK$55); mainland China 5GB for seven days US$14.50 (about HK$113); Asialink 5GB for seven days US$14 (about HK$109). For long-haul travel, the United Kingdom 10GB for thirty days costs US$19 (about HK$148), and Eurolink 10GB for thirty days US$31 (about HK$242). In most destinations, the smallest plan, 1GB for three days, costs US$4.

Airalo supports 16 currencies, and the Hong Kong dollar is not among them. Its help centre states that if the currency of your payment method differs from the currency selected, the transaction is settled at your bank or financial institution's exchange rate and international transaction fees may be charged; the terms of use state that displayed prices include applicable taxes. Payment methods include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay and JCB credit or debit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay (not available in all countries), Alipay (in the app only) and Airmoney.

Take a seven-day trip to Japan as an example. csl's daily pass for major Asia Pacific destinations costs HK$88 a day for 1GB, after which speed is capped at 512kbps, coming to HK$616 over seven days; the Selected Asia Pacific pre-purchase pack gives seven passes for HK$338, each with 3GB for 24 hours, to be used within three months; and there is also the HK$168 Main Asia Pacific data bundle, with 6GB shared over 30 days. Airalo's Japan 10GB seven-day plan costs US$17 (about HK$133), or US$14 (about HK$109) on a first purchase with the referral code; unlimited data for seven days costs US$26.50 (about HK$207).

On price alone, Airalo is far cheaper than the daily pass, while the gap against the data bundle is smaller. The advantage of a roaming pass is that it needs no eSIM support and no separate installation, using your existing SIM card directly; Airalo requires an eSIM-capable phone and payment in a foreign currency. Roaming charges vary between operators, and this article uses csl only as an example; if your monthly plan already includes roaming data for your destination, Airalo is of less use.

Validity begins when the eSIM is activated. Airalo states that most eSIMs activate only when they connect to a supported network at the destination, so they can be installed before departure while you have a stable connection; some packages, however, start counting the moment they are installed, even if you are still in Hong Kong. Before buying, check the "Activation Policy" under the package's "Additional Information". When this site checked the package pages for Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and the mainland on 13 October 2026, all of them started counting on first use after arrival, but what is shown at the time of purchase prevails.

Some eSIMs have a "recycling" deadline: after purchase, the eSIM must actually connect to a network and be used within the deadline (installation alone is not enough), commonly 90 days after purchase; otherwise the eSIM is recycled and can no longer be used, and a new eSIM must be bought. Data can be used only within the validity period, and any data remaining at expiry is forfeited.

An eSIM that can be topped up shows a "Top up" button in "My eSIMs" for adding a package; if the button is absent, the eSIM cannot be topped up and a new one must be bought. With automatic renewals switched on, a new package is bought automatically when 10% of the data remains; this feature must be paid for with a saved payment method and cannot use Airmoney. If a top-up does not take effect automatically, restart the phone or switch aeroplane mode on and off.

Airalo's package information lists the networks in each destination: Softbank and KDDI in Japan, SK in South Korea, Taiwan Mobile in Taiwan, True and AIS in Thailand, and China Unicom in mainland China. The installation settings for the Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and mainland plans all require "Data Roaming" to be switched on for the eSIM line. If you have a signal after arrival but cannot get online, first check that mobile data is set to the Airalo line, that data roaming is on for that line, and that the APN matches the installation details.

"Unlimited" data is not entirely without limits. Airalo's fair use policy states that once more than 3GB has been used in a day, speed drops to 1Mbps for the rest of that day, resetting every 24 hours (counted from the activation time); the Japan unlimited plan page also states that the first 3GB is at full speed, up to 20Mbps. 1Mbps is sufficient for messaging and maps but not well suited to streaming video. Sustained heavy uploading or downloading, peer-to-peer file sharing and reselling the connection are all prohibited, and Airalo may suspend or terminate the package without notice and without a refund; networks may also apply their own speed limits at busy times. As for personal hotspot, Airalo states that it can be used as long as the phone and network support it, and some eSIMs require the APN listed in the installation details to be entered in the hotspot APN field.

For mainland China, Airalo states that no VPN is needed when using its China, Asia regional or global eSIMs, because data is routed through gateways outside the mainland, giving direct access to services such as Google and WhatsApp; connections to local networks such as hotel Wi-Fi, however, remain filtered. Airalo's mainland plan does not cover Hong Kong or Macao; travellers whose itinerary takes in the mainland together with Macao or other Asian destinations may consider Asialink, whose 5GB seven-day plan costs US$14, slightly less than the US$14.50 of the mainland local plan.

Signing up through the link on this page opens Airalo's sign-up page with the referral code already applied; alternatively, enter the referral code JIMMY2336 when signing up or at checkout. According to Airalo's "Refer and earn" page, a friend who signs up with a referral code receives US$3 off their first purchase. At checkout, select "Code" under "Use Airmoney or code" and enter the referral code; before paying, confirm that US$3 has been deducted.

Each condition deserves attention: the discount applies only to a first purchase; anyone who has used another Airalo promotion may not receive the referral discount; and only one discount method can be used per purchase, so the referral code and Airmoney are alternatives and cannot be combined on the same order. The referral page states no minimum spend, and this site has been unable to find more detailed referral programme terms, so other restrictions cannot be verified. Because Airalo does not support Hong Kong dollars, the discount is calculated in US dollars.

On the Japan 10GB seven-day plan, the price falls from US$17 to US$14, a saving of about HK$23. Thereafter, each purchase earns Airmoney back according to membership tier: all users start at Traveler (5%), move up to Silver (6%) after cumulative spending of US$20, Gold (7%) at US$70 and Platinum (10%) at US$200.

Disclosure: JIMMY2336 is this site's referral code. When you complete a first purchase with this code, this site may receive US$3 in Airmoney, which can be spent only with Airalo and is not cash.

Airalo's terms of use state that consumers may withdraw from a purchase within 14 days of buying, but this right ends on the day the eSIM is activated, whichever is earlier; an eSIM that has started to be used cannot be withdrawn. If an activated eSIM cannot be used because of an error on Airalo's part, a claim must be made within 30 days of the problem arising, and Airalo must be given 10 days to fix it; if some data has already been used, only the unused portion is refunded.

The refund method depends on the reason given. When you tap "Request Refund" on the package record in "My eSIMs", you can choose "Wrong purchase", "Plans changed", "Installation issues" or "eSIM not working": the first two are refunded only as Airmoney, while the latter two can be refunded as Airmoney or to the original payment method. Airmoney is credited instantly; refunds to a credit card generally take 7 to 10 working days, and up to about 30 days depending on the bank (the terms of use state up to 30 working days). Expired eSIMs and those whose data has been used up are not refundable. An eSIM that has not yet been installed can also be passed to a friend by giving them its installation QR code.

Airmoney is pegged to the US dollar and cannot be used when the balance is below US$1, nor for automatic renewals. The balance expires as a whole, but each time you make a purchase or receive Airmoney (for example, a referral reward), the expiry date is reset to one year later.

As at 13 October 2026, the Airalo app was rated 4.5 on the App Store (Hong Kong), from 476 ratings; its Google Play page for Hong Kong showed 4.1 (about 190,000 reviews), while the UK page showed 4.6, with more than 10 million downloads and the most recent update on 23 September 2026. On Trustpilot it was rated 4.1 (more than 47,000 reviews), with 62% five-star and 16% one-star reviews, and Airalo had replied to 93% of negative reviews.

The more common complaints include difficulty with installation and activation (APN, the data roaming switch and dual SIM line settings); having a signal after arrival but no internet access; actual speeds below those advertised (for example, only 4G rather than 5G); slow or templated replies in customer service chat, which also requires an internet connection; refunds issued as Airmoney rather than cash; small data plans running out quickly; and prices higher than a local SIM card for longer stays. Positive reviews centre on easy purchasing, being online as soon as you land, broad coverage, and lower costs than operator roaming.

Customer service can be reached through in-app chat, WhatsApp or by email at [email protected], and Airalo states that it offers 24-hour multilingual support. If you cannot get online abroad, you will need to connect to hotel or airport Wi-Fi before you can contact customer service. The terms of use also state that Airalo may suspend or terminate an account at any time for reasons including security concerns; if you notice an unauthorised purchase, notify customer service immediately.

Suitable for: Hong Kong residents whose phones definitely support eSIM (dialling *#06# shows an EID) and who make frequent short trips to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand or the mainland; travellers whose itinerary covers several Asian destinations and can be served by a single Asialink plan; and those who would like to use their usual apps in the mainland without a VPN.

Not suitable for: users of the Hong Kong models of the iPhone 11 to 16 series (except the mini models and the 16e), the XR or the XS Max, or of Galaxy phones originating from Hong Kong, the mainland or Taiwan; those who need a local phone number; those whose monthly plan already includes roaming data for their destination; those who wish to pay in Hong Kong dollars or who require every refund to go back to their credit card; and those who would like disputes to be handled in Hong Kong.