Which Optus roaming option you get depends on your plan, not on a choice you make before you fly. Choice Plus customers get Optus Daily Roaming automatically. Some other post-paid plans use the $10 Optus Roaming Pass or pay-as-you-go standard roaming rates, and prepaid customers buy a roaming add-on. All prices below are in Australian dollars and come from Optus's international roaming page and its postpaid rates finder, checked 3 October 2026.
The worry is common. In a survey of 1,035 Australians aged 18 to 54 that Optus commissioned in June 2025, 82% said they had experienced or feared roaming bill shock.
Optus roaming options at a glance
| Option | Who gets it | Price | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optus Daily Roaming | Choice Plus, Business Choice Plus, Qantas and mobile broadband plans | $5 per 24 hours | 5GB data, unlimited standard talk and text in Zone 1 destinations or to Australia |
| $10 Optus Roaming Pass | Selected post-paid plans | $10 per 24 hours | 1GB data, unlimited standard talk and SMS in 100+ Zone 1 destinations |
| Standard roaming rates | Selected post-paid plans (not Choice Plus) | Pay as you go | Nothing; $1.50/min calls, $1.00/MB data in Zones 1 and 2 |
| Prepaid roaming add-ons | Optus Flex Plus and selected prepaid plans | $5 to $75 per add-on | Data, SMS and call minutes for Zone 1, valid 1 to 186 days |
Check which plan you are on in the My Optus app before you go.
Optus Daily Roaming: $5 for 5GB
Optus Daily Roaming switches on by itself. On an eligible plan, the first time you use your phone in a Zone 1 destination Optus charges $5 to the card or direct debit on your account, and you get 5GB of data plus unlimited standard national talk and text for 24 hours. It covers 150+ Zone 1 destinations, including New Zealand, the USA, the UK, Indonesia (Bali), Thailand, Japan, Fiji, India and most of Europe, and also works in the air on select airlines.
The add-on ends after 24 hours or once the 5GB is used, whichever comes first. If you keep roaming, Optus adds another 5GB and charges another $5, so heavy data use can mean more than one charge a day. Optus sends usage alerts at 50%, 85% and 100% of the 5GB, and the My Optus app dashboard shows usage and the hours left in the current period.
There is no switch to turn Daily Roaming off. Optus says to put the phone in aeroplane mode (with Wi-Fi turned back on), or with dual SIMs to switch off the Optus SIM in your phone's settings. You don't need to cancel anything when you get home.
Zone 2 is the gap. If you travel to a Zone 2 destination, Optus says Daily Roaming customers "won't be able to use roaming" there at all and should use Wi-Fi. Zone 2 in Optus's rates finder includes Kenya, Iraq, Lebanon, Mongolia, Monaco and much of Africa.
The $10 Optus Roaming Pass
On selected post-paid plans the option is the $10 Roaming Pass: 1GB of data and unlimited standard talk and SMS for 24 hours in 100+ Zone 1 destinations. It starts automatically when you make or receive a call, send an SMS or use data in an eligible destination, and if you use the 1GB or the 24 hours run out while you are still roaming, Optus charges another $10 and the timer restarts. Receiving an SMS doesn't start a pass.
To turn it on in the My Optus app, go to Account, My plan, View all (under available add-ons), Settings, International roaming, and toggle on "Roaming pass recommended". If you have roaming inclusions in your plan, the pass starts once those are used up.
Calls on planes and ships, calls in non-eligible destinations, video calls and satellite numbers don't trigger a pass and are charged at standard roaming rates.
Standard roaming rates (pay as you go)
If your plan uses standard roaming rates, or you turn the Roaming Pass off, Optus's postpaid rates finder lists these charges:
| Service | Zones 1 and 2 (e.g. NZ, USA, UK, Bali) | Zone 3 (cruise ships, maritime) |
|---|---|---|
| Making a call (local or international) | $1.50/min | $4.00/min |
| Receiving a call | $1.50/min | $4.00/min |
| Data | $1.00/MB, charged per 10KB | $2.00/MB |
| Sending an SMS | $0.50 | $1.00 |
| Receiving an SMS | Free | Free |
At $1.00 per MB, 200MB of maps and messaging costs $200, forty times the $5 price of a Daily Roaming day. Answering a 20-minute call from home costs $30. Optus notes that GST does not apply to roaming charges, except MMS.
Optus prepaid roaming add-ons
Prepaid customers buy an International Roaming add-on for use in Zone 1 destinations (checked ):
- $5, 1 day: 1GB data, 50 SMS, up to 25 minutes of calls
- $25, 14 days: 5GB data, 50 SMS, up to 50 minutes of calls
- $45, 28 days: 10GB data, 100 SMS, up to 100 minutes of calls
- $75, 186 days: 15GB data, 100 SMS, up to 100 minutes of calls
The add-ons are available on Optus Flex Plus, Flex Plus Casual, Flex Plus Traveller and the Prepaid Epic Data and Epic Value plans. Except on Flex Plus Traveller, you need an active recharge when you buy one, and the service must have been activated in Australia.
Keeping roaming costs down
- Use Wi-Fi for heavy data. Photo backups, app updates and video calls can burn through 5GB, and on Daily Roaming every extra 5GB is another $5.
- Turn off background refresh and automatic updates, and download offline maps before you leave.
- Don't count on Optus WiFi Calling overseas. Optus's WiFi Calling support page, checked on 3 October 2026, says it "is not available when roaming overseas". Calls use the roaming mobile network instead, with standard international roaming rates applying.
- On a long trip, consider a local SIM or travel eSIM for data, at the cost of a temporary number.
Calling home over Wi-Fi
Daily Roaming and the Roaming Pass include standard calls back to Australia, so on a day you are paying for one, calls cost nothing extra. A calling app matters when you are not: in a Zone 2 destination where Daily Roaming doesn't work, on standard roaming rates, or with a local SIM in your phone.
CallSky is our product. It calls landlines and mobiles over any internet connection with prepaid credit, so a call over hotel Wi-Fi is not roaming. Prices are in US dollars:
| Calling an Australian number from overseas | Cost per minute | 20-minute call |
|---|---|---|
| Optus standard roaming rates | A$1.50 | A$30.00 |
| Optus Daily Roaming day ($5) | Included | Included |
| CallSky over Wi-Fi (our product), rate checked | US$0.05 | US$1.00 |
Our guide to the best apps for Wi-Fi calling compares CallSky with the alternatives.
Common questions about Optus roaming
Does Optus roaming turn on by itself?
On Choice Plus, Business Choice Plus, Qantas and mobile broadband plans, yes: Optus Daily Roaming activates automatically the first time you use your phone in a Zone 1 destination and charges $5 per 24 hours. To avoid it, put your phone in aeroplane mode. On plans with the $10 Roaming Pass, you manage the pass in the My Optus app under International Roaming settings.
What happens if I go somewhere outside Zone 1?
Optus Daily Roaming customers can't roam in Zone 2 destinations and need Wi-Fi there. On plans with standard roaming rates, Zone 2 is charged pay as you go: $1.50 a minute for calls and $1.00 per MB of data. Cruise ships and maritime networks (Zone 3) cost $4.00 a minute and $2.00 per MB.
Can I roam with an Optus prepaid plan?
Yes, on Optus Flex Plus and selected prepaid plans, by buying an International Roaming add-on for Zone 1 destinations. They range from $5 for 1 day with 1GB to $75 for 186 days with 15GB, and most require an active recharge when you buy.
Related guides
- Telstra overseas roaming
- What is WiFi calling?
- Apps for cheap international calls
- How to make international calls
CallSky is our product. It calls 180+ countries on pay-as-you-go credit that never expires, with no subscription.