China eSIM: Beijing & Shanghai

Plenty of trips to China begin in Hong Kong, carry on over the border to Shenzhen or Guangzhou, and sometimes take in Macau on the way back. China eSIM is built around that kind of journey: there are plans for the mainland, separate plans for Hong Kong and for Macau, and one plan that covers all three, so the same eSIM stays on your phone as you cross. The eSIM is an extra line alongside your normal SIM. Keep your own SIM in the phone and your number stays with you; calls and texts to it follow your network's roaming terms. Set mobile data to the eSIM and it handles the internet. None of the plans includes a Chinese number, which a few local apps ask for when you register. For the mainland you can choose between: • A fixed allowance, lasting a week or a month. • Unlimited data from 3 to 30 days, with a daily high-speed amount after which the speed is reduced until the day ends. • A day pass for any length from 1 to 30 days, each day bringing a new amount of its own; use it up and you carry on at reduced speed until the following day. The three-territory plan and the plan for China, Japan and South Korea come as fixed allowances and day passes, without an unlimited version. Where your traffic leaves for the internet is part of the plan: plans that exit through Hong Kong or Singapore say so on their page in the app, together with the networks they use. Coverage is 4G nationwide, with 5G where the plan and the area support it. Get it sorted before you travel. Sign in with Apple or an email code, pay by Apple Pay or card, and install with a single tap, a QR code or manual entry. Installation needs an internet connection and takes a couple of minutes, so do it on home Wi-Fi a day or two before departure. The clock only starts when the eSIM first connects in China. Once you are there, check your balance in the app, get a notice when data is running low, and top up while the eSIM is still within its validity; after it expires, top-ups are no longer possible and a new plan is needed. You can keep several eSIMs in the one account. If your plans change, an eSIM that has never been installed or used is refunded in full to you within 15 days of purchase, no questions asked. Compatible with carrier-unlocked iPhone XS and later on iOS 15 or newer with eSIM support, and with cellular iPads that have eSIM. Help is available in the app, on WhatsApp and by email at support@chinaesim.app.