Revolut, a British fintech company that offers banking and payment services, has launched a new service for travelers in the U.K. that allows them to use phone plans with eSIMs, or virtual SIM cards.
The plans, which are available to Revolut’s Ultra subscribers, give users 3GB of data per month to use in over 200 countries and territories without paying any roaming charges, which can be very expensive for international travelers.
Revolut claims to be the first financial services firm in the U.K. to offer telecom plans, and aims to become a “super app” that provides multiple services for finance and travel, such as currency exchange, travel insurance, and flight booking.
The company has partnered with 1Global, a U.K. mobile network operator, to provide the eSIMs, which can be activated on compatible devices such as iPhones and Google Pixels. The plans will start rolling out for users this week, and Revolut plans to expand the service to other markets and subscription tiers in the future.
The company says that the eSIMs will offer faster and more reliable connectivity than traditional SIM cards, and will also save users the hassle of swapping SIM cards or buying local ones when traveling. Revolut hopes that the new service will attract more customers and increase its revenue, as it competes with other fintech firms and traditional banks.