How Roam Atlas calculates a travel eSIM budget

One package must cover the whole example

A fixed package qualifies only when its included data meets the requested budget and its validity covers the requested number of days. We do not multiply short packages or assume a top-up extends their original expiry.

Among eligible packages we rank the package price plus its recorded setup fee. Ties use a stable provider and plan order, they are not endorsements of connection quality.

PAYG consumption is different from a payment

The estimate is the listed rate per GB multiplied by the example’s data allowance, plus any recorded setup fee. Account deposits, minimum top-ups and unused balance are not treated as if they were consumed data.

A break-even amount compares one displayed PAYG rate with one eligible fixed package. The fixed package’s data cap and expiry still apply above or below that point.

Why unlimited plans are separate

An unlimited label does not provide a complete daily high-speed allowance or a tethering rule. We show those products in the catalogue but do not use an invented unlimited capacity to select a fixed-data winner.

What the hotspot example requires

Only an explicit positive hotspot field qualifies for the phone-and-laptop example. A missing field is left as missing, it does not become a claim that sharing is prohibited.

What the comparison can and cannot establish

The catalogue supplies recorded package facts, not live measurements of reception, latency or customer support. Worked itineraries are editorial planning examples, their data budgets are assumptions rather than averages from travellers.

English calculations use USD and the other languages use the catalogue’s EUR conversion. A converted amount does not change the provider’s billing currency, and the comparison does not apply promotional codes.