International Calling & International Roaming

Brand-facing overview of International Calling (ILD) and International Roaming (IR), including PayGo and pack models.

Overview

Reach supports International Calling (ILD) and International Roaming (IR) through configurable commercial models.

• International Calling (ILD): outbound calling and SMS from the home country to international destinations.

• International Roaming (IR): voice, SMS, and data usage while traveling outside the home country.

Both services can be sold as either:

• Pay‑As‑You‑Go (PayGo) using a wallet/credit model.

• Packs / Passes with fixed allowances and validity windows.

Availability, destination coverage, pricing, and real-time controls vary by MNO and brand configuration. See MNO Differentiation for carrier-specific behavior.

Audience and scope

Audience

• Brand product and pricing owners

• Brand operations and care teams

• Brand marketing teams writing customer-facing copy

In scope

• What ILD and IR mean in Reach terms

• PayGo vs packs behavior and tradeoffs

• Common policies that impact customer experience

Out of scope

• Exact rates and country lists (they change by MNO and wholesale agreements)

• Carrier contract details and commercial terms

How the commercial models work

Pay‑As‑You‑Go (PayGo)

PayGo is a wallet-based model. Customers buy credit up front, or top up as needed.

Typical behavior:

• Usage is charged per unit (minute, message, MB) based on destination or visited country.

• Charges draw down the wallet until balance reaches zero.

• When the wallet is empty, usage stops automatically.

Packs / Passes

Packs are pre-defined products. They include fixed allowances and a validity period.

Typical behavior:

• Allowances reset on a cycle (monthly add-on) or expire by time (travel pass).

• Unused allowances usually do not roll over.

• Usage beyond the allowance is typically blocked, unless explicitly enabled.

International Calling (ILD)

International Calling lets customers place outbound calls and send SMS from their domestic network to international destinations. It does not require the customer to be roaming.

ILD via PayGo

How it works:

• Customer purchases ILD credit.

• Calls and SMS are rated by destination.

• Charges are deducted from the ILD wallet.

• Service stops when the wallet is depleted.

Key characteristics:

• Destination-based rates (landline vs mobile can differ).

• Commonly rated in 60‑second pulses (carrier-dependent).

• No monthly commitment.

Best suited for:

• Occasional international callers.

• Customers who want strict spend control.

ILD via packs / bundles

How it works:

• ILD is sold as a plan inclusion or a monthly add‑on.

• Packs are usually defined by a country list or region group.

• Allowances reset each billing cycle.

Common pack patterns:

• Unlimited calling to a small set of destinations.

• Capped minutes to broader destination groups.

Best suited for:

• Frequent international callers.

• Predictable monthly calling patterns.

International Roaming (IR)

International Roaming lets customers use service while outside their home country. Devices connect to partner networks in the visited country.

Services can include:

• Voice

• SMS/MMS

• Data

IR via PayGo

How it works:

• Customer purchases roaming credit before or during travel.

• Usage is rated by visited country.

• Charges are deducted from the roaming wallet.

Key characteristics:

• Country-specific pricing.

• Usage records can be delayed by the visited network.

• Wallet depletion stops service, but visibility can lag.

Best suited for:

• Short trips.

• Light or unpredictable roaming usage.

Roaming usage is not always real-time. In PayGo models, delayed records can create a short-lived mismatch between wallet balance and actual usage.

IR via packs / passes

How it works:

• Customer purchases a roaming pack for a country or zone.

• Packs include allowances for one or more of:

  • Data

  • Voice minutes

  • SMS/MMS

• Packs have a defined validity window.

Common pack patterns:

• Daily (24-hour) passes.

• Weekly / multi-day passes.

• Region or zone bundles.

Best suited for:

• Travelers who want cost certainty.

• Data-heavy roaming use cases.

PayGo vs packs (quick comparison)

PayGo

• Charges per unit until wallet runs out.

• Predictability is lower, but spend can be capped by wallet balance.

• Best for occasional or irregular usage.

Packs / passes

• Fixed upfront cost with defined allowances.

• Predictability is high.

• Best for planned usage and frequent travelers.

Key policies and expected behavior

Activation and eligibility

• International services are often disabled by default.

• Brands choose whether customers can self-enable.

• Eligibility can depend on network rules and account state.

Allowances, rollover, and expiry

• Pack allowances typically do not roll over.

• Packs expire by billing cycle (monthly) or time window (travel passes).

• When a pack expires, service stops or falls back to PayGo (if enabled).

Overage behavior

• PayGo: overage is inherently possible until the wallet is depleted.

• Packs: overage is usually blocked once caps are reached.

Refundability

• Packs are generally non-refundable after activation.

• Refund exceptions are network- and policy-dependent.

Network and availability considerations

International offers vary by MNO. Some networks support packs with tighter controls, while others are PayGo-first.

Plan for these variables:

• Destination and country coverage changes over time.

• Real-time controls are carrier-dependent.

• Rating and record delays are more common in roaming.

• Wholesale agreements drive what can be sold, and at what price.

Questions or clarification? Reach out to your respective account manager or email at [email protected]