Understanding how you will be charged while travelling — For TELUS Business customers
Learn about roaming charges, how to avoid unexpected roaming charges while travelling or near the US border, and information for travelling across Canada
How to avoid roaming charges while travelling or when close to the US border
Travelling to the US and internationally
When you arrive at your destination you will receive a welcome notification explaining the applicable roaming rates if you choose to use your business device. This does not mean you are actually being charged for roaming.
If you’re looking to avoid roaming charges altogether, simply turn data roaming
OFF
in your mobile device’s settings and refrain from making calls, answering calls and sending any outgoing texts. Receiving incoming texts will never result in any roaming charges, as long as data roaming is turned OFF to avoid using mobile data for any pictures or videos that they may contain.
For more information on how to turn data roaming on and off in your mobile device’s settings, visit our
Avoiding roaming charges when close to the US border
Sometimes if you are close enough to the US border and the signal from neighbouring US networks is stronger than the TELUS network, your device could automatically connect to a US network as if you are roaming. If this happens, any usage may accidentally be billed as roaming. In addition, you will likely receive a Welcome SMS notification that makes it seem like you are in the US.
Here are some tips to avoid accidental roaming charges when close to the US border:
Your device is set to automatically connect to the TELUS network while in Canada. However, to ensure seamless service if you travel to the US this setting will also pick up the applicable US network whenever its stronger. So if you are constantly connecting to a US network while still in Canada, you can manually select the TELUS network in your device’s mobile network settings to help avoid this.
Note
: If you opt for a manual selection of the TELUS network, remember that you will need to switch back to the automatic network selection setting if you ever decide to roam in the US or internationally to ensure your service will work.
Depending on what travel coverage you have for your plan (Easy Roam, Roaming Pass or pay-per-use), the use of mobile data through our roaming partner’s network will be charged as follows:
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
:
Using Wi-Fi while data roaming is turned OFF
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
Depending on what travel coverage you have for your plan (Easy Roam, Roaming Pass or pay-per-use), this is how the use of text and instant messaging through our roaming partner’s network will be charged.
Receive incoming texts from any number (no pictures or videos)
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
:
Send outgoing texts to any mobile phone number in the world (no pictures or videos)
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
:
Send or receive texts containing pictures or videos
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
:
Using instant messaging, like iMessage for iPhone and WhatsApp
This information applies for use of instant messaging over our roaming partner’s mobile network, and not Wi-Fi:
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
:
Premium and subscription SMS numbers are always excluded and will be billed at the standard roaming pay-per-use rate for every 160 characters.
to confirm the standard roaming pay-per-use rates.
When using iMessage over a Wi-Fi connection
iMessage for iPhones will attempt to send messages to other iPhone users using a data connection. However, if the data connection for your device or the recipient is too weak to send/receive the message over data, then the message will be sent as a normal text message by default. If this happens you will be subject to the applicable roaming charges for sending an outgoing text, depending if you have Easy Roam, a roaming pass or are using pay-per-use rates.
To avoid accidentally sending text messages to other iPhone users when using iMessage, follow these steps:
Calling numbers in Canada and within your current destination, or answering any call
This information applies if you call any Canadian phone number (nationwide), call a phone number within your current travel destination (e.g., from US to US, nationwide) or answer a call from any phone number.
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
:
Calling non-Canadian numbers, numbers outside your current travel destination, or any other phone numbers
This information applies if you call numbers outside of Canada or your current travel destination (e.g., from England to US), or any other numbers that are excluded from Easy Roam and roaming passes (see below for the list of excluded phone numbers).
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
:
Other phone numbers that are not included in Easy Roam and Roaming passes are
:
Calling to check your voicemail
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
:
Calling *611 and contacting TELUS for support
If you have Easy Roam
:
If you have a Roaming Pass
:
If you have no travel coverage for your destination (pay-per-use)
Data usage with Easy Roam and roaming passes can be monitored using the My TELUS mobile app or My TELUS online. For more information on monitoring data usage and the data notifications you will receive while travelling, visit our
Easy Roam, Canada-US plans and roaming passes do not cover you on cruise ships or in-flight. Usage on cruise ships or in-flight will always be charged at $0.60 per text, $7.00 per minute and data usage will be blocked.
Travelling across Canada
The TELUS network covers you nationwide across Canada, so using your mobile device in different cities and provinces across Canada will not incur any roaming charges. You can access your monthly data across Canada without incurring roaming charges, and you can text Canadian phone numbers from anywhere across the country while on the TELUS network. If your monthly plan includes nationwide calling, then you can also call Canadian phone numbers from anywhere across the country.
Note
: Calling or texting premium/subscription based phone numbers is always subject to the applicable charges for using that service, no matter where you are located.
Travelling across Canada with a local calling plan
If your monthly rate plan includes local calling minutes, then the Canadian long distance rates will apply for each minute of usage if the call is made outside your local calling area. Your local calling area depends on the home location of your phone number’s area code, your mobile device’s physical location and whether you are making an outgoing or incoming call. The example in the table below illustrates how local calling plans work while travelling in Canada:
For the applicable Canadian long distance rates when making calls across Canada that are outside of your local calling area, visit