International roaming (Bulgaria)

I think you should check this official page from Koodo https://www.koodomobile.com/easyroam

You were only charged $15/day if you had easyroam. If you didn’t have easyroam, you would be charged by the payperuse rate (which could be very expensive). https://www.koodomobile.com/payperuse

Techincally, if you disable data and data roaming in the phone, you could avoid accidental data charge. Also make sure you disable any RCS or visual voicemail feature. Those feature sometimes sent SMS on itself.

Regarding the voicemail, voicemail notification is free. However, if you call your voicemail from your Koodo, it would be charged by the roaming fee.

I had already looked at the easyroam and payperuse sections but am not clear on how I can configure my account/Android phone to just receive the occasional text message and incur the least cost.

With Easyroam, 2 months at $15 / day is $840.   If I receive one text a day, don’t use data or voice...the $15 a day would kick in.  If a background application accesses data over an international carrier, the $15 a day would kick in.

At $0.25 / text, one text a day is $14 over 2 months, using payperuse.

I’m looking for answers to four questions which I don’t believe have been answered :

1.  “How can I can I receive text messages on my Android cell phone with Koodo sim without incurring the $15 a day charge? “

2. Will disabling international data and voice revert me to the pay-per-use?  If I disable international voice/data will that still allow text messages to come thru?  Or do I just disable “Easyroam” and leave international voice/data turned on?  Is Easyroam a separate option?

3. “I’ll turn off “Mobile data” under Connections/Data usage but will I still be able to receive text messages? “  I’ll manually select a local carrier.

4. “ If I turn off “Mobile data” under Connections/Data will I still be able to receive text messages?”   EasyRoam page says “To access pay-per-use rates anywhere other than the U.S., you'll need to add the International Voice Roaming and International Data Roaming add-ons to your account for your phone to work”.  For me to JUST receive text messages do I need to keep both of these enabled or just voice?  If I leave both enabled but turn off “Mobile data” on my Android phone will that prevent any background applications from using data?

How can I can I receive text messages on my Android cell phone with Koodo sim without incurring the $15 a day charge?

Incoming texts are free and won’t trigger that charge. Only outgoing texts, answering or making a call, or using data will trigger the charge.

Will disabling international data and voice revert me to the pay-per-use?  If I disable international voice/data will that still allow text messages to come thru?  Or do I just disable “Easyroam” and leave international voice/data turned on?  Is Easyroam a separate option?

No, those add-ons for international data and voice access. You will want to disable easyroam to have access to the pay per use rates.

“I’ll turn off “Mobile data” under Connections/Data usage but will I still be able to receive text messages? “  I’ll manually select a local carrier.

Yes, turning off mobile data will just disable data, not text messages or phone calls.

If I leave both enabled but turn off “Mobile data” on my Android phone will that prevent any background applications from using data?

Correct, just disable both data roaming and mobile data on your phone and your phone won’t use any data.

And just to top up, the rates you shared in your original post are wrong for pay per use roaming in Bulgaria. This is what they are currently:

https://www.koodomobile.com/payperuse?INTCMP=KMNew_EasyRoamCTA_PayPerUse

It also says 

Thats for a text message sent while in Canada to an international country. There’s a few plans that only have canada-wide texting.

If I understand correctly….turn off easyroam, leave international data and voice on (or just leave voice on for sms?) and turn mobile data off on my phone.

Correct?

Correct

Appreciate your answers Allan !

“Correct”….as in leave voice AND data enabled or just international voice?

And to be absolutely clear….using wifi for data would NOT require international data since it is over the Internet.

Think I see in your previous answer that all I need to do is enable international voice…

“just disable both data roaming and mobile data on your phone and your phone won’t use any data.”

...with the understanding that all I want to receive is text messages.

Thank you again !!!!!

I’ll be in Portugal next week and want to buy an Esim for data use there. If I leave my Koodo sim in my iPhone but turn OFF roaming and data, am I “safely” able to use the Esim data for internet only (not texts or voice) without incurring roaming charges?

The Esim provider says check Settings> General> About and there I see Carrier Lock > locked to my provider, Koodo. Is this only for the physical sim, or will it prevent me using an Esim in Portugal?

Thanks!

For future reference, please create new threads for different topics to also not send people notifications of old threads. 

I will flag a rep to assist with the esim carrier unlock. I had no idea until just now that esim functionality can be carrier locked if the phone was bought by a carrier. It’s really surprising to see Koodo even bothering with that. You will be able to safely use the data from the esim. You’d have to just swap it in settings for use. Typically you decide which sim to primarily use. So you’d pick the esim once you’re in another country. I believe data use is limited to one sim at a time techncially atm for current phones. 

Hello @Elaine! We can see that you already got in touch with a rep from the call center and your questions have been answered. If you ever need any help, feel free to start a new thread here on the Koodo Community and we’ll be happy to help.