[eSIM FAQs](/esim-api) # Get clear on mobile connectivity. Find answers about eSIM plans, supported devices, installation and ongoing service. Use the topic guides to prepare your next step with Bird. [Start for Free](/dashboard/signup?returnTo=%2Fdashboard%2Fw%2Fesim) [Contact sales](/demo?product=esim&source_page=%2Fesim-api%2Ffaqs) ## Set up with your agent [Read the agent setup guide](/docs/ai/set-up-your-agent) Copy this prompt into your coding agent: ```text Bird connects customer communications, data and automation. Help me build with Bird using my coding agent. 1. Read https://bird.com/docs/ai/set-up-your-agent.md and follow its setup workflow for this client. Use an existing connected Bird MCP server or signed-in CLI when available. 2. Read the product guide for the task I want to complete and inspect my existing integration. Identify the workspace, available operations and required setup. 3. Help me complete a first example for the product and destination I choose. Follow the operation through to its actual result, explain any uncertainty, and help me choose the next step. Use this Bird page as the starting context: https://bird.com/esim-api/faqs Read its Markdown alternative and linked guides. Keep the first example relevant to this page and the customer outcome I choose. Preserve the supplied campaign context when following Bird signup or sales links. ``` [Read customer stories](/customers) [Explore Enterprise](/enterprise) - [Airwallex](/customers/airwallex) - [Glovo](/customers/glovo) - [Zillow](/customers/zillow) - Uber - [Binance](/customers/binance) - Adobe - Meta - PayPal - Pinterest - Square - [Al Jazeera](/customers/aljazeera) - [Aramex](/customers/aramex) - [Bazaar Technologies](/customers/bazaar) - [ComparaOnline](/customers/compara) - [Emma](/customers/emma) ## Start here ### What can we build with Bird eSIM? Offer travel data, recurring mobile plans or employee connectivity. Connect the offer, purchase, installation and ongoing service in a customer journey your business can operate. ### Is an eSIM the same as a mobile plan? An eSIM is the digital profile used by the device. A package or subscription defines the service: its coverage, allowance, included calls and messages, validity and price. ### Does every offer work in every country? Coverage and service capabilities belong to the selected offer. Review the included destinations and network terms rather than relying on a global label. ### Can we offer our own branded experience? Define an embedded API or branded hosted journey around your customers and commercial model. Connect plan discovery, checkout, installation, management and support. ### Can the service include mobile voice, SMS and number porting? Use a mobile offer that explicitly includes those services and a supported porting path. Do not infer them from a data package or the presence of a reported number. ### Should I sign up or contact sales? Explore the eSIM workspace for a technical evaluation. Speak to a connectivity specialist about your markets, plans, billing model, distribution and employee rollout. ## Travel eSIMs ### Does every travel eSIM include a phone number? No. A data package can provide internet access without normal mobile calls or SMS. Check the specific plan’s included services; use a mobile plan when the customer needs a number and calling service. ### Can a traveler install before departure? Follow the package’s activation and validity rules. Installation and first network use are different events, and the point that starts the allowance period belongs to the plan terms. ### Will a top-up work on the existing eSIM? Use the compatible offers for that profile. A top-up must match the allocated service and its supported package behavior; another package in the catalog is not automatically compatible. ### Is Bird the right choice for a single personal trip? This product is designed for businesses offering or managing connectivity. Start with a specialist to define the travel proposition, destination coverage and customer journey. ## Mobile plans ### Are recurring mobile plans the same as prepaid travel data? They serve different jobs. A recurring mobile service renews over billing periods and can include a number, calls and SMS. A travel package supplies a defined allowance and validity for a trip. ### Can subscribers bring an existing number? Portability depends on the market, number and providers involved. Confirm eligibility and the required account information before scheduling the move. ### Do all plans include voice and SMS? Included services belong to the offer. Present data, voice and SMS separately and do not infer mobile calling simply because a profile reports a phone number. ### How do we launch in a new market? Define the audience, network service, plan terms, customer requirements, billing and support model with a specialist. Validate the complete subscriber lifecycle in that market before expanding distribution. ## Employee connectivity ### Can we offer both a work phone plan and travel data? Yes. Model the employee’s continuing mobile service and each travel package according to their own terms. The appropriate combination depends on the employee’s market, device and plan eligibility. ### Does eSIM automatically make a device secure? No. Connectivity and device management serve different purposes. Keep your device policy, application controls and access management in place. ### Can employees keep their number when leaving? Number ownership and transfer eligibility depend on the arrangement and market. Define that policy before onboarding and use the appropriate transfer or porting process. ### What should we prepare for a rollout? Bring the employee markets, device mix, existing contracts, expected travel, billing structure and HR or IT integration. Start with a representative group and verify setup, support and offboarding. ## Embedded connectivity ### Is embedded connectivity just an affiliate link? An embedded service can keep the customer journey, branding and plan management within your product. Define the commercial and operating arrangement explicitly; a referral alone does not provide that lifecycle. ### Can we use our own checkout and app? Plan an API integration around your existing experience and payment arrangement. Agree the responsibilities for plan pricing, billing, identity and customer support before implementation. ### Can a hosted journey return customers to our app? Define the entry and return paths as part of your integration. Preserve the customer’s intended action and acquisition context without placing installation credentials in analytics or public URLs. ### What determines the integration effort? The supported markets, plan types, checkout and billing model, identity requirements and the amount of subscriber self-service you own. Prototype the full purchase-to-first-use journey before estimating only the API calls. ## eSIM installation ### Can a customer install with one phone? Use a supported same-device installation path when available, with QR or manual setup as a fallback. The exact options depend on the device, operating system and provider. ### Does installing an eSIM start the package? The plan determines the activation trigger and validity period. Explain those rules before installation; do not apply one assumption across every package. ### Should a customer delete an eSIM to troubleshoot? Check the provider’s recovery rules first. Removing a profile can make recovery harder and does not itself cancel the underlying service. ### What does an unknown installation state mean? It means the system does not have that observation. Keep the state explicit and help the customer verify setup rather than inferring success or failure from missing data. ## Usage and top-ups ### Is usage always real time? Usage timing depends on the network and service. Show the latest observation time and treat an unavailable update as missing information, not zero use. ### Can any package top up an existing eSIM? No. Use the compatible offers returned for that allocated profile. Coverage overlap alone does not establish compatibility. ### Does a top-up extend the current expiry date? The offer’s validity and stacking rules determine what happens. Present the effective terms of the new package before purchase. ### How should we prevent duplicate top-ups? Follow the existing order to its outcome when a response is uncertain. Use the documented request identity and recovery behavior for your integration instead of creating another purchase blindly. ## Mobile number porting ### Can every number be ported? Eligibility depends on the country, number type and providers involved. Confirm the supported porting path before accepting a customer commitment. ### Should subscribers cancel their old plan first? Follow the porting procedure for the service. Keeping the donor line active is commonly necessary; an early cancellation can prevent a successful move. ### How long does a port take? Timing depends on the market, donor provider, required information and the request outcome. Use confirmed scheduling information and communicate changes rather than promising a universal duration. ### Is mobile number porting the same as buying an SMS sender? No. A mobile subscription and an application messaging sender have different purposes and eligibility. Use the mobile plan’s porting process for a subscriber’s phone service. ## Connectivity operations ### Is an order status the same as the device’s connection status? No. An order can be fulfilled before the device installs or uses the profile. Keep purchase, installation and network observations distinct. ### Can operators manage every service in the same way? Available actions depend on the plan, allocated provider, state and workspace authority. Present the capabilities of that service rather than a universal set of controls. ### What should an AI support assistant be allowed to do? Give it the relevant information and a bounded set of authorized actions. The service owner must enforce access and report the outcome; the assistant’s wording does not establish that a change completed. ### How do we investigate an uncertain purchase? Find the existing order, financial record and provisioning evidence. Resolve that attempt before creating a replacement that could charge or allocate another service. ## eSIM API ### Is an eSIM API only an installation-code endpoint? No. A useful integration also covers offer discovery, purchasing, fulfillment, service state and ongoing management. Installation credentials are one private part of that lifecycle. ### Can a coding agent build the integration? An agent can work from the current API description, task guides and your application. Have it inspect the supported operations and demonstrate a controlled complete journey; do not assume a method exists from a marketing example. ### How should we handle an uncertain purchase response? Keep the original request and order identity, then use the documented recovery behavior to establish its outcome. Starting a fresh purchase can create another charge or service. ### What belongs in conversion measurement? Record the business outcome you intend to optimize, such as a completed purchase or verified first use. Preserve acquisition context through the relevant handoff and join it to that outcome without including private installation credentials. ## Put the answer into practice - [eSIM resource library](/esim-api/resources): Find the practical guide behind the answer. - [Get started](/esim-api/getting-started): Prepare your first controlled connectivity journey. - [Plans and pricing](/esim-api/pricing): Understand the terms and charges for your service. ## Work through your connectivity requirements. Bring travel data, mobile plans or employee connectivity into your business. Our team can help shape the plan, customer journey and operating model. [Read the eSIM guide](/docs/guides/esim/overview) ## Related resources - [Guide eSIM installation](/docs/guides/esim/installation) (docs) - [What is an eSIM?](/explained/esim/what-is-an-esim) (answer) [Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=esim)