With Saily you can call two ways: over data with apps like WhatsApp, or with Saily’s optional +1 US phone number for real calls and SMS. The number covers local calls in supported countries, not international calls.
The catch: minutes on a Saily phone number are used by incoming calls as well as outgoing ones.
Most travel eSIMs are data only, which is fine for app calls but not for ringing a restaurant or a taxi line. Saily covers both with data plans and a phone number add-on.
Option 1: call over data
A Saily data plan works with any internet calling app. WhatsApp only needs your phone number once, to verify the account. After that it just needs an internet connection, so it keeps working on Saily data even with your home SIM switched off. iMessage also runs over the internet and can send from your Apple ID email. See how to use Saily for WhatsApp.
Option 2: the Saily phone number
The Saily phone number is an optional add-on that gives you a real US-based wireless number next to your data eSIM. You can make and receive calls and send SMS.
- Minute packages: calls use a package of minutes, and both outgoing and incoming calls count against it.
- Billing starts when the call is answered. Unanswered calls use no minutes.
- Local calls only: the plans don’t support international calls. With a Global plan you can call from any supported country you’re in; local plans cover calls in one country.
- Callers pay US rates: someone calling your Saily number from their local carrier pays that carrier’s rate for calls to the United States.
- SMS yes, MMS no: up to 160 Latin characters per text. Photos, group texts, subject lines and contact cards turn a text into MMS, which fails.
- Not supported: premium-rate short numbers and call forwarding.
Voice calls work in a long list of countries across Europe, the Americas and Caribbean, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Check Saily’s list for your destination, and the app for current package prices. Our guide does Saily eSIM have a phone number? goes deeper.
Verification codes on a Saily number
The number is a real US number, but it runs on internet-based (VoIP) carrier technology. Most services send codes without trouble, and Saily lists WhatsApp, Signal, Viber and Airbnb as commonly reported working for OTP. Some banks and payment apps refuse VoIP numbers, so keep another sign-in method ready.
Keep your own number for incoming calls
If your phone supports Dual SIM, your home SIM and the Saily eSIM can be active together. Your own number can then still receive calls, but your carrier may charge roaming for them. Check with it before you go.
Pick the right setup
- You mostly call friends and family: a data plan plus WhatsApp is enough.
- You need to call local businesses or receive texts: add the Saily phone number.
- You’re visiting several countries: pair the number with a Global plan so calls work in each supported country.
More detail: how to make calls with Saily eSIM.
- App calls work on any data plan
- Real +1 US number as an add-on
- No minutes used on unanswered calls
- Works with a Global plan across countries
- Incoming calls use minutes
- No international calls on the number
- No MMS or call forwarding
FAQ
Can I make international calls with a Saily eSIM?
Not with the Saily phone number, which covers local calls only. Use WhatsApp or another internet calling app over Saily data instead.
Do incoming calls use my Saily minutes?
Yes. Minutes are shared across the calls you make and the calls you receive.
Do regional plans include calls?
No. Regional plans are data only. For calls in several countries, add the phone number to a Global plan.
Will WhatsApp work on a Saily eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp needs your number only for the first verification, then runs on any internet connection.
Plans from $3.99 for 1 GB, checked on saily.com on 24 Oct 2026.