URL: https://esimworld.us/sim-card/china/
Buy: https://esimworld.us/esim-china/
Source: eSIM World (esimworld.us)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimworld.us/author/
Updated: October 30, 2026
Prices: in US dollars, the same as on the site and at checkout.

# China SIM card, your US carrier or an eSIM? What works for a trip to China

AT&T's Day Pass and Verizon's TravelPass cost $12 a day in China on postpaid plans. T-Mobile Experience Beyond includes up to 15GB of high-speed data there (checked on October 29, 2026). Our China plan is data only, runs on China Unicom and leaves out Hong Kong and Macau; 20GB for 30 days is $27.99.

This site is not affiliated with any carrier named on this page; we sell eSIMs. [How we compare](https://esimworld.us/how-we-compare/)

You may not need an eSIM. Google Fi Unlimited Premium, AT&T Elite 2.0 and T-Mobile Experience Beyond or More already include data in China. Inside that allowance the trip costs nothing extra, and you keep your own number.

Verizon Unlimited Ultimate publishes no country list: ask Verizon about China.

Check two charges before you fly. With no pass on the line, AT&T bills data at $2.05 per MB ([AT&T pay-per-use rates](https://www.att.com/international/pay-per-use-rates/)). On Verizon, a call you make or answer, a text you send or background data can start a $12 TravelPass day ([Verizon TravelPass FAQs](https://www.verizon.com/support/travelpass-faqs/)).

T-Mobile Essentials has no data abroad without an International Pass, and a pass bought with no start date begins at once ([T-Mobile International Pass](https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/international-roaming-plans/unlimited-calling-data-pass)). We compare public packages; check your own plan.

We can't verify which apps and websites work in China, on our plan or a carrier's. Check that before you go.

## Does your US phone work in China? Carrier by carrier

Yes, on most plans. China is on the published lists of AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Google Fi and eight smaller carriers (checked on October 29, 2026).

Hong Kong and Macau are entries of their own on the AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile lists, apart from China.

| Carrier and plan | China | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T unlimited plans, postpaid | On the Day Pass list | $12 a day per line, $6 for each additional line used the same day (checked on October 29, 2026, [AT&T](https://www.att.com/international/day-pass/)); [AT&T destinations](https://esimworld.us/roaming/att/#destinations) |
| AT&T Elite 2.0 | Included | 20GB a month of high-speed data in 210+ destinations, then up to 512Kbps (checked on October 29, 2026, [AT&T](https://www.att.com/support/article/wireless/KM1182926/)); China listed (checked on October 30, 2026, [AT&T Elite 2.0 destinations](https://www.att.com/support/article/wireless/000120448/)) |
| AT&T Prepaid | On the add-on list | $40 for 7 days with 5GB of data, talk and text (checked on October 29, 2026, [AT&T Prepaid](https://www.att.com/prepaid/international-calling/)) |
| Verizon, postpaid | On the TravelPass list | $12 a day with 5 GB at high speed per session, then 3G (checked on October 29, 2026, [Verizon](https://www.verizon.com/support/travelpass-faqs/)); [Verizon destinations](https://esimworld.us/roaming/verizon/#destinations) |
| Verizon Unlimited Ultimate | No list for this plan | 15GB a month of high-speed data in 210+ countries and destinations, then 1.5 Mbps; ask Verizon about China (checked on October 29, 2026, [Verizon](https://www.verizon.com/support/unlimited-ultimate-2-faqs/)) |
| Verizon Prepaid | Check the list | Prepaid TravelPass in 140+ countries and destinations; the list is only in a search box (checked on October 29, 2026, [Verizon Prepaid](https://www.verizon.com/prepaid/plans/international-travel-pass/)) |
| T-Mobile, postpaid | Included | Experience Beyond up to 15GB, Experience More up to 5GB, then up to 256Kbps; Essentials needs an International Pass (checked on October 29, 2026, [T-Mobile](https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/international-roaming-plans)); [T-Mobile in China](https://esimworld.us/roaming/t-mobile/#china) |
| Google Fi | Included on Unlimited Premium and Flexible | Premium: 50 GB of high-speed data, then 256 kbps; Flexible: $10 per GB, up to $60 for data (Bill Protection, one person) and high speed up to 15 GB, then 256 kbps (checked on October 30, 2026, [Fi plans](https://fi.google.com/about/plans)); Standard: Canada and Mexico only; China is on Fi's 5G list (checked on October 29, 2026, [Google Fi rates](https://fi.google.com/about/international-rates), [plans abroad](https://support.google.com/fi/answer/15329328?hl=en), [5G list](https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6157794?hl=en)); [Google Fi](https://esimworld.us/roaming/google-fi/#destinations) |
| US Mobile | On all three networks' lists | Unlimited Premium: 20 GB, 200 minutes and 250 texts (checked on October 29, 2026, [US Mobile](https://www.usmobile.com/international-roaming-phone-plans)) |
| Mint Mobile | Check the list | Minternational Pass in 180+ countries; the list is only in a search box (checked on October 29, 2026, [Mint](https://www.mintmobile.com/features/international-roaming/)); [Mint Mobile](https://esimworld.us/roaming/mint-mobile/) |
| Visible | On the Global Pass list | Base Visible: $10 a day for talk, text and 2GB of data with mobile hotspot (checked on October 29, 2026, [Visible](https://www.visible.com/globalpass)); [Visible](https://esimworld.us/roaming/visible/#destinations) |
| Cricket | On the Passport list | $10 a day, no hotspot; partner speed may be down to 2G (checked on October 29, 2026, [Cricket](https://www.cricketwireless.com/support/international-roaming)); [Cricket](https://esimworld.us/roaming/cricket/#destinations) |
| Boost Mobile | On the Global Roaming list | $10 a month introductory price for 1 GB, more at $10 per GB (checked on October 29, 2026, [Boost Mobile](https://www.boostmobile.com/global-roaming)) |
| Xfinity Mobile | On Xfinity's list | Plus, Select and Premium Unlimited: 10 GB per cycle, then up to 14 Mbps on Plus and Select; Global Travel Pass $10 a day per line, 5 GB, then 3G (checked on October 29, 2026, [Xfinity](https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/traveling-internationally)); [Xfinity Mobile](https://esimworld.us/roaming/xfinity-mobile/#destinations) |
| Spectrum Mobile | On the Day Pass and Unlimited Plus lists | Global Day Pass $10 for 24 hours with 1 GB at high speed; Unlimited Plus 10 GB a month at high speed, then reduced (checked on October 29, 2026, [Day Pass](https://www.spectrum.net/support/mobile/spectrum-mobile-global-day-pass), [plans](https://www.spectrum.com/mobile/plans/international)); [Spectrum Mobile](https://esimworld.us/roaming/spectrum-mobile/#destinations) |
| Straight Talk | Check the list | $20 for 7 days with 5 GB and 300 minutes in 140+ destinations; no country list published (checked on October 29, 2026, [Straight Talk](https://www.straighttalk.com/all-plans/7-Day-International-Roaming-perk)) |
| Total Wireless | On the list | MAX 5G, MAX 5G BYO and ALL ACCESS: 10 GB and 300 minutes a month, no daily passes (checked on October 29, 2026, [Total Wireless](https://www.totalwireless.com/m/international-roaming)) |
| Tello | On the list | Paid from your Tello balance; we have no China rate: type China in "Traveling to" on [Tello's roaming page](https://tello.com/international_roaming) (checked on October 29, 2026) |

For US Mobile, Boost Mobile, Straight Talk, Total Wireless and Tello, [International roaming plans](https://esimworld.us/roaming/) has the overview.

An unlocked phone can hold a China eSIM next to your US line, so there is no China SIM card to buy. Before you pay for one, run [Is my phone unlocked?](https://esimworld.us/unlock/is-my-phone-unlocked/) and [Does my phone support eSIM?](https://esimworld.us/esim-compatible-phones/)

<a id="how-we-compared"></a>

## How we compared the options for China

On October 29, 2026, we compared a carrier pass, plan data, a China SIM card and a travel eSIM. Each was judged on cost for the trip length, data, network and what your phone needs.

No single "best eSIM for China" comes out of that, and we rank no sellers and name none. What you get instead is one trip priced each way, with a date on every figure.

Market prices set the scale; we checked 11 travel-eSIM sellers from a US IP on October 29, 2026. For 10GB over 30 days, the middle half of 155 prices ran from $16.00 to $25.00. For 20GB over 30 days, the middle half of 144 prices ran from $21.00 to $37.80.

Those baskets pool 29 destinations, so they are not a China-only figure. [Our methodology](https://esimworld.us/how-we-compare/) explains how they are built.

About 2.38 million US residents were born in China, not counting Hong Kong and Taiwan (American Community Survey 2024, [Census Bureau](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/1YRData/acsdt1y2024-b05006.dat)). In 2024, visiting friends or relatives was the main purpose of 27% of overseas air trips by US residents ([NTTO](https://www.trade.gov/feature-article/us-outbound-travelers-characteristics-2024)). So our worked example is a three-week family visit: 21 days, one phone.

AT&T's cruise page says you pay for at most 10 Day Pass days in one billing cycle (checked on October 29, 2026, [AT&T](https://www.att.com/wireless/what-is-cellular-at-sea/)). So 21 days cost $120 if they all fall in one billing cycle and up to $240 if they span two (our arithmetic). The Day Pass page itself doesn't mention the cap, so ask AT&T before you count on it.

| One phone, 21 days in China (our arithmetic) | Cost |
|---|---|
| AT&T Day Pass, postpaid | $120 if all 21 days fall in one billing cycle; up to $240 if they span two |
| Verizon TravelPass, postpaid | $252 (21 × $12) |
| Verizon International Monthly Plan | $100/mo per line, 20GB at high speed, then 3G |
| T-Mobile Essentials with a 30 Day Pass | $75 for 30GB |
| T-Mobile Experience Beyond or More | $0 inside 15GB or 5GB |
| Google Fi Unlimited Premium | $0 inside 50 GB |
| Our China plan, 20GB, 30 days, data only | $27.99 |
| Our China plan, 10GB, 30 days, data only | $17.99 |

Verizon describes its Monthly Plan as "Perfect for trips of 9 days or more" (checked on October 29, 2026, [Verizon](https://www.verizon.com/plans/international/international-travel/monthly-plan/)). T-Mobile sells the 30 Day Pass at $75 for 30GB (checked on October 29, 2026, [T-Mobile](https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/international-roaming-plans/unlimited-calling-data-pass)). Fi Premium's 50 GB is not on top of your home data: "Data counts towards your monthly high-speed data usage" ([Google Fi](https://fi.google.com/about/international-rates)).

A shorter, lighter trip has a smaller option: 1GB for 7 days at $3.99, data only.

Where an eSIM does not win: when your plan already includes China and the visit stays inside that allowance, the extra cost is $0. A carrier pass also keeps calls and texts on your own number, while our plan is data only. The plan doesn't state a hotspot rule — check the plan page.

[Roaming or eSIM](https://esimworld.us/roaming-or-esim/) prices your own trip the same way.

## China SIM card or an eSIM?

Apple says iPhone 14 models or later "purchased in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM" (checked on October 29, 2026, [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109357)). On those phones a China SIM card has nowhere to go.

An unlocked phone with a SIM tray could take a local card, but we have no checked terms or prices for Chinese carriers' SIM cards. So we put no cost on that option here.

We sell no physical SIM cards. [Do iPhones have SIM cards?](https://esimworld.us/help/do-iphones-have-sim-cards/) lists which models still have a tray.

## What our China plan covers, and Hong Kong and Macau

Our China plan runs on China Unicom, listed as 5G; China Mobile is not its network (plan details as of October 29, 2026). It is data only, and its days count from the first connection to a network in China, not from purchase.

The plan's note says it "does not include Hong Kong or Macao." For a trip that takes in either, pick [our Hong Kong plans](https://esimworld.us/esim-hong-kong/), [our Macau plans](https://esimworld.us/esim-macau/) or [our Asia plan](https://esimworld.us/esim-asia/#coverage), whose country list has all three.

## Before you go: unlocked phone, install at home, your US number

Settle three things at home: the lock, the install and your US line. Apple says that to use another carrier when traveling internationally, "your iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier" (checked on October 29, 2026, [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118227)).

Only your current carrier can unlock it, and Apple warns it "might take the carrier a few days" ([Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109316)). Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi before you leave; [how to install an eSIM](https://esimworld.us/how-to-install-esim/) has the steps. The plan page shows how long you have to install it.

Turn data roaming off on the US line ([data roaming](https://esimworld.us/help/data-roaming/#turn-on-off)). Even then, a call you make or answer or a text you send on that line can start a paid AT&T or Verizon day. [Dual SIM](https://esimworld.us/help/dual-sim/) covers which line does what.

The U.S. Department of State rates China Level 2: "Exercise Increased Caution" (updated October 18, 2026, [travel.state.gov](https://travel.state.gov/content/tsg_aem/us/en/home/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.chn.html)).

Texts and 2FA codes still reach your US number on the home line; [keep your US number](https://esimworld.us/help/keep-your-us-number/) explains what arrives while you're away.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much data will I need for 2 weeks in China?

10GB gives about 0.71GB a day over 14 days, and 20GB about 1.43GB a day (our arithmetic). To choose, double a typical week from the cellular data screen in your phone's settings. [How much data do I need?](https://esimworld.us/how-much-data-do-i-need/) walks through maps, messaging and video.

### Does a China eSIM include Hong Kong and Macau?

Not ours. The China plan's own note says it does not include Hong Kong or Macau. Each has a plan of its own, and our Asia plan lists China, Hong Kong and Macau together.

### Can I get a Chinese phone number with a travel eSIM?

No, not with our plan. It is a data-only plan, so it brings no Chinese number and no calls or texts. Some apps ask for a local number at sign-up; we can't say which, and this plan won't supply one. Texts and 2FA codes keep reaching your US number on the home line.

*Sources are linked in the text. Carrier terms change: for the terms of your own plan, check with your carrier.*

To buy data before you go, see [our China plans](https://esimworld.us/esim-china/).

## Sources

- [AT&T: Day Pass](https://www.att.com/international/day-pass/)
- [AT&T: Day Pass destinations](https://www.att.com/support/article/wireless/KM1395068/)
- [AT&T: the 10-day cap per bill](https://www.att.com/wireless/what-is-cellular-at-sea/)
- [AT&T: pay-per-use rates](https://www.att.com/international/pay-per-use-rates/)
- [Verizon: TravelPass FAQs](https://www.verizon.com/support/travelpass-faqs/)
- [Verizon: TravelPass countries](https://www.verizon.com/plans/travelpass-countries/)
- [Verizon: Monthly Plan](https://www.verizon.com/plans/international/international-travel/monthly-plan/)
- [T-Mobile: plans abroad](https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/international-roaming-plans)
- [T-Mobile: included destinations](https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/international-roaming-services)
- [T-Mobile: International Pass](https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/international-roaming-plans/unlimited-calling-data-pass)
- [Google Fi: rates abroad](https://fi.google.com/about/international-rates)
- [Google Fi: plans and Bill Protection](https://fi.google.com/about/plans)
- [Google Fi: 5G destinations](https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6157794?hl=en)
- [Apple: iPhones with eSIM only](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109357)
- [Apple: eSIM while traveling](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118227)
- [Apple: unlocking an iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109316)
- [Census Bureau: ACS 2024, place of birth (table B05006)](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/1YRData/acsdt1y2024-b05006.dat)
- [NTTO: US outbound travelers, 2024](https://www.trade.gov/feature-article/us-outbound-travelers-characteristics-2024)
- [State Department: China advisory](https://travel.state.gov/content/tsg_aem/us/en/home/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.chn.html)