How to Keep Your US Number Abroad and Still Get Bank Codes
You land, open your banking app, and it sends a code to a number you switched off to avoid roaming fees. Now you are locked out on the first day of your trip. To keep your US number abroad, leave your US line turned on and add a travel eSIM as a second line for data. Your number stays yours and stays on the phone. The open question is cost, because a text reaching your US line falls under your carrier's roaming rules, and carriers do not explain those rules the same way.
In short:
- Dual SIM keeps two lines active at once, but only one line carries cellular data at a time.
- A Moosetrip eSIM is data only, with no number. Your bank keeps texting your US number.
- AT&T says received texts carry no daily fee on Day Pass. Verizon's travel FAQ does not say whether a received text counts as a day of use.
- iMessage and RCS do not replace a bank's SMS. Set up a backup with your bank before you fly.
How to set up the second line
These steps are for iPhone, since Apple's and AT&T's guides spell them out. Android menus differ by maker.
- Check the phone. It needs eSIM support and cannot be locked to one carrier. Apple says that to use two carriers, your carrier must lift the lock on your iPhone, or both plans must come from the same carrier. It lists iPhone XS or later. Our phone check covers this.
- Install the travel eSIM at home. Use Wi-Fi and the QR code. Plan days count from your first connection in the country you are visiting, so installing early does not use them up.
- Assign the travel line to data only. Apple says that when a line is assigned only to cellular data, the other line becomes the default. That keeps your US number as the default for calls and messages.
- Set data roaming line by line. Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options, the path in AT&T's guide. On an eSIM you pick the line first. AT&T notes that data roaming must be on to use cellular data abroad, so turn it on for the travel line. Leave it off for your US line, so that line does not pay for data.
- Leave the US line on. A line that is turned off cannot receive anything. Keep it active for the whole trip if you expect codes.
What changes on your US line
Apple lists three side effects worth knowing before you go:
- MMS and Visual Voicemail. If Data Roaming is on for your data line, both are disabled on the voice-only line. In this setup, that line is your US number. Plain SMS is not on that list, but photos sent by MMS and your voicemail list may stop working.
- Calls during calls. You can answer a call on the other line only if that line's carrier supports Wi-Fi Calling. Otherwise the call goes to voicemail, and you get no missed call alert from that line.
- Data switching. Allow Cellular Data Switching does not work while Data Roaming is in use. Do not count on it during a trip.
What each carrier says about roaming and texts
This is what we could confirm on carrier pages on October 30, 2026. The table also shows what a page does not say.
| Verizon | AT&T | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily pass | TravelPass, $12 a day in 210+ countries and destinations, $6 in Canada and Mexico | International Day Pass, $12 per 24 hours on land and in the air, $20 at sea, 210+ destinations |
| When you pay | "Only charged for the days that you use your phone abroad" | For each day you use your phone |
| Receiving a text | Page does not say if it costs money or counts as use | On Day Pass, received texts are rated as domestic with no daily fee |
| Without a pass | Pay as you go per minute, text and MB, no amounts on the page | No per-text rate on this page |
T-Mobile. We could not open T-Mobile's roaming page when we checked, so this guide quotes no T-Mobile rates or rules. Check your plan there or in your account before you leave.
Three things stand out on the Verizon page:
- TravelPass is added automatically on Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome. It cannot be added to Unlimited Ultimate. Know which one you have.
- If you use both numbers on a Verizon line with Dual SIM or a second number, each line's plan charges apply.
- For a long trip, the $100 International Monthly Plan includes unlimited texts.
The risk is simple: a single message may or may not start a paid day. Ask your carrier these questions before you go, and save the answer:
- Does receiving a text abroad cost anything on my plan?
- Does receiving one text start a daily pass charge?
- Can I turn off the daily pass and still receive texts?
What Wi-Fi Calling does and does not promise
Wi-Fi Calling helps with calls. For bank codes, it is not a guarantee.
Apple says availability depends on your carrier and that it may involve extra fees or data usage. Verizon says calling the US over Wi-Fi from overseas has no additional cost. Calling any other country over Wi-Fi is billed at pay-as-you-go international long distance rates, whatever plan you have, and a voice prompt warns you. AT&T's tips page gives no price for it.
None of the pages we read says that a plain SMS or a bank code will reach you through Wi-Fi Calling. Until your carrier tells you it works on your plan, treat it as a bonus.
AT&T also suggests a way to stop charges when you are not using your phone: airplane mode, Wi-Fi on, and Wi-Fi Calling off. It is a poor setup for the day you expect a code, since it cuts both the cellular connection and Wi-Fi Calling.
iMessage, RCS and SMS codes are different things
Apple says both numbers can send and receive iMessage, SMS and MMS, and that you choose which plans iMessage and FaceTime use. Keep your US number selected so your contacts reach you on the number they know. Since iOS 18, RCS is available on supported carriers. Apple also notes that messaging may incur additional fees.
On Android, Google says RCS chats in Google Messages can go over Wi-Fi. The Send icon shows how a message will travel: "Send by Wi-Fi or mobile data," "Send by SMS" or "Send by MMS." If you see "RCS chats are disabled by your carrier," Google says to contact your carrier. That page says nothing about roaming or dual SIM.
For bank codes, the point is narrow. A code sent as SMS stays an SMS. Neither Apple nor Google says iMessage or RCS will carry it for you.
How to use two-factor codes overseas
Sort this out at home, while you can still get codes without trouble:
- Ask your bank for another method. Call the number on your card and ask if it can confirm sign-ins in its app or another way that does not use SMS.
- Set up that method now. Changing security settings can itself require a code sent to your phone.
- Ask about your other accounts. Email, cards and travel apps may use the same number.
- Keep your US line on. Even with a backup in place, your bank may still choose to text you.
What this costs compared with a daily pass
A pass charges by the day, and a travel eSIM charges once. Verizon and AT&T both list $12 a day for one line in 210+ destinations, so:
| Trip with phone use every day | Daily pass, one line |
|---|---|
| 3 days | $36 |
| 7 days | $84 |
| 14 days | $168 |
Moosetrip plans on October 30, 2026, for comparison:
As a rough guide, 1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps, or 1.5 hours of video calls. So 3 GB is about 15 hours of maps. If you run low, you can add data to the same eSIM.
A pass and an eSIM are not the same product. A pass covers talk, text and data on your US number. Our eSIM covers data only, so it has no calling or texting of its own.
When you do not need a travel eSIM
- Your plan already covers the trip. Verizon says all Unlimited and other select plans include data, talk and text in Canada and Mexico. If your plan includes your destination, you may not need anything else.
- You make a lot of ordinary calls. A pass keeps your number working as usual, and that can be worth the daily price.
- You will use your phone for only a day or two. A pass can be simpler than setting up a second line.
Questions
Can an eSIM keep my phone number?
Yes, in the sense that your number stays on your US line. A travel eSIM runs next to it and does not replace it. A Moosetrip eSIM has no number of its own.
How do I receive bank texts while traveling abroad?
Keep your US line turned on. The text goes to that line, so ask your carrier what receiving it costs. The eSIM handles your data.
Can I get two-factor codes overseas on Wi-Fi only?
Do not rely on it. An app-based method from your bank is safer to plan around. No page we read promises that SMS codes arrive over Wi-Fi Calling.
Do I pay to receive a text abroad?
It depends on your carrier. AT&T says received texts carry no daily fee on Day Pass. Verizon's FAQ does not cover it. Ask before you leave.
Sources
- Using Dual SIM with an eSIM, Apple Support, checked 2026-10-30
- International Travel FAQs, Verizon, checked 2026-10-30
- Explore Tips on Using Your Device Internationally, AT&T, checked 2026-10-30
- Turn on RCS chats in Google Messages, Google, checked 2026-10-30