Yesim is the pocket knife of travel eSIMs: country plans, regional bundles, unlimited passes and a pay-as-you-go option that bills you by the megabyte. We looked at what it actually costs, where it works and whether the discounts hold up against Airalo and Holafly.
Promo Code box
Offer: 10% off your first Yesim eSIM
Promo Code: YESIMSPECIAL10
Who qualifies: new Yesim customers, first purchase only
Key terms: one use per account; enter the Promo Code in the Yesim app or on yesim.app before paying; the discount may be credited as Ycoins rather than taken off the card total
| Offer detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Promo Code | YESIMSPECIAL10 |
| Welcome offer | 10% off your first Yesim eSIM |
| Who qualifies | New Yesim customers, first purchase only |
| Key terms | One use per account; the discount may be credited as Ycoins rather than taken off the card total |
| How to claim | Enter the Promo Code in the Yesim app or on yesim.app before paying |
Yesim: key facts
- Official website: yesim.app
- Owner: Genesis Group AG
- Headquarters: Baar, Switzerland (registered address)
- Founded: 2019
- Support: Live chat: 24/7 support advertised (channel not stated)
- Ratings: App Store 4.7 (1.8k ratings, UK App Store); Trustpilot 4.3 (2,957 reviews)
- Headline offer: 10% off your first Yesim eSIM
- Promo Code: YESIMSPECIAL10
- Price from: US$0.60 (£0.45 / €0.53), trial eSIM with 500MB for one day
- Free plan or trial: No free plan; paid trial eSIM for first-time users
- Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, UnionPay, JCB, Discover, Diners Club
- Best features: Pay & Fly pay-as-you-go billing for data used; US$0.60 trial eSIM to test the network; 5% cashback in Ycoins on every plan
Yesim at a glance
- Coverage: 200+ destinations claimed; Pay & Fly works in 170+ countries
- Plan types: single-country, regional (such as Europe & UK, 33 countries), global packages, unlimited day passes and Pay & Fly pay-as-you-go
- Cheapest plan: the trial eSIM, 500MB for one day at US$0.60 (£0.45 / €0.53)
- Unlimited from: UK unlimited costs US$28.80 (£21.61 / €25.65) for seven days
- Free plan or trial: no free plan; a paid trial eSIM for first-time users
- Hotspot: allowed, though Yesim says it depends on the local operator
- Phone number: data only; a virtual number is sold separately
- Trustpilot: 4.3/5 from 2,957 reviews
Verdict
Yesim is the most flexible of the big travel eSIM brands, and on fixed-data plans it is often the cheapest of the three we compared. Its 30-day UK unlimited plan undercuts both Airalo and Holafly. The catch is a pricing page that moves around, unlimited plans whose fair-use limits are set by partner networks rather than spelt out, and refund rules that are stricter than the “100% refund guarantee” banner suggests.
Pros
- Pay & Fly bills only for data used, with no expiry date on the plan itself
- 30-day UK unlimited plan cheaper than Airalo and Holafly at full price
- US$0.60 trial eSIM lets you test the network before a long trip
- 5% cashback in Ycoins on every plan, plus €5 referral credit for both sides
- Accepts PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, UnionPay and JCB
Cons
- Unlimited plans can be slowed under the partner network’s own fair-use rules, with no published threshold
- Prices change often, and the same plan can show different figures on different pages
- Refunds only within 30 days and only if the eSIM has not been installed
- Refunds of €10 or less come back as Ycoins, not cash
- No phone number included; you pay extra for a virtual number
Yesim discount codes, referral credit and how to use them
Yesim does not run a single permanent public code. Its first-order offer is 10% off the first purchase, and the company’s own blog lists BLOG10 (10% off a first purchase), YESIMSPECIAL10 (10% off a first purchase) and BLOG2 (€2 off any plan for new users). None of these carries a published expiry date, so expect the odd one to be switched off without notice.
Codes circulating on coupon sites promise larger cuts. Some are tied to partnership deals and work only for a while; we would not plan a holiday budget around any figure we cannot see on Yesim’s own pages.
The referral programme is more dependable. A friend’s link gives you €5, or US$5.61 (£4.21 / €5.00), off your first purchase, and the friend gets the same once you pay. Yesim adds a €50 bonus, US$56.15 (£42.13 / €50.00), for every five friends who buy, up to €75, US$84.22 (£63.20 / €75.00), in total. Your own purchases must reach €5 before your link works, and orders paid entirely with Ycoins do not count.
Then there is the loyalty layer: 5% of every plan comes back as Ycoins, Yesim’s in-app credit. Ycoins expire one year after you receive them and cannot be swapped for cash.
Worked example. A week of unlimited data in the UK costs US$28.80 (£21.61 / €25.65). With 10% off, that falls to US$25.92 (£19.45 / €23.08), To apply a code, add the plan to your basket in the app or on the website and enter it in the promo code field before paying. Yesim says some discounts land as Ycoins in your account rather than as a lower card charge, so check your balance after checkout.
Is there a Yesim free trial?
Not a free one. Yesim sells a trial eSIM to first-time users for US$0.60 (£0.45 / €0.53), which buys up to 500MB for one day in more than 50 countries, including the UK, the US, Thailand and the UAE. Some destinations get less: the country list shows 100MB to 400MB in places.
It is a sensible purchase rather than a gimmick. Install it a day or two before a long trip, check your phone accepts the profile and that the local network behaves, then buy the real plan. One trial per new user.
Yesim prices: UK, Europe, USA and Japan
Yesim prices are listed in US dollars for most visitors, and many plans are shown against a much higher struck-through figure. The table shows the price you actually pay. Fixed-data plans run for 30 days; unlimited plans are priced by the number of days.
| Destination | 10GB, 30 days | Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited, 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | US$19.20 (£14.41 / €17.10) | US$28.80 (£21.61 / €25.65) | US$56.40 (£42.32 / €50.23) |
| Europe & UK (33 countries) | US$19.20 (£14.41 / €17.10) | Not published | US$80.64 (£60.51 / €71.82) |
| United States | US$16.80 (£12.61 / €14.96) | Not published | Not published |
| Japan | US$19.20 (£14.41 / €17.10) | US$21.60 (£16.21 / €19.24) | Not published |
Smaller bundles are available too. In the UK, 1GB for 30 days costs US$3.00 (£2.25 / €2.67) and 20GB costs US$26.40 (£19.81 / €23.51), the plan Yesim marks as its most popular. Pay & Fly starts from US$1.10 (£0.83 / €0.98) per GB, with the rate depending on the country you are standing in.
In practice, a week in Lisbon on the Europe & UK 10GB plan is plenty for maps, messaging and the odd video call, and leaves three weeks of validity for a second trip. A family of four sharing a hotspot in Tokyo will chew through 10GB fast, which is where the seven-day Japan unlimited plan earns its keep.
Where Yesim works: countries and regional bundles
Yesim claims coverage in more than 200 destinations, though the figure depends on the product. Pay & Fly works in 170+ countries, the Global Plus Package in 145 and the Global Package in 82. The company says it works with more than 800 network partners.
Regional plans are the useful middle ground for anyone crossing borders:
- Europe & UK: 33 countries, including the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Poland and Ireland
- North America: 3 countries (the US, Canada and Mexico)
- Global Package: 82 countries
- Global Plus Package: 145 countries
- Unlim Day Pass: unlimited daily data across 82 countries
Strong single-country markets include the UK, the US, Japan, Thailand and the UAE. Yesim’s SwitchLess feature is meant to hop between partner networks to find the strongest 4G or 5G signal, although actual speeds still depend on the operator and where you are.
What Yesim customers say on Trustpilot
Yesim scores 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 2,957 reviews, with 76% of them five-star and 11% one-star. The company replies to 92% of negative reviews, usually within a week, which is better than most of its rivals manage.
The praise is consistent: quick setup, a clear app and coverage that works in places such as Thailand, the US and Albania. The complaints cluster around patchy connections in particular countries (Turkey and Tunisia come up), unlimited plans that slow down after heavy use, and support staff who ask for the same settings changes more than once.
Two reviews from UK customers sum up the split. Samantha B. called it “Quick and easy to use with great coverage”, while John B. was blunter about his trip: “Waste of time in Turkey”.
How to sign up and start using Yesim
- Check your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked.
- Download the Yesim app (iOS or Android) or go to yesim.app, and create an account.
- Choose a country, regional or global plan, or top up Ycoins for Pay & Fly.
- Enter a promo code or referral link before paying; Yesim accepts Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, UnionPay, JCB, Discover and Diners Club.
- Install the eSIM by QR code or directly from the app, ideally on Wi-Fi before you leave.
- On arrival, switch mobile data to the Yesim line and turn on data roaming for it.
When does validity start? The clock starts when the eSIM first connects to a compatible network, not when you buy it. You must activate within the window shown on your plan in the app.
Can you use a hotspot? Yesim says hotspot sharing is included at no extra charge, with data counted against your plan, but its plan pages add that it “depends on operator”.
Do you get a phone number? No. Every plan is data only, so calls and texts go through WhatsApp, FaceTime or similar apps. Your usual SIM can stay active for calls if you want it to. Yesim sells virtual numbers as a separate service.
Yesim vs Airalo vs Holafly: UK unlimited compared
The fairest test is the same plan in the same place. Here are UK unlimited prices for a week and a month, at full price and after each brand’s first-order code (Yesim 10%, Airalo NEWTOAIRALO15 at 15%, Holafly LOCALS at 5%).
| UK unlimited | Yesim | Airalo | Holafly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days, full price | US$28.80 (£21.61 / €25.65) | US$27.00 (£20.26 / €24.05) | US$27.50 (£20.64 / €24.49) |
| 7 days, with code | US$25.92 (£19.45 / €23.08) | US$22.95 (£17.22 / €20.44) | US$26.13 (£19.61 / €23.27) |
| 30 days, full price | US$56.40 (£42.32 / €50.23) | US$69.00 (£51.78 / €61.45) | US$76.50 (£57.41 / €68.13) |
| 30 days, with code | US$50.76 (£38.09 / €45.21) | US$58.65 (£44.01 / €52.23) | US$72.68 (£54.54 / €64.73) |
For fixed data across Europe, Yesim’s Europe & UK 10GB plan for 30 days costs US$19.20 (£14.41 / €17.10), against US$31.00 (£23.26 / €27.61) for Airalo’s 10GB Europe plan, or US$26.35 (£19.77 / €23.47) with Airalo’s 15% code. Airalo also sells a 3GB, seven-day Europe plan at US$11.00 (£8.25 / €9.80), which suits a long weekend better than anything comparable we found from Yesim.
Pick Airalo for a short UK break if you are a new customer: its 15% code makes it the cheapest week of unlimited data here. Pick Yesim for a month or more, for trips across several countries, or if you want Pay & Fly’s meter running only when you use it. Holafly is the simplest of the three, with unlimited data and a single price, but it is the most expensive over a month.
Yesim FAQs
Is Yesim legit?
Yes. Yesim is an established eSIM provider with a 4.3 Trustpilot score from nearly 3,000 reviews, and it claims more than four million users. Most complaints concern patchy coverage in specific countries rather than billing problems.
Does Yesim have a promo code for new users?
Yesim’s own blog lists codes for 10% off a first purchase and €2 off a first plan. You can also get €5 off through a friend’s referral link. Codes sold as larger discounts on coupon sites are not guaranteed to work.
Does Yesim give you a phone number?
No. All plans are data only, so you will need WhatsApp, FaceTime or a similar app for calls and texts. A virtual number is available as a separate paid service.
Is Yesim unlimited data really unlimited?
There is no data cap and no overage charge, but the partner network may slow your connection after heavy use under its own fair-use policy. Yesim does not publish the threshold, so heavy streamers should not expect full speed all day.
Can I share Yesim data with a hotspot?
Generally yes. Yesim says hotspot use is included at no extra cost, though on some networks it depends on the operator. Hotspot data counts towards your plan.
Is Yesim better than Airalo?
For longer stays and UK unlimited data, Yesim is cheaper at full price. For a short trip, Airalo’s 15% first-order code and small regional bundles often come out ahead.
Can I get a refund from Yesim?
Only within 30 days of purchase and only if the eSIM has not been installed, connected or used. Refunds of €10 or less are paid as Ycoins rather than to your card.
What is Yesim Pay & Fly?
It is a pay-as-you-go eSIM that charges per megabyte from your Ycoins balance, from US$1.10 per GB depending on the country. Yesim recommends keeping at least €10 to €15 in Ycoins before you travel.
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