Confirmed from each provider's own site — see the trust card on each provider page for the verification date.
Nomad
eSIMCard
Ubigi
Airalo
ID verification
Nomad:
Not required
eSIMCard:
Not required
Ubigi:
Not required
Airalo:
Required for some countries (passport/ID)
Refund policy
Nomad:
Refund requests must be made within 30 days of purchase: a plan not yet installed or activated may be fully refunded (to the card or as Nomad Points); after activation only a partial refund for verified technical failure. Unlimited plans and a few others are non-refundable.
eSIMCard:
No refunds once the eSIM is installed and used; refunds within 30 days for coverage issues preventing installation, technical problems with no data consumed, or unauthorized purchases.
Ubigi:
Refunds only for unused plans — a plan can't be refunded once you start using it. Requests within 14 business days of purchase, processed within 10 business days to the original payment method.
Airalo:
Self-service refund request from your account (My eSIMs > Package History > Request Refund) for wrong purchase, changed plans, installation issues, or a non-working eSIM — expired or fully-used eSIMs aren't eligible. Wrong-purchase/changed-plans refunds go to Airmoney (their in-app credit) only; installation-issue/not-working refunds can go to Airmoney or your original payment method, taking 7-10 business days (up to 30 depending on your bank).
Validity starts
Nomad:
Validity starts only when the eSIM is activated, meaning first connection to a network or the automatic activation-window deadline - not at installation or purchase.
eSIMCard:
The eSIM activates automatically when the first byte of data is consumed at the destination, not at purchase, so it can be bought and installed well in advance.
Ubigi:
Smartstart: the plan's validity countdown begins when you first connect at your destination, not at the moment of purchase. Preloaded eSIM QR codes must be redeemed within 6 months of purchase or they expire unused.
Airalo:
Validity starts either when the eSIM connects to the destination network or at the moment of installation, depending on the specific plan — check 'Additional Information > Activation Policy' on the plan page before buying to see which applies.
Fair-use limit
Nomad:
Most Unlimited plans give 2 GB of high-speed data per day, then speed drops to about 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps (depending on the plan) for the rest of the day; the allowance resets every 24 hours from activation.
eSIMCard:
Unlimited bundles include an allowed amount of full-speed data per rolling 24-hour period (starting from first use), after which speed drops for the rest of that period before resetting.
Ubigi:
Unlimited plans run at full speed up to a threshold, then drop to 2 Mbps: about 15–25 GB on 7-day country plans and 60 GB on 30-day regional plans, depending on the destination.
Airalo:
Unlimited plans default to a 3GB-per-day full-speed allowance before throttling to 1 Mbps for the rest of that 24-hour period (counted from activation, not purchase); a different daily threshold is stated on the specific plan's page when it applies instead of the 3GB default.
Top-ups & rollover
Nomad:
Add-ons can be purchased in the Nomad eSIM app or website (Manage, then Add more data) without reinstalling; not every plan supports add-ons and they cannot be bought from the UAE or India.
eSIMCard:
Existing eSIMs can be topped up or extended with more data through the eSIMCard app, which also lets you manage active plans.
Ubigi:
Existing Ubigi eSIMs can be recharged with a new data plan directly through the Ubigi app or ubigi.me account — even without Wi-Fi or remaining data — without installing a new eSIM.
Airalo:
Only plans marked 'rechargeable' (checkable under Additional Information before buying) can be topped up, via the My eSIMs > Top Up option in the app — a non-rechargeable eSIM or one that changed carriers requires buying a new eSIM instead.
Support
Nomad:
Help center · Email · Live chat
eSIMCard:
Email · WhatsApp · Phone · Help center · Live chat · 24/7
Ubigi:
Live chat · WhatsApp · Help center
Airalo:
Live chat · Help center · 24/7
Comparison by eSIMKart
