Three roaming in the USA: Plans, passes, and alternatives
See how you can get data in the States with Three roaming in the USA. Uncover plans, passes, and unlimited data alternatives.
If you’re heading to the USA and wondering how to get data with your Three UK mobile plan, look no further. Three roaming in the USA comes in many shapes and sizes, depending on whether you’re a Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go customer.
In this blog, we outline the Three Mobile roaming abroad options available to you for the USA, covering plans, passes, and roaming charges. We also explore an unlimited data eSIM alternative, Holafly, to make roaming abroad even easier.

Does Three work in the USA?
Yes, Three works in the USA. Three has roaming agreements with US telecom companies, allowing you to connect to local networks, send texts, and make calls without having to change SIM cards or incur high roaming costs.
Three Go Roam for the USA
Go Roam Pass is one of the simplest ways to use your phone abroad for Three international roaming, and is a fairly complete plan.
The USA belongs to Three’s Go Roam Around the World zone. This means that with a Go Roam pass in the USA you can generally:
- Call and text standard landline and mobile numbers in the UK.
- Call voicemail and Three’s customer services.
- Receive calls and texts.
The following Go Roam Around the World passes are available for travel to the USA:
Pass | Duration | Price |
---|---|---|
Around the World | 3 days | £12.50 |
Around the World | 7 days | £30 |
Around the World | 14 days | £60 |
Three Go Roam passes for the USA are available for all customers. However, if you’re on a Value or Complete monthly deal – or are a Pay As You Go customer – your options will look slightly different. Let’s explore this in more detail below.
Three roaming plans for the USA
Before you use your Three eSIM or SIM in the USA, check your contract type and start date to understand what Three roaming charges in the USA will apply to you.
Three has different policies for Pay Monthly, Pay As You Go, and Mobile Broadband users.
Three USA roaming for Pay Monthly customers
Some Three Pay Monthly plans have international roaming for the USA included at no extra cost, depending on the date they were activated or upgraded.
If you started any Pay Monthly plan before 1 October 2021, you’ll have USA roaming included at no extra cost. If you activated your current plan after this date, your options depend on your start date:
Plan type | Joined or upgraded before 22 June 2025 | Joined or upgraded from 22 June 2025 |
---|---|---|
Advanced | No built-in roaming | No built-in roaming |
Lite | No built-in roaming | No built-in roaming |
Value | No built-in roaming | Built-in roaming, you can use your UK allowance in the USA at no extra cost for 28 days |
Complete | No built-in roaming | Built-in roaming, you can use your UK allowance in the USA at no extra cost for 56 days |
Don’t have built-in roaming for your Three Pay Monthly plan? These are the options available to you:
- Go Roam passes: £12.50-£60 for 3-14 days of access to your UK allowance. Data capped at 12 GB/day.
- Daily Roaming charge: £5/day to use your UK allowance. This option is activated if you don’t buy a Go Roam pass.
- Data Passport: £5/day for unlimited data.
Three USA roaming for Pay-As-You-Go customers
As a Three Pay As You Go customer, you’re able to get a monthly data pack that comes with an international roaming allowance for the USA. Each pack also includes 3,000 minutes and texts.
As of September 8, 2024, here are the available data packs to choose from and their monthly roaming balances:
- £10 Data Pack: 6 GB roaming included
- £15 Data Pack: 12 GB roaming included
- £20 Data Pack: 18 GB roaming included
- £25 Data Pack: 24 GB roaming included
- £35 Data Pack: 30 GB roaming included
Need more data as you travel? You can buy a Three data add-on if you have an existing data pack activated. Prices are as follows:
- 15 GB Data Boost: £15
- 10 GB Data Boost: £12
- 6 GB Data Boost: £8
Three also offers two unlimited data add-on packages for £20 and £5, but each is capped at 18 GB of roaming for 14 days and 5 GB of roaming for 1 day respectively.
Run out of your Pay As You Go allowance while in the USA? You’ll be subject to standard roaming rates:
- Data: 10p per MB
- Calls:
- Calls to a UK number: 35p per minute
- Calls to a USA number: £1.40 per minute
- Voicemail: 35p per minute
- Receiving calls in the USA: Free
- Texts:
- Texts to the UK: 15p
- Texts to the USA: 35p
- Receiving texts in the USA: Free
Three USA roaming for Mobile Broadband customers
Roaming options for Three Mobile Broadband customers depend on whether you have a Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go plan. Generally, similar fair usage policies, costs, and pass requirements to the above listed phone plans apply to Mobile Broadband customers.
Always check your contract details or contact Three customer service before travelling to the USA to confirm allowances and avoid any surprise Three roaming charges.
How to save on Three roaming charges in the USA
Knowing how to avoid roaming charges can save you a pretty penny as you travel outside of the UK. Here are some tips to help you save on Three roaming charges in the USA:
- Understand your plan’s roaming benefits: Confirm what roaming benefits your plan includes for the USA via My3 or the Three app.
- Get a roaming pass: If your plan doesn’t have roaming included, consider a Go Roam pass for better value.
- Track your data usage: Monitor your usage via the My3 app to stay within the fair usage policy (12 GB Pay Monthly, 9 GB Pay As You Go).
- Consider a Data Passport for heavy usage: This is a great option for unlimited data for 24 hours.
- Make the most of WiFi: Connect to free, secure WiFi in hotels and public places so you’re not hit with high fees once you get back to the UK.
- Set a spend cap: Prevent high bills by setting a limit on your account that covers roaming charges.
- Get a travel eSIM for shorter stays: A simpler, often more affordable alternative is to purchase a travel eSIM for your holiday.
- Consider Holafly Plans for longer stays: For extended trips or unlimited data needs, Holafly Plans keeps costs down on a monthly rolling basis.
Get unlimited data in the USA with Holafly
Three roaming in the USA is one way to use your UK plan while in the States. There’s a chance your Pay Monthly plan even has data roaming included.
However, with most Three roaming options, you’ll need to use your data allowance as you travel. A Data Passport gives unlimited data, but £5/day will soon add up.
One alternative is to try an unlimited data eSIM, like Holafly’s eSIM for the USA. One week of limitless data with Holafly costs just £3.43/day – and the more days you travel, the cheaper your plan gets.
Holafly’s eSIM setup is easy and virtual, so you remove the need to physically swap SIMs. You purchase your eSIM online, receive a QR code, and activate it on your eSIM-compatible device – all within a few minutes. Holafly also offers 24/7 customer support, making it a reliable choice for international travellers.
Spending some time in the USA for work or longer travels? Holafly Plans is a pay-monthly eSIM subscription service. Choose from three rolling plans (unlimited, 25 GB, 10 GB), with the unlimited data plan costing just $64.90 (~£48) monthly.
Whether you need an eSIM for a short trip or reliable, fast internet for extended stays, Holafly can help you stay connected globally.