Assign eSIMs to employees
Assign a Bird eSIM to an employee's contact so you can identify who uses the profile. You need eSIM write permission and Contacts read permission. Creating a new contact also requires Contacts write permission; sending installation details requires separate credential permission.
Confirm the employee's device and destinations, the approved package, and who authorizes purchases. Purchases use your organization's wallet. Assignment does not give the employee workspace access or charge the employee directly.
1. Purchase the employee's eSIM
Follow Buy and deliver a travel eSIM to select a package. During Set up your eSIM, choose the employee in Person using this eSIM. Search by name, email, or phone, or use Create contact if needed.
Check the employee's identity before purchasing: the assigned person cannot be changed later. A one-time purchase can use Assign later; Auto-renew requires a person before purchase. Use an optional Name to make the eSIM recognizable in your workspace.
Review the purchase and follow its order until it completes. Retain the order and eSIM IDs in your employee records.
2. Assign an existing unassigned eSIM
Open the profile from eSIMs. Open More eSIM actions, select Assign person, and choose the employee's contact. If needed, follow Create a contact, then return to the eSIM to complete assignment.
Confirm Assign person and check that the eSIM shows the intended employee. Assignment is permanent, and the subscriber association prevents deletion of the contact even after service ends. Use a new eSIM for another employee instead of attempting to transfer this assignment.
For an API workflow, create a subscriber from the contact, then assign the eSIM. The dashboard performs these steps when you assign a person.
3. Send installation instructions
On the eSIM, select Send install link, choose email or SMS, and confirm the employee's recipient address before sending. Assignment itself does not send a link. The employee can use the private link without being added to your workspace.
Follow installation and delivery checks. Confirm that the employee can install the profile and use mobile data in a covered destination. Keep activation credentials out of employee records and routine support notes.
4. Manage data and renewal
Use the eSIM's Data packages to check reported balances and expiry. Select Top up for a compatible one-time package when more data is needed. Read the usage guide before interpreting a missing or old balance report.
For continuing service, use Automatic renewal on the assigned eSIM. If Set up renewal is available, review its package and recurring price before enrolling. Enrollment purchases the first period immediately. Follow the recurring-package guide for funding, renewal history, and cancellation.
Use Purchase history on the eSIM to trace orders and charges. Keep any team or cost-center allocation in your own records alongside those references.
5. End an employee's service
Cancel automatic renewal and confirm its effective date before closing the employee's access to your application. Canceling renewal preserves purchased packages and the installed profile. The packages retain their own validity.
If you intend to permanently retire the profile, select Release in the Release eSIM section of its Danger zone, then review the confirmation. Release forfeits remaining data. Follow the service recovery guide if an operation remains pending.
If a private installation link should no longer be accessible, revoke that link separately. Revocation does not disable an installed profile. Removing application access, deleting a profile from a phone, or changing an HR record does not cancel renewal.
Troubleshooting
If Assign person is unavailable, check whether the eSIM already has an assigned person and whether you have eSIM and Contacts permissions. Confirm the profile's current state before taking another action.
If an employee cannot open installation instructions, confirm the recipient and link expiry under Install link deliveries. Send a new link for the same eSIM when needed; avoid purchasing a replacement while the existing service is unresolved.
Next steps
Related resources
Continue with the documentation, guides and examples for this topic.