Wise has launched eSIM data plans and cross-border QR payments, enabling tourists to establish easier connections and payments when traveling.
The company presents the combination as a response to the connectivity and payment problems travellers face on arrival in a new country. Wise states it is the first provider to offer eSIM data and multi-market QR payments within a single app. Connectivity services are delivered by Gigs U.K. Ltd, with Wise Payments Limited acting as payment and administration facilitator. Both features are available in the Wise Account from launch.
Customisable data plans
Alongside standard regional plans covering more than 150 destinations, Wise offers customisable data plans to customers in the UK, the EEA, the US, Canada, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Users install the eSIM once, then they buy data in the app by setting both the allowance and the number of days required. In-app guidance helps estimate usage before departure, and Wise refunds plans that are purchased but not used. Moreover, data consumption begins only once the eSIM connects to a supported network at the selected destination.
The approach is different from the fixed, pre-packaged roaming bundles that have defined the telecoms market so far, and brings a connectivity product into the offering of a cross-border payments provider.
Access to domestic QR schemes
In many markets, everyday spending runs on domestic QR systems built for local users, which has left foreign visitors reliant on cash or single-market e-wallets. Wise has established direct connections with local schemes including, PayNow (Singapore), QR Ph (the Philippines), DuitNow (Malaysia), Pix (Brazil), PromptPay (Thailand), Swiss QR-bill (Switzerland), and Qvik (Hungary), making them accessible through one app.
Additionally, a partnership with Alipay+, Ant International's unified wallet gateway network, extends this coverage. In the Chinese mainland, where cash and foreign cards are not commonly accepted, eligible Wise users can scan and pay at Alipay+-enabled merchants without a Chinese bank card, a local mobile number, or a separate app. The collaboration supports cross-border QR payments in more than 50 destinations, including Hong Kong, Nepal, Korea, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia. Alipay+ is not available to Wise customers in the US and Canada.
Survey findings and additional features
The launch draws on a YouGov survey of more than 14,000 travellers across 11 countries, commissioned by Wise. It reports that 62% of adults who had travelled internationally in the previous year rely on hotel or accommodation Wi-Fi to access the internet. Cash management was the most frequently cited payment problem (43%), and approximatively 40% of those reporting struggles stated they had consequently missed local experiences such as street food markets.
The Wise Account has also added a few other features, including pay-as-you-go airport lounge passes, country guides, multi-currency bill splitting, and group spending.
Wise customers can hold more than 40 currencies, send money internationally, and spend abroad, and large companies and banks also use the company's technology. In the financial year 2026, Wise supported around 19 million people and businesses, processing more than USD 240 billion in cross-border transactions and reporting customer savings of over USD 3 billion. By adding eSIM data and acceptance across several domestic QR schemes, Wise extends its travel offering beyond card-based spending.
