Roam Better FAQ
Roam Better FAQs
To get Roam Better – with home data, simply text ROAM to 8000 or add Roam Better in MyBell. Once Roam Better – with home data has been added to your account, you’ll be covered for all future trips to the U.S. and over 200 international destinations. You’ll only be charged on days when you make or answer a call, send a text message, use Apple Live Voicemail or when data is sent or received while in your Roam Better destination.
Roam Better – with home data is available to customers on most monthly plans. It is not available on prepaid plans, corporate accounts and plans that include roaming services.
To remove Roam Better - with home data, simply text REMOVEROAM to 8000 or remove it in MyBell.
You’ll only be charged the daily fee when you make or answer a call, send a text message, or when data is sent or received while in your Roam Better destination.
The Roam Better – with home data daily fee covers each day of usage until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), regardless of which time zone you’re roaming in. You’ll only be charged for a maximum of 20 days per line within the same billing period, after which you can continue enjoying unlimited talk and text and continue to use the data from your account at no additional cost for the rest of the billing period. If you exceed the data included in your rate plan, you’ll be charged the rates that apply to your domestic plan/usage.
Note: the 20-day maximum Roam Better fee applies separately to the U.S. ($13 a day) and all other eligible destinations ($16 a day). For example, if you spend 20 days in the U.S. and then 10 days in Mexico within one monthly billing period, you’ll be charged 20 days for the U.S. ($260 total) and 10 days for Mexico ($160 total).
For any days that you don’t use voice, text or data in a Roam Better destination, you won’t be charged the Roam Better – with home data daily fee. If you’ve added Roam Better but don’t want to be charged when arriving at your Roam Better destination, make sure data roaming is turned off on your device, don't make or answer any calls, and don't send any text messages.
The daily fee applies separately to each line using Roam Better – with home data.
With Roam Better – with home data, your data speeds will be reduced once you reach 5 GB of data usage per day when roaming in a Roam Better destination. Beyond 5 GB, you can continue to use data at reduced speeds of up to 512 Kbps† (suitable for accessing email, light web browsing and messaging) for the remainder of the day as long as you haven’t exceeded the data included in your rate plan. Applications that require higher data speeds (such as video streaming) may be affected by the data speed reduction.
Your allowance begins upon your first data use in your Roam Better destination and expires at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on that same day, regardless of the time zone where you are roaming. Once you use 5 GB of data, you’ll automatically receive a notification that includes the option to purchase an additional 1 GB of data at increased speeds for $6 in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) or for $8 in international Roam Better destinations. All data at increased speeds expires at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the day the data was purchased.
Data speeds reset at 12:00 a.m. (ET) daily.
Refer to the following table for additional charges for outgoing calls and text messages to destinations outside of your roaming destination and Canada.
Roam Better destinations | Calls to destinations outside of roaming destination (other than Canada) | Calls within roaming destination and back to Canada | Text messages to destinations outside of roaming destination (other than Canada) |
---|---|---|---|
U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands |
$0.95/minute
|
Included
|
Included
|
International destinations |
$1.45/minute
|
Included
|
Included
|
The regular domestic data overage charges of your plan will apply. (does not apply to customers on Bell Unlimited Plans).
No. Roam Better is for when you’re roaming in a Roam Better destination. You won’t be charged for Roam Better when you’re not roaming.
If you'd still like to remove Roam Better, simply text REMOVEROAM to 8000 or remove it in MyBell.
No. Each member of your Share group needs to add it separately. You can add Roam Better through MyBell or by texting ROAM to 8000.
Pay-per-use roaming rates automatically apply if you don’t have Roam Better or if you roam in destinations not covered by Roam Better. You’ll be charged for texts, calls and data usage based on the applicable pay-per-use rates for that destination.
If you have Roam Better – with home data and an Unlimited Data plan, your data usage in Roam Better destinations does not count towards your maximum speed allotment within Canada.
No, Roam Better does not cover roaming charges on cruise ships and in-flight services.
To switch, text ROAM to 8000. You’ll receive a text message to confirm you want to remove your current add-on from your account. Reply Y to confirm the removal. Then you’ll receive a text message to confirm you want to add Roam Better – with home data. Reply ADD to confirm the addition.
You can also log in to MyBell to make the switch. In MyBell, select your mobile phone service, enter your travel destination and if the destination is covered by Roam Better, you’ll see both Roam Better options, with your current option pre-selected. To switch, simply select Roam Better – with home data and submit the order.
Keep in mind that Roam Better only takes effect once you've added it to your account. Therefore, we recommend switching before you travel.
Yes. Roaming pay-per-use rates and Roam Better – with home data fees (and its reduced speeds after 5 GB per day) will not apply to customers with Canada/U.S. or Canada/U.S./Mexico plans when in those countries.
Your data usage while roaming will not count towards your maximum speed allotment within Canada, or within the U.S./Mexico for customers with plans that include unlimited data in those countries.
Yes, calls to toll-free numbers are included while travelling in the U.S. and internationally.
Yes, you can add Roam Better – with home data by texting ROAM to 8000. Keep in mind that Roam Better – with home data will only take effect once you've added it to your account. Therefore, we recommend adding it before you travel.
If you’re near the U.S. border, your device can sometimes automatically connect to a U.S. network as if you are roaming. If this happens, you’ll receive a welcome message and any usage will be billed as roaming. To avoid accidental roaming charges when close to the U.S. border, turn off data roaming in your device settings or manually select Bell as your mobile network operator in your device’s network settings.
Note: if you manually select Bell as your mobile network operator, remember to switch back to automatic network selection to ensure your service will work if you do roam in the U.S. or internationally.
No. Text message notifications are part of the Roam Better feature. You will not be charged for these notifications.
Whether you’re at one Roam Better international destination or travelling between multiple destinations or time zones, the Roam Better – with home data international daily fee covers you for any usage within the same day.
However, if you use your device in the U.S. and an international Roam Better destination on the same day, you’ll be charged the daily fee for roaming in the U.S. ($13) plus the daily fee for international roaming ($16).
Remember, the fees cover usage from the time you first use your device until 11:59 p.m. (ET) the same day, regardless of which time zone you’re travelling in.
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Roam Better - 500 MB FAQs
Note: this feature can no longer be added as of March 9, 2023.
Your daily allowance begins upon your first data use in your Roam Better destination and expires at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on that same day, regardless of the time zone where you’re roaming. Your daily data allowance will refresh with a new allotment of 500 MB at 12 a.m. (ET) the following day.
Once you use up your 500 MB of daily roaming data, you’ll automatically receive a notification that includes the option to purchase another 500 MB of daily roaming data in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) or in international Roam Better destinations. All additional data expires at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the day the data was purchased. Your daily data allowance will refresh with a new allotment of 500 MB at 12 a.m. (ET) the following day.
Yes, you’ll still be able to make and receive unlimited calls and text messages within your Roam Better destination and back to Canada.
Text message notifications are part of the Roam Better – with 500 MB service and you can’t opt out.