Wise Launches a Travel eSIM and QR Payments in New Zealand in 2026: 150+ Destinations and Refunds for Unused Data
Wise now sells travel eSIM data for 150+ destinations inside its app in New Zealand, alongside QR payments for China, Singapore, Thailand and more. Here is what to check before you rely on it.
Wise, the money transfer and multi-currency account company, has launched travel eSIM data plans and local QR code payments for its customers in New Zealand. The features went live in the Wise app on October 20, 2026, and they are another sign that fintech apps want to own more of the travel experience, not just the currency exchange.
What Wise launched
According to the announcement covered by eCommerceNews NZ:
- Travel eSIM for 150+ destinations. Users choose their data allowance and the number of days for each trip directly in the app.
- Install once, reuse. Travelers install the eSIM profile one time, then set data and duration per trip.
- Refunds for unused data. Wise says users can get a refund for verified unused data bought for a trip, a response to complaints about fixed plans and overbuying.
- QR payments abroad. The app can now pay through domestic QR networks such as PayNow (Singapore), QR Ph (Philippines), DuitNow (Malaysia), PromptPay (Thailand), Pix (Brazil), Swiss QR-bill (Switzerland) and Qvik (Hungary).
- China via Alipay+. Eligible users can scan and pay at local merchants in mainland China, with the same network extending to Hong Kong, Nepal, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Cambodia.
The roaming numbers behind the launch
Wise paired the launch with research on how New Zealanders stay connected abroad. The findings show how much room there still is for travel eSIMs:
- 26% have been caught out by high roaming charges overseas.
- 33% buy a local SIM after arriving.
- 32% use a data package from their home mobile provider.
- 19% go without mobile data entirely while traveling.
Alex Lombardo, Wise's New Zealand country manager, described the problem as "arrival anxiety": stepping off a plane with no signal, no directions and a taxi that does not take your card.
Why it matters beyond New Zealand
Wise is following a path we have seen all year. Banks and fintechs are adding mobile data to their apps, as we explained in our piece on Revolut Mobile plans and banks becoming phone companies. Insurers are doing it too, like Manulife adding a free 1 GB eSIM to travel insurance.
For travelers, bundling is convenient: one app for money, payments and data. But convenience is not the same as the best connection. A fintech eSIM is usually resold from a wholesale partner, and the announcement did not detail which local networks Wise uses, whether plans include 5G, or how hotspot and speed limits work.
What to check before you rely on any bundled eSIM
Whether you use Wise, your bank or a dedicated provider, run through this checklist:
- Phone compatibility. Your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked.
- Local network partner. Ask which carrier you will connect to in each country. That decides your real speed and coverage.
- Daily caps and throttling. "Unlimited" or flexible plans often slow down after a threshold.
- Hotspot rules. Some travel eSIMs block or limit tethering.
- Refund conditions. Wise's "verified unused data" refund is a nice touch; read how verification works before you count on it.
- Support when things fail. At an airport at midnight, fast human support matters more than a nice app.
The practical takeaway
The bigger story is that roaming bill shock is still common: one in four New Zealand travelers has been hit by it, and almost a fifth simply go offline. Any travel eSIM beats both outcomes.
If you want a dedicated option built only for travel connectivity, specialists like HOLASIM let you compare plans by destination, install the eSIM before departure and land already online. If you already live inside the Wise app, its new eSIM is worth testing on a short trip first. Either way, the days of paying carrier roaming prices by default are numbered.