How Do Travel Pass Charges Work?

[bev99999]

I have added the Travel Pass.  If someone calls me or text me will this activate the $10 travel pass charge  OR  is the travel pass activated when I call or text? Will I be charged for their call and or text!

[Weth]

While you are in a covered country (and make sure you look at the list to make sure the country you are in is covered on TravelPass), any incoming or outgoing call, text, or data will trigger the $10/day charge and cover the next 24 hours.

TravelPass countries

TravelPass Countries | Verizon Wireless

[bev99999]

We are cruising.  I do not plan to use my phone on board for anything more than the clock.

If I am in airplane mode will this prevent my phone from receiving text and it calls?

If I don't answer the call will I be charged?

Getting several telemarketing calls!

If I don't open the text will I be charged?   If I do open, it will only be 5cents correct?

Then when I want to use my travel pass I can open the text?   

What is difference in putting phone in air plane mode and turning of cellula?

[Weth]

Based on your goals, what you want to do is place your phone in airplane mode and then turn on only wifi and leave your phone that way the entire trip. WIth that setup you will not trigger any daily charges.

Answers to your specific questions

If I am in airplane mode will this prevent my phone from receiving text and it calls? Yes *

If I don't answer the call will I be charged? It will get forwarded to voicemail and you could still be charged

Getting several telemarketing calls! The bane of everyone

If I don't open the text will I be charged?   If I do open, it will only be 5cents correct? It doesn't matter if you open the text or not, if it comes in you will trigger the $10 24 hr TravelPass

Then when I want to use my travel pass I can open the text?   Just receiving the text will trigger the TravelPass charge. IT has nothing to do with opening it.

What is difference in putting phone in air plane mode and turning of cellula? The difference is you are not just stopping data, but all cellular communication - including text, voice, and data. Airplane mode with turning on only wifi is the only sure fire way to prevent unintended charges.

* Exception

If you have a newer phone that supports wifi calling, and you turn on airplane mode and turn on wifi, you will be able to use your phone, while on wifi, just like you are in the USA. That means with wifi calling active, you can receive texts, send texts, make calls to the US and receive any call, and use wifi data with no roaming charges, and no TravelPass $10 trigger. You did not say what phone you have, so I cannot coment if this pertains to you. If you have it though, this is the way to get free calling and texts back and from the US for no additional charges. (unless there is a charge for wifi access).

[bev99999]

So how do I prevent incoming calls??

I do not want to pay for telemarketing calls!!

Incoming text are only 5 cents correct?

Sent from my iPhone

[bev99999]

I see you say air plane mode is a sure way to avoid unintended charges.

So I can keep in air plane mode until I want to use my travel pass. At that time I will take it out of air plane mode. This will refuse incoming calls and text while in air plane mode and I won't be charged for them, correct?

Sent from my iPhone

[bev99999]

I have iPhone 7

[bev99999]

We also have iPhone 6s   as well as iPhone 7.

Thanks

[Weth]

Both your iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 support wifi calling. This is good news.

Activate Wifi calling by going to Settings / Phone and Turn on Wifi Calling. You will need to enter your emergency address, this is usually your home address.

Now when you travel, keep your phone in airplane mode. While in airplane mode you will not get any charges. If you connect wifi, then wifi calling will become active. As long as you are in airplane mode, think of wifi calling as you sitting at home. You can receive or send a call or text and this would not be considered roaming. There is no travelpass trigger or other charges. It really is like you are sitting at home. This is the cheapest way to get calls and messages when travelling.

Now if you need to make a call or receive texts and there is no wifi available, then you can turn off airplane mode. This will very likely immediately have some texts come in that have queued up. So doing that is going to be an almost automatic $10 TravelPass 24 hour trigger. Once you do that, you might as well leave airplane mode off for 24 hours to take advantage of your TravelPass.

With travelpass you are just using your current plan. There is no 5 cent per message charge and no calling roaming fees. You can call the country you are in for no long distance and you can call back to the USA with no long distance when on TravelPass. Remember on wifi calling it is like you are sitting at home, so if you call the local country you are in, that is international long distance.

To reaffirm - if you are in airplane mode you will prevent charges, even if you are connect to wifi and get a call or text while in wifi mode.

[bev99999]

To reaffirm:

we MUST FIRST turn wifi calling on, right??

Should we also select: prefer Wi-Fi While Roaming?

Then turn phone on air plane mode.

Then turn on Wi-Fi. (automatically goes to wi-fi calling)

We can call each other's cell. No charge

We can call those at home in US no charge

Those at home can call us, no charge for us but they will pay international charges?

We can text each other. No charge

Those at home can text us. We do not pay any charges, do not pay any charge to text us???

If we want to call or text anyone outside the US, we need to turn off Air plane mode and turn off Wi-Fi, we will then be using our Travel Pass??

Are all above correct?

You have been great help!!

Sent from my iPhone

[Weth]

bev99999 wrote:

To reaffirm:

we MUST FIRST turn wifi calling on, right?? Yes

Should we also select: prefer Wi-Fi While Roaming? Yes

Then turn phone on air plane mode. Yes

Then turn on Wi-Fi. (automatically goes to wi-fi calling) Yes

We can call each other's cell. No charge Yes

We can call those at home in US no charge Yes

Those at home can call us, no charge for us but they will pay international charges? Yes, and no international charge.  Remember on wifi calling, as far as the phone is concerned, you are at home. 

We can text each other. No charge Yes

Those at home can text us. We do not pay any charges, do not pay any charge to text us??? Yes

If we want to call or text anyone outside the US, we need to turn off Air plane mode and turn off Wi-Fi, we will then be using our Travel Pass??  Not necessary.  International texting is included in Verizon plan and you can be in wifi calling mode.  Calls will be internationallong distance as if you are calling from home.  You may want to use Travelpass if calling local in the country you are in, since that does not incur long distance on TravelPass. 

Are all above correct?

You have been great help!!

Sent from my iPhone

See above

[bev99999]

One more question,

To use the wi-fi data no charge we must first connect to free wi-fi where offered??

Thank You!!!

Sent from my iPhone

[Weth]

bev99999 wrote:

One more question,

To use the wi-fi data no charge we must first connect to free wi-fi where offered??

Thank You!!!

Sent from my iPhone

Yes, you must be on wifi first. 

[Weth]

Make sure you see VZW Wi-Fi at the top left of the iPhone screen in the status area. If it is there, you are on wifi calling and will not get roaming charges or trigger TravelPass.

[chamvie27]

Does this apply to the iPhone 5, as well?

[vzw_customer_support]

Knowing how the TravelPass feature is billed for each device is very important, chamvie27. I am happy to assist. The iPhone 5 is compatible with our TravelPass feature. The feature will activate whenever the device connects to an international tower and receives a call, makes a call, sends a text message, or starts to use data. Please note that the iPhone 5 is not compatible with Wi-Fi Calling. For more details about the TravelPass feature visit the link below:
https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/travelpass-faqs/

GregL_VZW

[dbarron2]

I have an iPhone 8 Plus, my wife has an iPhone 7. We have signed up for TravelPass. By enabling Airplane Mode, my calls don't go through. Do I enable WiFi Calling under settings?

[Sam441]

So when I want to read my messages or make a call, do I turn airplane off?  And when I am finished turn airplane back on?

What happens to text messages, etc when airplane mode is on?

Is whatsapp safe to use?  Does it trigger the daily $10?

[cynthiadeyoung]

I have discovered that you can only turn on WiFi calling when you are still in the U.S.   It can not be enabled if you are already outside the U.S.... so be sure you set this on your iPhone 6 or newer model BEFORE you head to your international destination!

[donbikes]

This is not consistent with how Verizon describes the charges. According to Verizon (see, for example, Traveling abroad? Connecting internationally just got simpler   ), "TravelPass activates when you make or receive a call, connect to a data service or send a text while within one of the 65+ countries where TravelPass is available. Another daily session will begin once you make or receive a call, send a text or use data after the 24-hour period expires."

In other words, ​receiving a text​ should not cause a TravelPass charge.

[Weth · Accepted solution]

donbikes wrote:

This is not consistent with how Verizon describes the charges. According to Verizon (see, for example, Traveling abroad? Connecting internationally just got simpler ), "TravelPass activates when you make or receive a call, connect to a data service or send a text while within one of the 65+ countries where TravelPass is available. Another daily session will begin once you make or receive a call, send a text or use data after the 24-hour period expires."

In other words, receiving a text should not cause a TravelPass charge.

Difference is in theory and real life.  If incoming text is MMS (group text, contains special characters, video, picture) it will connect to the data service.  Also for those with iOS devices, incoming iMessage is data and triggers data connection. There is also the fact of junk calls that by default you are opening up if you have incoming SMS on, which requires cellular services to be on.   I would not count on the safety of the trigger by outgoing text to justify keeping cellular services on if you do not want to trigger an unintentional $10 TravelPass charge.  I was aware of the wording, but my experience shows you cannot have a setup that only has allowed incoming SMS while preventing MMS and any incoming junk calls.  That is why I simplify and just say airplane mode is the only way to assure no Travelpass trigger.