Quick answer
What is a data-only eSIM?
A data-only eSIM provides mobile internet without a phone number, standard calls or SMS. eSIMwithCrypto sells an eSIM paid in crypto: Japan 5 GB for 30 days costs $7.39. Keep your home SIM for calls and bank texts; app access depends on local restrictions and your connection. Updated 15 October 2026.
What are the key facts?
| Phone number | None: no calls, no SMS |
|---|---|
| What works | Apps that use the internet: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, iMessage, FaceTime, maps, email, browsing |
| Calls and texts to your usual number | Keep your usual SIM on in dual SIM; your operator may charge roaming for what you receive |
| Bank codes by SMS (2FA) | Arrive on your usual SIM, not on the travel eSIM |
| Emergency numbers | In Japan, a data-only SIM cannot call 110 or 119 (Simology) |
| Sellers that add a number | Silent.link (US number for incoming SMS), aloSIM (free Hushed number), Jetpac (voice option), and some Nomad, Airalo and Airhub plans |
| eSIMwithCrypto | Data-only on every plan, from $0.89, paid in crypto |
| Checked | October 9, 2026 |
What does data-only mean on a travel eSIM?
A data-only eSIM connects your phone to mobile data in the country you visit, and has no phone number. You install it with a QR code or an activation code, like any eSIM.
- No normal calls and no SMS: nobody can call or text the eSIM, and it cannot send texts.
- Internet apps work: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, iMessage, FaceTime, maps, ride-hailing apps and email all use data.
- Your number stays on your usual SIM: keep it switched on next to the eSIM if you want calls and texts.
Most travel eSIMs are data-only. Bitrefill describes its eSIMs as “Data-only” with “No calls/SMS”, GigSky as “data only”, and Keepgo sells a “Data Only” product (checked October 9, 2026). Every eSIMwithCrypto plan is data-only too.
Can I keep my phone number while I use a data-only eSIM?
Yes, with dual SIM: your usual SIM, physical or eSIM, stays active next to the travel eSIM. On iPhone 13 and later, two eSIMs, or a physical SIM and an eSIM, can be active at the same time (Apple). Google Pixel phones accept two active eSIMs from the Pixel 7, if the carrier allows it.
Set the two lines like this when you land:
- Mobile data: the travel eSIM.
- Default voice line: your usual line, for calls and SMS.
- Data roaming: on for the travel eSIM; off on your usual line if you want to avoid roaming data charges from your operator.
- Allow Cellular Data Switching (iPhone): leave it off if you want all data to go through the travel eSIM.
Step by step: when to install a travel eSIM.
Will I still receive bank codes (2FA) by SMS abroad?
Yes, on your usual SIM, if it stays on and finds a network abroad. Codes sent by SMS go to your usual number, never to a data-only eSIM.
Two points to check before you leave:
- Roaming charges: your home operator may charge for calls and texts you receive abroad. The price depends on your operator, so we cannot give a figure: check its roaming rates.
- Virtual numbers: some banks and apps refuse virtual (VoIP) numbers for verification codes. A number bundled with a travel eSIM may be of that kind.
If your bank offers codes in its app, that option works over the eSIM's data.
Do WhatsApp and iMessage work on a data-only eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp and iMessage stay registered to your usual number and use the eSIM's data, so your contacts reach you on the same number. Do not register WhatsApp again: the code would go to your usual number anyway.
Two destinations need care:
- UAE: mobile data works, but WhatsApp and FaceTime voice and video calls are blocked on UAE networks. An eSIM does not guarantee that they work. See UAE eSIM.
- China: the exit country of our China plans is not published yet, so we do not promise access to WhatsApp or Google. Local laws apply. See China eSIM.
Which travel eSIMs include a phone number?
A few sellers add a number, usually as an option or on some plans only. We checked 12 sellers on October 9, 2026, and list our own plans first.
Phone numbers on travel eSIMs
| Seller | Phone number | What it includes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| eSIMwithCrypto (our plans) | ✗ | Data only on every plan: no calls, no SMS | This site |
| aloSIM | Yes, free | An international number from Hushed, an app-based number service, with each data purchase | aloSIM |
| Silent.link | Option | US.PLUS: a +1 number that receives SMS only, $93 per year plus a $5 balance; IDENTITY plans with +1 or +44 numbers; no classic voice calls | Silent.link |
| Nomad | Some eSIMs | “Some of Nomad's eSIMs include a local phone number” | Nomad |
| Airalo | Some plans | 48 of its 607 plans listed with telephony | esimdb plan data |
| Airhub | Some plans | 96 of its 363 plans listed with telephony | esimdb plan data |
| Jetpac | Option | A “Voice” option is available | Jetpac FAQ |
| Yesim | Sold separately | Virtual numbers, sold apart from the eSIM | Yesim |
| BNESIM | Sold separately | International numbers, sold apart from the eSIM | BNESIM |
| PikaSim | Sold separately | A private SMS service, sold apart from the eSIM | PikaSim |
| Bitrefill | ✗ | “No calls/SMS”, “Data-only” | Bitrefill eSIM pages |
| GigSky | ✗ | “Data only” | GigSky FAQ |
| Keepgo | ✗ | Sold as a “Data Only” product | Keepgo |
Prices checked on
Read on each seller's pages, or in the plan attributes of the esimdb.com aggregator for Airalo and Airhub. We sell eSIMs: our plans are included and marked.
When is a local number worth getting?
A local number may help when you need ordinary voice calls, SMS from a local service or a local contact number. A data-only eSIM does not add those functions. Apps that make internet calls still depend on mobile data and local service restrictions.
For travel with an existing number, dual SIM is often sufficient: use the travel eSIM for data and your home line for calls or SMS. Ask your home operator about roaming prices. If you need a local number, choose a plan that explicitly includes one and check its activation requirements before paying.
What else should I know before buying?
Does a travel eSIM have a phone number?
Most travel eSIMs do not: they are data-only. Every eSIMwithCrypto eSIM is data-only, and so are those of Bitrefill and GigSky (checked October 9, 2026). A few sellers add a number: aloSIM gives a free Hushed number, and Silent.link sells a US number that receives SMS. Your usual number stays on your usual SIM.
Can I receive SMS on a data-only eSIM?
No. A data-only eSIM has no number, so it cannot receive SMS. Texts sent to your usual number arrive on your usual SIM, if it stays on in dual SIM and finds a network abroad. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal or iMessage work over the eSIM's data instead, with your usual number.
Can I receive WhatsApp messages or bank codes on a travel eSIM?
WhatsApp, yes; bank SMS codes, only on your usual SIM. WhatsApp stays registered to your usual number and works over the eSIM's data. Bank codes sent by SMS arrive on your usual SIM, so keep it on in dual SIM. Your operator may charge for texts received abroad. If your bank offers codes in its app, they work over data.
Which eSIM includes a real phone number?
On October 9, 2026, aloSIM gave a free international number from Hushed with each data purchase. Silent.link's US.PLUS adds a US number that receives SMS only, for $93 per year plus a $5 balance. Some Nomad, Airalo and Airhub plans include a number, and Jetpac sells a voice option. eSIMwithCrypto plans have no number.
Will my home operator charge me while I use a data-only eSIM?
Only for what goes through your usual SIM. If it stays on abroad, your home operator may charge roaming for the calls and texts you receive. The rate depends on your operator, so check it before you leave. Turn off data roaming on your usual line, so that the travel eSIM carries all your data.
Can I call emergency numbers with a data-only eSIM?
Do not rely on it: a data-only eSIM has no voice service. In Japan, a data-only SIM cannot call 110 (police) or 119 (fire and ambulance), according to Simology. Keep your usual SIM on for calls, and note the local emergency numbers before you travel.
How do I set up dual SIM with a data-only eSIM?
Install the eSIM, choose it for mobile data, and keep your usual line for calls and texts. Turn on data roaming for the travel eSIM only. On iPhone 13 and later, two eSIMs, or a physical SIM and an eSIM, can be active at once. Pixel phones accept two active eSIMs from the Pixel 7, if the carrier allows it.
Which sources support this guide? (21)
- Dual SIM on iPhone (support article 109317) — Apple (2026-09-17)
- Use an eSIM on your Pixel phone — Google (checked 2026-10-15)
- aloSIM eSIM (free international number) alosim.com — aloSIM (checked 2026-10-09)
- Silent.link plans (DATA.PLUS, US.PLUS, IDENTITY) silent.link — Silent.link (checked 2026-10-09)
- Nomad eSIM nomadesim.com — Nomad (checked 2026-10-09)
- Plan attributes per seller (telephony) — esimdb (checked 2026-10-09)
- Jetpac FAQ jetpacglobal.com/faq — Jetpac (checked 2026-10-09)
- Yesim website yesim.app — Yesim (checked 2026-10-09)
- BNESIM website bnesim.com — BNESIM (checked 2026-10-09)
- PikaSim FAQ pikasim.com/faq — PikaSim (checked 2026-10-09)
- Bitrefill eSIMs bitrefill.com/us/en/esims — Bitrefill (checked 2026-10-09)
- FAQ gigsky.com/faq — GigSky (checked 2026-10-09)
- Keepgo website keepgo.com — Keepgo (checked 2026-10-09)
- Can you receive OTPs with a travel eSIM? — Prune (checked 2026-10-09)
- Japan eSIM for tourists: identity rules, app calling, networks (2026) simology.io/blog/japan-esim-tourists-identity-requirements-app-calling-network-notes-2026 — Simology (checked 2026-10-09)
- Mobile phone activation rules tighten with a facial recognition option — The Korea Times (2026-07-05)
- Korean phone number on a tourist SIM (2026) — Korea Experience (checked 2026-10-09)
- Does WhatsApp work in Dubai? jetpacglobal.com/blog/does-whatsapp-work-in-dubai — Jetpac (checked 2026-10-09)
- SIM registration in the UAE: what you need to know — Gulf News (checked 2026-10-09)
- Thailand tightens telecom registration rules — Tilleke & Gibbins (2026-05-19)
- SIM cards in China: rules for visitors — Goods Across Borders (checked 2026-10-09)
Ready to choose your travel eSIM?
Data-only eSIMs from $0.89, paid in crypto. Keep your usual SIM for calls and bank codes.