Buying a travel eSIM for someone else, or for the whole group
Yes, you can buy a travel eSIM for another person: you pay, the QR code arrives in your inbox and you pass it on. The one thing you cannot do is install it for them, because the eSIM belongs to whichever phone scans it first. So check their phone before you pay, send each person only their own code, and remember that top-ups and help will go through your email address.
See the pricesThe phone that scans it keeps it
An eSIM is not an account that follows a person; it is a profile downloaded onto one phone. Once installed, it stays on that phone and cannot be moved to another, and deleting it loses it. So if the buyer scans the code to check that it works, the plan ends up on the buyer's phone and the person travelling has nothing.
Treat the QR code like a single-use ticket. Do not scan it and do not test it. Hand it over untouched and let the traveller install it on the phone they will take with them, ideally at home on Wi-Fi a few days before leaving.
One eSIM for 33 European countries
Several countries on one trip? Same eSIM, same data, no swapping lines at the border.
Black Friday −25 % Ends in 31d 21:04:18Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
Write the email where we should send the QR code.
We send the QR code and your receipt here. No spam.
QR in your inbox in minutes · If it does not connect, we fix it · Secure payment with Stripe
Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Check their phone before you pay
Ask for the exact model, and ask them to look for an EID: on an iPhone in Settings, General, About; on most Android phones in Settings, About phone, Status. If there is an EID, the phone takes eSIMs. It also has to be unlocked, which this guide explains how to confirm. A surprise gift is nice, but a surprise that does not work on their phone is not.
Then match the plan to their route, not yours. A country pack only works in that country; if they will cross a border, the Europe pack covers 33 countries. If you are unsure about their model, the compatibility list answers before you pay.
Handing over the code without leaking it
Forward the email with the QR code straight to the person who will use it, not to a group chat or a shared family album. Anyone who scans the code first takes the eSIM, and the reasons to keep it private are in keeping your eSIM QR code private. They will need the code on a second screen or on paper to scan it, or they can enter it by hand following installing without scanning.
Timing is relaxed. The plan only starts counting at the first connection at the destination and can be bought up to 180 days before the trip, so a birthday present for a summer holiday is not wasted waiting in a drawer. The only deadline that matters is installing it before they fly.
Buying for a whole group
For a group, the organiser can buy several eSIMs in one purchase, up to 10 with Snoozim, each with its own QR code. If everyone is on the same pack, any code works for any person, as long as each person scans exactly one. If the packs differ, say one person staying an extra week in another country, label each code with a name before sending it.
Keep a simple list of who received which code and on which phone it was installed. It sounds fussy, but it is the only way to know later whose plan needs a top-up, and it avoids two people scanning the same code while a third gets none. The family version of this decision, one eSIM each or one shared by hotspot, is in our family travel guide.
After the handover: top-ups, invoice and help
Everything after the purchase is linked to the buyer's email address. Topping up adds data to the profile already on the phone, with no new code to scan, but it is done with the email used to buy, so the traveller will need you, or you will do it for them. The invoice, with VAT shown, also goes to that address, which matters if a company is paying.
If the code is lost, it can be sent again to the same email. And if something does not connect, the quickest fix comes from the buyer writing in with the traveller's phone model and a screenshot of the error. Agree on that before they leave, so a problem at the arrival hall is one message away from being solved.
Can I buy an eSIM for someone else?
Yes. You pay and receive the QR code, then send it to them. They install it on their own phone.
Can I install it on my phone first to check it works?
No. Once installed, an eSIM stays on the phone that scanned it, so testing it on yours would leave them without a plan.
Can one eSIM be shared between two travellers?
Not installed on both phones. One phone can share its data with the other through the hotspot, or each person gets their own eSIM.
Who tops up the data if they run out?
The top-up uses the email address the eSIM was bought with, so the buyer does it or passes on the access. No new code needs to be scanned.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See the prices