How to Avoid International Roaming Charges

In your excitement to travel overseas, don't let unexpected data charges leave you with a nasty cell phone bill as a souvenir.

It's a major headache for any traveler who didn't secure a mention on the Forbes list of the Richest People in America -- how to avoid getting whacked with excessive data and international roaming charges when traveling abroad.

Follow these tips to reduce the shock when you open your bill a few weeks after your trip.

1. Call your cellular provider before you depart.

Remember to call Airtel, Vodafone, Idea etc. before you set out, but know that you may have a hard time getting a straight answer from your service provider (each has varying coverage options for international trips). And not to mention their tariffs being very high.

2. Track usage while traveling to avoid big surprises.

It can also be a pain to keep track of your calling and data usage while you're trying to enjoy yourself abroad, but the financial consequences can be worse than your sunburn.

3. Use Wi-Fi for calling and data usage.

Most BlackBerry and Android phones come equipped with a Wi-Fi calling feature, which means you can sidestep international roaming and long-distance charges when calling the U.S. -- if you're connected to a Wi-Fi network. For U.S. customers, long-distance charges will come into play when calling non-U.S. destinations from abroad even when using Wi-Fi.

4. Text instead of e-mail.

Sending text messages instead of e-mailing can cut down on data costs if you're not on Wi-Fi.

5. Go incommunicado.

Staying off the grid isn't an attractive option for everyone, but if you want to avoid international roaming charges for phone conversations, forego making or answering phone calls while traveling around the world.

Power off your device to avoid text message charges. If you leave your Smartphone powered on, many mobile devices automatically access networks to fill your inbox with e-mails or to update your apps if they are set for automatic updates.

6. Buy a Matrix SIM card.

Matrix international SIM cards let’s you stay connected where ever you travel. Whether you're traveling to Europe or Asia you're able to find affordable rates and coverage where you need it. You can stay in contact with colleagues, friends and family while you are away from home. It's easy to find the best plan so you don't have to spend much when you are abroad and you never have to miss that important call. You save almost 80% on international roaming.

Here’s some information on Matrix Cellular Services:

Matrix Cellular (International) Services Pvt. Ltd. is the leading provider of complete telecommunication solutions for Indians travelling abroad. Matrix provides services in more than 30 countries all around the world and has its offices in more than 40 cities in India. They provide International SIM cards for business travelers, leisure travelers and students in both post-paid and prepaid. They also offer add-on data packs for using internet on mobile phones as well as data cards for accessing internet on your computer. And recently Matrix has forayed into traveler’s card by bringing Matrix Forex card, designed to give the customer a secure and hassle-free travel experience.

For any query on services provided by Matrix Cellular (International) Services Pvt. Ltd., one can call the toll free number: +91-5322232222 or write into: info@matrix.in

Matrix Cellular (International) Services Pvt. Ltd offers:

International Postpaid SIM cards

International Prepaid SIM cards

International Data Cards and

Forex Card

You have the power, but if you are not careful, it will cost you.