The Data Bundle Trap - and why not to fall for it.

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As consumers, we have been psychologically conditioned to believe that buying anything in bulk is better value, especially when it comes to our cellular communications. Pre-paying for minutes, data, or airtime has been the foundation of the cellular industry for decades, and this holds true in the realm of global travel eSIMs and premium travel SIM options. 

In reality, the cost of paying for your communication needs as you need them (Pay as You Go) is almost identical today as it is with pre-paying for your data. Yet, the industry employs clever marketing strategies to persuade you to pre-purchase your data for convenience or peace of mind, implying that it is the better value option. This is particularly evident when considering eSIM for business travelers, making the situation even more misleading.

The industry has invested billions of dollars in educating consumers about the importance of being cautious regarding the costs of international roaming. While this advice is undeniably wise, the actual costs associated with roaming or international calling have significantly decreased over the last 10-15 years. 

However, marketing strategies urging you to 'Avoid Bill Shock!' continue to play a major role in convincing travelers to purchase their data upfront. This approach promotes the idea of security and peace of mind by pre-paying for your data, as if this is the only way to ensure you won’t be left uncontactable when traveling. In reality, options like an eSIM for business travelers or a global travel eSIM can provide the same peace of mind without the need for excessive prepayment. The notion that you must rely solely on a premium travel SIM is simply misleading.

Offering a pre-pay only solution, using a combination of fear and practical convenience is a stroke of marketing genius, especially for eSIM for business travelers. Coupled with the fact that for the majority of the global travel eSIM vendors out there, this is the ONLY type of product they offer, you can begin to see the devious nature of the entire business model. 

As consumers, the concept of 'Bundles equal value' is so deeply ingrained in our psyche that eSIM vendors will even offer premium travel SIM products that cost more for the bigger bundles! They don't even attempt to provide better value for larger packages; they rely on the assumption that you will think they do. Always check the cost per GB of your product and compare it with other options first.

We could build an entire website on the decades of consumer conditioning that this industry has invested in, particularly in the realm of eSIM for business travelers. However, it was also largely consumer driven. The average user wanted convenience and peace of mind, knowing that they always had "more than enough" to cover their cellular needs, especially during global travel. 

To a large extent, this mindset still exists today. With the emergence of the "unlimited SIM" which promises the user unlimited data for just a little bit more, consumers lapped it up. Even now, we are seeing a huge surge in the number of unlimited packages being sold. Despite the fact that even a heavy data user will typically use 20-30GB of data per month, this user will happily pay another $10-$20 per month for the unlimited plan, simply because "it's there if I need it." 

This psychological disconnect is fueling an entire product evolution which is built almost entirely on delivering something that is being paid for but will almost certainly never be used. At trvllr., we believe that this needs to change. We intend to reverse this trend by educating consumers that there is no need to do this, and that the cost of paying for your data as you consume it, especially with our premium travel SIM, is actually far better value and is virtually risk free. 

The trvllr. business model is built upon only paying for what you use, when you use it. No tricks, and no misleading or scaremongering headlines. We understand that our members primarily want convenience, as well as value. A frictionless experience built upon providing peace of mind, and delivering a transparent product offering.