Trying to figure out Verizon international calling rates can feel like a puzzle, but it boils down to a few key options. For travelers, there's the daily TravelPass. For those calling overseas from the U.S., there's the International Monthly Plan. And for occasional calls, there are standard pay-per-use rates. The best choice depends entirely on whether you're calling from the U.S. or using your phone while traveling abroad.
Calling FROM Abroad vs. Calling TO International Numbers
Getting a surprise on your Verizon bill after an international call is a common headache. Let's break down the two distinct scenarios Verizon uses to price your calls, so you can avoid any shocks.
- Calling FROM Abroad (While Traveling): This is for when you're physically in another country and need to use your phone for calls, texts, or data. Verizon's primary solution here is the TravelPass.
- Calling TO Another Country (From the U.S.): This is when you're at home in the U.S. and dialing an international number. For this, you'll either use Pay-Per-Use rates or an add-on like the International Monthly Plan.
Understanding this distinction is the first step to choosing the right plan and controlling your costs.
Your Three Core Verizon Solutions
Here’s a quick overview of Verizon's main options to help you decide which path is right for you.
- TravelPass: Your go-to for short trips abroad. For a flat daily fee ($10/day in most countries, $14/day for premium destinations), you can use your domestic plan's talk, text, and data allowances in over 210 countries.
- International Monthly Plan: If you're based in the U.S. but frequently call family or colleagues abroad, this add-on provides a bundle of minutes or discounted rates for a recurring monthly fee.
- Pay-Per-Use Rates: This is the default. If you don't have a plan and make an international call, you'll be charged by the minute. These rates can be very high and vary significantly by country.
To simplify it further, here’s a quick summary table.
Verizon International Options At a Glance
| Verizon Service | Primary Use Case | Typical Cost Structure | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| TravelPass | Traveling outside the U.S. | $10-$14 per 24-hour day | Short-term international travelers (e.g., vacation). |
| International Monthly Plan | Calling from the U.S. to other countries | Recurring monthly fee + per-minute rates | Frequent callers from the U.S. to specific countries. |
| Pay-Per-Use | Occasional calls from the U.S. or abroad | High per-minute rates by country | Very infrequent, one-off international calls. |
This table should give you a solid starting point for figuring out which bucket you fall into.
For anyone who makes a lot of international calls from the U.S., it's almost always a smarter move to look at VoIP services like CallSky. They skip the traditional carrier networks, which means you get much lower per-minute rates without being locked into a monthly plan.
Once you know the difference between these options, you're in a much better position to match your needs with the most cost-effective Verizon plan—or realize that a different service might be the better choice altogether.
Calling International Numbers From the US
When you need to call family, friends, or colleagues abroad from the United States, Verizon offers two primary methods. Understanding them is key to avoiding a shockingly high monthly bill.
By default, every Verizon line operates on a Pay-Per-Use basis for international calls. You simply dial the number, and you're billed for every minute you talk. While convenient for a quick, one-time call, these per-minute rates can be expensive and vary dramatically depending on the destination. For example, a call to Canada is relatively cheap, but dialing a mobile number in the Philippines could cost several dollars per minute.
The International Monthly Plan
If you make international calls regularly, Verizon offers the International Monthly Plan. This is an add-on service designed to make your costs more predictable. For a set monthly fee, you get a package of minutes for calls to over 220 countries.
The current plan costs $15/month and provides 300 minutes to use for calls to landlines and mobile numbers in a wide range of countries. If you exceed the 300 minutes, you'll be charged a discounted per-minute rate. You can see the details for yourself on Verizon's international plan specifics.
Even with this plan, its value depends entirely on where and how much you call.
Knowing the Plan's Limitations
The biggest catch with the International Monthly Plan is that it’s not unlimited. Once you burn through your 300-minute allowance, you’re back to paying by the minute, albeit at a reduced rate.
Here are the critical limitations to consider:
- The Minute Cap: 300 minutes equals five hours of talk time per month. For those who chat with family abroad daily, this can be used up quickly.
- Overage Rates: While discounted, the per-minute overage fees can still add up, especially for long conversations.
- The Monthly Fee: You pay the $15 monthly fee whether you use all your minutes or not. For infrequent callers, it may not be cost-effective.
Before adding this plan, you must check Verizon's official country list to ensure your most-called destinations are included. For anyone making a lot of calls, VoIP services like CallSky often end up being a much cheaper and more flexible alternative without a monthly subscription.
Using Your Phone While Traveling Internationally
Taking your phone on a trip abroad is a different scenario than calling internationally from home. Verizon's primary solution for travelers is the TravelPass, a feature designed for short-term trips.
The concept is simple: pay a flat daily fee to use your domestic U.S. plan's talk, text, and data allowances. It's convenient, but the cost can add up quickly.
How Verizon TravelPass Works
The moment you arrive in a foreign country and your phone connects to a local network—by sending a text, making a call, or using data—a 24-hour TravelPass session is automatically activated.
This costs $10 per day in over 210 countries and $14 per day for premium destinations. While you get unlimited talk and text, the data is limited. You receive the first 2GB at high speed each day; after that, your speed is significantly reduced. For a longer trip, these daily charges can become a major expense. You can dig into the specifics on Verizon's international travel options.
Any phone usage can trigger the daily fee, from checking maps to sending a quick text. While easy, it's not always the most economical choice. To see how other methods stack up, check out our guide on what is Wi-Fi calling.
For a two-week (14-day) vacation in Europe, the cost of TravelPass would be $140 (14 days x $10/day). While this provides seamless connectivity, that’s a significant extra expense on top of your regular monthly bill.
The Danger of Pay-Per-Use Abroad
If you travel to a country not covered by TravelPass or use your phone without an active pass, you'll be billed at Verizon's extremely high pay-per-use roaming rates. This can mean several dollars per minute for calls and even more for data. A short phone call or accidentally leaving data roaming on can easily add hundreds of dollars to your bill.
The best defense is to always check if your destination is on the TravelPass list. If it isn't, or if you're planning an extended stay, consider other options like a local SIM card or a VoIP service like CallSky to stay connected without draining your travel budget.
A Look at Verizon's Pay-Per-Minute International Rates
For a one-off international call, signing up for a monthly plan doesn't make sense. This is where Verizon’s default Pay-Per-Use option is useful. It lets you pay by the minute, but this convenience comes at a steep price.
The concept is simple: dial, talk, and get billed for the time used. However, the costs vary wildly. A call to a landline in Canada might be affordable, but calling a mobile phone in many other countries will cost significantly more.
Pay-Per-Use Rate Table for Popular Destinations
The difference in Verizon international calling rates between countries can be jarring. Here’s a look at the standard pay-per-use rates for calls made from the U.S. to some popular destinations.
| Country | Rate per Minute (Landline) | Rate per Minute (Mobile) | Cost for a 20-Minute Call (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $0.49 | $0.49 | $9.80 |
| Mexico | $0.99 | $0.99 | $19.80 |
| United Kingdom | $1.49 | $1.49 | $29.80 |
| India | $2.49 | $2.49 | $49.80 |
| Philippines | $2.49 | $2.49 | $49.80 |
Rates are subject to change. Always check Verizon's official site for the most current pricing.
As you can see, even a relatively short call can become a significant expense. Imagine calling a friend's mobile in India for just 10 minutes. At $2.49 a minute, that conversation costs $24.90. To get a broader view of how these charges compare, take a look at our guide on the cheapest international calling rates.
The infographic below details Verizon's TravelPass, highlighting how the carrier structures its international offerings for travelers.
This daily fee model for travel is completely different from the per-minute billing for calls made from home, showing how carriers price these services separately.
Think of Pay-Per-Use as an emergency option, not a go-to strategy. It's built for that one-off, "I need to call right now" moment. If you rely on it for regular chats, it's one of the easiest ways to get a shockingly high phone bill.
A Smarter Way to Call: VoIP Alternatives like CallSky
While Verizon's plans are functional for occasional calls, they become very expensive for anyone who frequently connects with people overseas. Relying on high pay-per-use rates is like taking a taxi for your daily commute—it works, but it will quickly drain your budget.
This is where Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services like CallSky offer a much smarter approach. By sending calls over the internet, VoIP bypasses the expensive traditional telephone networks, resulting in dramatically lower rates. If you're curious about the tech behind it, our guide on VoIP for international calls breaks it all down.
The CallSky Advantage for Heavy Callers
CallSky was built to solve the problem of expensive international calling. We ditched complex plans and monthly subscriptions for a simple pay-as-you-go system. You add credit to your account, and it never expires. This eliminates the pressure of monthly fees or "use it or lose it" minute bundles.
This modern approach directly tackles the biggest headaches of high Verizon international calling rates:
- Ultra-Low Per-Minute Rates: You see exactly what you’ll pay before you dial, with rates to many countries costing just a few cents per minute.
- No Subscriptions or Hidden Fees: You only pay for the time you talk. No more monthly charges just for the ability to make a call.
- Global Reach: We offer reliable, high-quality calls to over 180 countries, connecting to both landlines and mobile numbers seamlessly.
A Real-World Cost Comparison: Verizon vs. CallSky
Let's look at a practical example. Imagine you spend about 200 minutes calling the UK and another 200 minutes calling India from the U.S. each month.
First, the cost using Verizon’s standard Pay-Per-Use rates:
Verizon Pay-Per-Use Scenario:
- UK: 200 minutes x $1.49/minute = $298.00
- India: 200 minutes x $2.49/minute = $498.00
- Total Monthly Cost: $796.00
Now, let’s run the same numbers using CallSky’s rates.
| Destination | CallSky Rate (per minute) | Minutes | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $0.02 | 200 | $4.00 |
| India | $0.03 | 200 | $6.00 |
| Total Monthly Cost | $10.00 |
The difference is staggering. In this scenario, switching to CallSky would save you $786 every single month. For regular international callers, moving away from traditional carrier rates isn't just a small saving—it's a fundamental change in managing your communication budget.
How to Lower Your International Calling Costs Today
Now you know how Verizon international calling rates work. While Verizon is an excellent domestic carrier, it's clear that for frequent international communication, a dedicated VoIP provider like CallSky offers far better value. You can bypass high per-minute charges and rigid monthly plans, putting you back in control of your spending.
Making the switch is simple. You've already done the hard work by understanding the problem—now you can confidently implement the solution.
Get Started with CallSky in Minutes
We designed our setup process to be incredibly fast and easy, whether you're at your computer or on the move.
- Use the Web Dialer: Head to the CallSky website, create an account, and add credit. You can start making calls directly from your web browser in minutes, with no installation required.
- Download the Mobile App: For calls on the go, our native iOS app provides the same seamless experience and low rates, no matter where you are.
The bottom line is this: Verizon is great for domestic service, but when it comes to talking with the world, a specialized service like CallSky offers far better value. You only pay for the minutes you actually use at rock-bottom, transparent rates, which can easily save you hundreds without compromising on call quality.
And if you're running a business, features like shared credit for your team and detailed call reports add even more value, making it an indispensable tool for teams of any size. Don't let hefty carrier fees dictate your communication budget any longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Digging into Verizon international calling rates often brings up more questions than answers. Let's clear the air with straightforward answers to the most common things people ask.
Does My Verizon Unlimited Plan Cover International Calls for Free?
That’s a common misconception, and a costly one at that. While most of Verizon's unlimited plans do include calls to Mexico and Canada, that's usually where the "free" part ends.
If you’re calling family in Europe, a client in Asia, or a friend in South America, you’ll either need to add a pricey international package (like the International Monthly Plan) or get hit with Verizon's standard pay-per-minute rates. The best advice? Always double-check your specific plan details in your My Verizon account before you make the call.
What’s the Difference Between TravelPass and an International Plan?
It's easy to get these two mixed up, but they're built for completely different situations.
- TravelPass: This is for when you are physically traveling outside the United States. It charges a flat daily fee ($10-$14) for each 24-hour period you use your phone for calls, texts, or data, allowing you to use your domestic plan's allowances.
- International Monthly Plan: This is for when you are in the US and want to call out to another country. It’s a recurring monthly add-on that provides a bundle of minutes for international calls.
In short, TravelPass is for using your phone abroad, while a monthly plan is for calling abroad from home.
Is It Actually Cheaper to Use a VoIP Service Instead of Verizon?
For almost anyone making international calls regularly, the answer is a resounding yes. A VoIP service like CallSky is almost always dramatically cheaper.
Verizon’s standard rates can easily climb past $2.00 per minute. In contrast, a specialized VoIP service can offer the same call for just a few cents per minute.
The big difference is that with a dedicated service, you sidestep all the extras—high per-minute rates, daily travel fees, and rigid monthly plans. You just pay for the minutes you actually use at a rock-bottom price, which is a much smarter way to stay connected.
This gives you the freedom to call whenever you need to without constantly worrying about how much your carrier is going to charge you for it.
Ready to stop overpaying and start saving on every international call? Switch to CallSky today and enjoy crystal-clear connections with transparent, pay-as-you-go rates. Get started in minutes.