Is Eskimo eSIM worth it? The catch in "no expiry", whether Hong Kong iPhones can use it and how to get 500MB free: 10 things to know first

This is where Hong Kong people get caught out most. Clause 8.2 of Eskimo's terms says your phone has to support eSIM and be network-unlocked, and its FAQs mention it too: iPhones bought on the mainland, in Macao or in Hong Kong may not be able to use eSIM, depending on the model. Apple's support article from 17 September 2026 spells it out: the iPhone 11 to 16 series (except the mini and 16e), XR and XS Max bought in Hong Kong or Macao take two physical nano-SIMs and have no eSIM at all, so no eSIM of any brand will install.

On the flip side, these Hong Kong/Macao models do have eSIM: iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 17e, Air, 16e, 13 mini, 12 mini, SE 2nd and 3rd generation, and XS. For Android phones or phones bought outside Hong Kong, tap "Check Device Compatibility" on the "Data" or "Account" page of the Eskimo app, or look up your model on the website's compatible devices page; the terms say that list may not be complete.

Even if your phone doesn't support eSIM, you can still sign up and claim the free data, which sits in your account until you switch to a phone with eSIM. But the website makes it clear that the QR code for installing only shows up when you log in to the app on an eSIM-capable phone; on the Hong Kong App Store, some users say they couldn't get a QR code because their phone wasn't compatible, so they couldn't use it with a physical eSIM adapter card, and others only found out their Hong Kong iPhone couldn't use it after paying, and had to chase customer service for a refund.

Sign up in the Eskimo app through the link on this page and enter CWJK257 in the "Referral/gift code" field (type it in yourself if the link doesn't fill it in), and you get 500MB of Global data right away, no purchase and no credit card needed. Forgot to enter the code when you signed up? Eskimo's referral page says you can still add it within 24 hours of registering.

This 500MB is Global data, which Eskimo says works in more than 111 countries. It has no expiry date, but it's still covered by the "cancelled after two years of inactivity" rule; once it's used up the connection just stops, and Eskimo won't charge you automatically. Free data can't be transferred to anyone else. The offer is for new users only, and Eskimo says the free data is a limited-time promotion that can change or end at any time without separate notice.

One more thing to remember: once you delete your account, that phone can never again be used to open a new account with a referral or gift code. What's 500MB worth? Pro rata it's about half of Global 1GB (US$6.90), so US$3.45 (about HK$27); use it in just one country and, at US$3.90 per 1GB, it's about US$1.95 (about HK$15). Eskimo says it's enough for maps, messaging apps, booking rides and light browsing, so it's just right for your first few hours after landing or for testing the network.

Full disclosure: CWJK257 is our referral code. When you sign up on an eSIM-capable phone and download the app, we get 500MB of data; if your phone doesn't support eSIM yet, you still get your 500MB straight away, but we only get ours once you switch to an eSIM phone. Referral rewards count up to 30 friends, so 15GB max.

Clause 4.4 of the terms says no data plan has an expiry date, and Eskimo's blog, updated in July 2026, also says none of its fixed-data plans expire. Some info online still says "valid for two years" or "730 days", but that's not what the current terms say.

That doesn't mean forever, though. Clause 7.4 says an account that still has data but sees no activity for more than two years in a row gets cancelled; "no activity" means that for those two years you haven't connected to the Eskimo network, used data, bought a new plan or transferred data at all. Eskimo says it'll try to warn you at least 30 days ahead by email, phone number or in the app. Once it's cancelled, the leftover data is gone for good, with no refund.

Let's do the maths: buy Asia-Pacific 10GB (US$32.90, about HK$258), use 6GB in Japan, and keep the other 4GB for your next trip to Korea, Taiwan or Thailand; pro rata that's worth about US$13.16 (about HK$103). Go online, use data, buy something or transfer data once within two years and it stays put. With plans that only last a set number of days, leftover data is useless once they run out, and that's exactly Eskimo's biggest selling point for frequent flyers.

Eskimo prices everything in US dollars. Prices on the official plan pages on 13 October 2026 (at the Bank of England reference rate for 12 October 2026, US$1 is about HK$7.85): Japan and Thailand 3GB US$7.90 (about HK$62), 5GB US$10.90 (about HK$86); South Korea and Taiwan 5GB US$12.90 (about HK$101); mainland China 5GB US$14.90 (about HK$117); Japan 5-day unlimited US$16 (about HK$126), South Korea and Taiwan 5-day unlimited US$18 (about HK$141); UK 7-day unlimited US$24 (about HK$188); Asia-Pacific or Europe 10GB US$32.90 (about HK$258).

Your first purchase gets 35% off, up to US$12 off; the referral page says the discount is applied automatically to your first purchase and is a limited-time offer. That makes Japan 5-day unlimited US$10.40 (about HK$82) the first time. The "up to US$12 off" cap only matters for plans above about US$34: Global 10GB, for example, drops from US$38.90 to US$26.90, not by the full 35%.

Eskimo has two kinds of plan. Fixed data: single countries come in 1GB, 3GB, 5GB and 10GB, while regional plans like Asia-Pacific and Europe, and the Global plan, come in bigger sizes, with Global 200GB costing US$489.90; a plan only starts when it first connects to a supported network, and it never expires.

Unlimited: sold by the day, for example Japan for US$16 for 5 days or US$22 for 7, and the UK for US$24 for 7 days. The so-called "unlimited" is really 3GB of high-speed data a day, then up to 1Mbps, resetting every 24 hours. The days start counting from the eSIM's first connection to a supported network, and an unlimited plan you haven't started won't expire. If you stream a lot of video or run a hotspot for the whole family, 3GB a day might not be enough.

Hitting several countries on one trip? Go for a regional plan: the Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and mainland China plan pages all list the Asia-Pacific plan (10GB for US$32.90), and the UK and Spain pages list the Europe plan (also US$32.90 for 10GB). Single-country plans only work in that one place, so check them against your itinerary before buying.

The terms say you can pay by credit or debit card, but not cash; web checkout also offers Alipay and WeChat Pay, but we couldn't verify whether the Hong Kong versions of those e-wallets work. The website has a currency picker, and we couldn't verify whether you can settle in Hong Kong dollars either.

Pay in US dollars and your card might charge a foreign currency transaction fee. Assuming 1.95%, a HK$126 plan costs about HK$2.5 more, which isn't much, but check your own card's terms. The free 500MB needs no card at all, and you won't be charged when it runs out.

Eskimo's own coverage numbers don't match: the App Store says 175 countries and regions, while some pages of the website say 160-something. The one that matters most to you is the Global plan: Eskimo's blog says Global data covers 111 of the 175 countries in its network, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the mainland, Macao, the UK and the US; but the plan pages now say the Global plan covers 126 countries. The free 500MB is Global data, which Eskimo says works in more than 111 countries.

Local networks (from the plan pages): Japan, SoftBank and KDDI; South Korea, SK Telecom and KT; Taiwan, Chunghwa Telecom; Thailand, AWN; mainland China, China Telecom and China Unicom; UK, Vodafone and EE; US, Verizon.

Heading up to the mainland? Eskimo hasn't officially said whether Google and WhatsApp work there without extra tools, and we couldn't verify it; a user testimonial on the website says WhatsApp worked without restrictions on the mainland, but that's just one person's word. The free 500MB works on the mainland, so try it out first before deciding whether to buy a mainland plan. Also, Hong Kong is inside the Global coverage, so remember to switch mobile data back to your local SIM when you get home, or you'll keep eating into your Eskimo data.

Eskimo has no phone number, so you can't make calls or send and receive texts on the Eskimo line; the website suggests chatting and calling through apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and LINE. Your phone can keep its Hong Kong SIM to get bank one-time passwords as usual, with mobile data switched to the Eskimo line; whether your Hong Kong SIM charges for receiving texts or taking calls abroad depends on your Hong Kong carrier's roaming setup.

There are three ways to install the eSIM: straight from the app (Eskimo says it takes one to two minutes), by scanning a QR code, or by entering the details manually. You only install it once; later plans don't need reinstalling, and when the old one runs out it hops onto the new plan automatically. Each eSIM works on one phone at a time, but you can share it by hotspot.

Paid data can be transferred to anyone with a mobile number, at least 500MB each time, and it arrives instantly; free data can't be transferred. Travelling as a family? One person can buy a big pack and share it out.

Eskimo is run by Singapore company DATAPRO TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD., and its terms (updated 1 June 2026) are governed by Singapore law, with disputes handled in the Singapore courts; the English version of the terms prevails. You need to be 15 or over (or have a parent's or guardian's consent) to use it. Eskimo doesn't own a network itself; it gets you online through local carriers. Clause 7.1 of the terms also lets it suspend or end the service at any time; leftover data is kept during a suspension, but the two-year rule still applies. An eSIM is prepaid data, so there's nothing like deposit protection.

Refunds: the refund promise in clause 5.1 of the terms only covers an eSIM that won't install or won't connect, verified by the 24-hour live online support team. The checkout page says you'll get a refund if it won't install or you haven't used the plan, the plan pages say "not happy, full refund, no questions asked", and the App Store description says unused plans, incompatible phones and even a change of mind can be sorted (if you're eligible). We go by the terms: if it connects but is just slow, the terms don't promise a refund, so check with customer service before you use it.

Closing your account: request deletion on the account page; it takes effect 24 hours after you ask, and logging in again in that time cancels the request. Once it's deleted there's no going back: the eSIM and leftover data are deactivated together, and your personal data is deleted except what the privacy policy says has to be kept. That phone can never again be used to sign up with a referral or gift code. And if you still have paid data, think about transferring it to family first.

On 13 October 2026, the Eskimo app scored 4.21 on the Hong Kong App Store (57 ratings), 4.60 in the US (601), 4.51 in Singapore (603) and 4.56 in the UK (90). Google Play shows 3.5 when viewed from Hong Kong and 4.3 when viewed from the UK, with about 4,240 reviews and over 1 million downloads. Trustpilot has just 6 reviews, at 2.9, and lately they're mostly negative.

The most common gripes: QR codes that won't scan or installs that fail (including after changing phones); iPhones bought in Hong Kong that turned out not to support eSIM, meaning a chase for a refund; suddenly losing internet despite still having data; no signal or slow speeds in some places (for example the US and Japan), with some saying they often drop to EDGE; slow, scripted replies from online support, plus requests for screenshots that leave some people worried about privacy; accounts blocked after contacting support; and some feel the "free" data only really comes through referrals.

The praise is mostly for data that never expires, being able to transfer data, easy installation, convenience on multi-country trips, and paying with Alipay.

Go for it: people whose phone has eSIM and isn't locked, who fly a few times a year and want to keep leftover data for next time; people hitting several countries on one trip who can make use of the Asia-Pacific or Europe plans; and anyone who wants to test the network with the free 500MB first.

Don't bother: if you're on a Hong Kong iPhone 11 to 16 (except the mini and 16e), XR or XS Max; you need a local phone number; you don't want to pay in US dollars or pay foreign currency fees; you don't expect to travel for over two years and don't want to lose your data; or you need loads of high-speed data every day and 3GB won't cut it.