Prepaid credit or a fixed data plan: which suits you abroad

The two ways of buying data for a trip look alike on screen and work in opposite directions: with one you pay for what you use, and with the other you know from the start what you're going to pay.

Prepaid credit

You load an amount and it's deducted as you use it, at a price per unit. It gives you flexibility and takes away predictability: a video that plays by accident can take a chunk of your credit.

It fits well if your use is very low or if you don't know how long you'll be staying.

A fixed data plan

You buy an allowance and a number of days, and that's exactly what you'll pay. There are no surprises and, in exchange, leftovers aren't refunded and running short means topping up or buying another.

It fits the vast majority of holiday trips, where knowing the cost in advance is worth more than flexibility.

The questions that prevent surprises

1. What happens when it runs out: does it cut off, continue at reduced speed, or switch to charging by usage?
2. Does the credit or do the days expire if I don't use them?
3. Can it be topped up without installing anything again?
4. Does the price include the country's taxes?

The first is the most important of the four: the difference between running out of data and finding a charge depends entirely on that answer.

With credit you pay for what you use. With a fixed plan you know what you'll pay. On a trip, the second usually wins.