Every group trip has the same first hour. The coach is waiting outside arrivals, the tour leader is counting heads, and a third of the group is standing still with their phones held up, because their data isn't working. One traveller has roaming switched off, one has a contract that charges by the day, one has a phone that was never set up, and the first job the leader does in a new country is phone support for thirty people. A group booking fixes that before anyone leaves home. Every traveller gets an eSIM of their own, installed in advance and switched on when the plane lands, and the person organising the trip deals with one quote, one invoice and one point of contact instead of thirty separate problems. This guide is for whoever is organising: a tour operator, a travel agency, a school or university, a company sending a team, a sports club, an Umrah group leader, or the family member who always ends up in charge. It covers the two ways to book eSIMs for a group, the phone check that matters more than any plan, how much data to order per person, timing, multi-country routes, and what to do when something goes wrong on the road.
Two ways to book eSIMs for a group
Group eSIM bookings come in two shapes, and the first question is simply who pays for the data.
If one organisation pays for everyone, the booking is a quote. A company sending staff to a conference, a school covering its students, a club travelling to a tournament or a host covering data for wedding guests tells us the headcount, the destinations and the dates, and gets one price for the whole group. Once it is agreed, every traveller receives their own eSIM by email and the organiser receives one invoice.
If each traveller pays for their own, the booking is a link. This is how most tour operators and travel agencies work: the agency puts its own Lumbus partner link or promo code in the booking confirmation, travellers buy their eSIM themselves, and the agency earns a commission on every sale. Nobody at the agency handles a payment or a QR code.
Some groups mix the two. A tour operator might include data in the package price on its premium departures and send a partner link with the rest. Both routes end in the same place: one eSIM on every phone, delivered before the trip.
- One payer, such as a company, school, club or wedding host: request a quote, receive one invoice, and every traveller gets their own eSIM by email
- Travellers pay for themselves, as with most tour operators and agencies: share a partner link or promo code and earn commission on every sale
- A family or a few friends: one person can buy every eSIM under one account and install each one on the right phone before the trip
Why every traveller needs an eSIM of their own
The plan that looks cheapest for a group is one large data plan on the leader's phone, shared by hotspot. It works on the coach, where everyone sits within a few metres of each other. It stops working at the first stop with free time.
Groups split up all day long: a museum on three floors, a souk, a stadium concourse, a shopping street, the airport after security. A hotspot reaches the people standing next to the phone running it, so everyone else is offline at exactly the moment the group needs to find each other. The leader's battery also carries the whole group, and the evening it runs flat, so does everyone's internet.
Roaming on each traveller's home plan has the opposite problem. It usually works, but nobody knows what it costs. A group is a mix of networks and contracts: some include the destination, some charge by the day, some charge by the megabyte, and the organiser finds out which when a traveller complains about the bill.
Local SIM cards bought at the airport add a queue. In many countries every local SIM is registered to an ID, so each traveller stands at the counter with a passport while the rest of the group waits beside the luggage. Saudi Arabia, the destination of every Umrah group, is one of them. Thirty registrations in a row is a coach that leaves an hour late.
- One hotspot for the whole group: fine on the coach, useless the moment people separate
- Everyone on home roaming: it works, but each traveller's cost is different and unknown until the bill
- Local SIMs at the airport: a passport and a counter for every traveller while the group waits
- An eSIM each: installed at home, switched on at landing, with a known price for every phone
How a group eSIM booking works, step by step
Two details matter most to an organiser. Travellers don't have to create an account or pay anything themselves, and the tour leader never has to collect, print or forward a single QR code, because each traveller's eSIM arrives in that traveller's own inbox.
Plans change on group trips, and the booking allows for it. eSIMs for travellers who join late can be added to the same account at any time, and most plans can be topped up on the eSIM a traveller already has if they use more data than expected, with nothing to reinstall.
This is the quote route from the first message to the first day of the trip, exactly as it runs today:
- Tell us about the trip: how many travellers, where they are going, roughly when, and how much data each person needs if you know. The form takes about a minute and asks for no card
- Get a quote: a real person replies, usually within one business day, with pricing for your group's size and the right plans for your destinations
- Send the traveller list: once the price is agreed, all we need is an email address for each traveller
- Each traveller gets their own eSIM: a personal email with a one-tap install link, a QR code as a backup and the setup steps, in one of six languages
- Pay once: one invoice covers the whole group, instead of a pile of roaming claims afterwards
- Support goes direct: travellers who need help on the road contact our team themselves, around the clock, so the organiser is not the helpdesk
The phone check every traveller must pass before you order
The most common reason a group traveller lands offline has nothing to do with the plan. Their phone either cannot take an eSIM, or it is locked to the network that sold it.
Both are quick to check, and worth checking before you order rather than at arrivals. Every eSIM-capable phone has an EID, a serial number for its eSIM chip. On Android, typing *#06# into the phone app shows the EID if there is one. On an iPhone, the option to add an eSIM appears under Settings, then Mobile Data, when the phone supports it.
The second requirement is that the phone is unlocked. A phone still tied to a contract can show a perfectly good EID and refuse an eSIM from anyone but its own carrier. The carrier can confirm the status and can usually unlock it, but that can take a few days, which is why the check belongs in the first message to the group, not the last.
Ask every traveller for a plain yes or no before you send the final headcount. For anyone who answers no, agree the fallback at home: an unlock in time, a hotspot from the person they share a room with, or a local SIM if their phone has a slot for one. Settling it at home costs one message. Settling it at arrivals costs the group its first hour. The message to send the group:
- Android: open the phone app, dial *#06# and look for an EID
- iPhone: Settings, then Mobile Data, and look for Add eSIM
- Phone bought on a contract: ask the network whether it is unlocked
- Reply yes or no in the group chat by the date the organiser sets
How much data to order per person
Group travellers use less data per person than most organisers expect, because the day is already planned for them. The itinerary, the coach and the guide take care of much of what an independent traveller does on their phone.
As a starting point for each traveller: a week on a guided tour with hotel Wi-Fi in the evenings sits around 3 GB. A week with plenty of free time, maps and social media fits in 5 GB. A business team working from laptops on hotspot needs 10 GB or more each. These line up with our general sizing guide, which puts light use at 300 to 500 MB a day, normal use at up to about 1 GB a day and heavy use at 2 to 3 GB a day.
Order more for the people who carry the group. A tour leader, teacher or team manager navigates, coordinates, answers messages all day and often shares a connection with a guide's tablet or with a traveller whose phone failed the check. One size up is the minimum. An unlimited plan, where the destination has one, with 3 GB a day at full speed and slower data after that until the next day, takes the worry away from the one phone that cannot run out.
Different sizes in one group are normal, and the quote can mix them, so the leader's plan and the travellers' plans don't have to match.
- Guided tour for a week, hotel Wi-Fi in the evenings: about 3 GB each
- City trip with free time for a week: about 5 GB each
- Business team working from laptops: 10 GB or more each
- Tour leader, teacher or team manager: one size up, or unlimited
When to order, when to install, when the plan starts
For most groups the comfortable rhythm is a quote two to three weeks before departure, the phone check sent the same week, and every eSIM installed at home in the days before the flight.
Ordering early costs nothing in validity. A plan's days are not counted from the purchase or from the install; the count begins when the eSIM first reaches a network at the destination. An eSIM that has never connected keeps for 180 days from purchase, so a spring trip can be sorted out in the winter. Treat five months as the comfortable limit.
Install before travelling, on Wi-Fi, with someone on hand who can help. The pre-departure meeting, the parents' evening or the team briefing is the ideal moment. Tapping the install link takes about a minute per phone, and the eSIM then sits on the phone, switched off, until the destination.
One trap to brief everyone on: data roaming for the eSIM line goes on after landing, not at home. A plan that covers several countries can include the traveller's own country, and a traveller who switches the line on at home to see what happens can start the plan before the trip. Tell everyone to leave it off until the plane is on the ground.
- Two to three weeks before: request the quote and send the phone check
- One week before: confirm the final headcount and the traveller emails
- A few days before: everyone installs on Wi-Fi and leaves the line switched off
- On landing: turn on data roaming for the eSIM line
Multi-country group tours: one eSIM for the whole route
Coach tours, school exchanges and choir or sports tours often cross several borders, and buying a separate plan per country for every traveller multiplies the work by the length of the route. A regional eSIM on each phone covers the whole route with one install.
In Europe the arithmetic is unusually kind to groups. At 1, 3 and 5 GB, the two cheapest Europe plans we sell are priced the same as a plan for most single European countries, while each reaches more than thirty destinations. At the sizes most group travellers need, a whole European route costs what one country does.
Check the coverage list against every stop before choosing. One of those two plans leaves France out, and neither reaches Turkey or the Western Balkans. For a group, getting the list right once gets it right for everyone on the coach.
Elsewhere, regional plans cover the Gulf, Southeast Asia, North America and more, and choosing the right one is part of the quote: tell us the route and we recommend the plan that covers every stop.
eSIMs for travel agencies and tour operators: earn on every sale
If your travellers pay for their own trip extras, our Partner Program lets you offer them an eSIM without running anything yourself. It is free to join, approval usually takes one to two business days, and you earn 12% commission on every sale made through your link or promo code.
Travellers check out on Lumbus, so payment, delivery and support around the clock are ours. Your part is putting the link where your travellers already look: the booking confirmation, the pre-departure pack, the group's WhatsApp chat, or a QR code printed on the itinerary. A one-line widget can also show our plans on your own website.
Commission is approved once the refund window has passed and is paid monthly.
The two routes suit different agencies. Building data into the package price and paying by invoice gives travellers one less thing to arrange and leaves the pricing to you. A partner link keeps the agency out of the payment entirely and earns on every eSIM bought with your link or code.
- Free to join, with no fees and no minimums
- Approval usually within one to two business days
- Your own tracked link, promo code or QR code, or a one-line widget for your site
- 12% commission on every sale, paid monthly
- Payment, eSIM delivery and traveller support handled by us
School trips, company teams, Umrah groups, clubs and weddings
The mechanics are the same for every group. The details that matter change with the kind of group, and these are the ones organisers ask about most.
- School and university trips: our terms require travellers to be 18 or to have a parent's consent, so send each student's eSIM to a parent or a teacher, install them all at the pre-departure meeting, and give the staff the larger plans
- Company teams and conference delegations: one invoice instead of a stack of roaming expense claims, and bigger plans for anyone working from a laptop
- Umrah and Hajj groups: a plan on every pilgrim's phone, because groups separate around the Haram, plus one larger plan for the hotel and the road between cities, and nobody queues for a local SIM with a passport in hand
- Sports clubs and tournament squads: stadium crowds slow the network for everyone at once on match days, so agree meeting points in advance instead of relying on messages, and give the team manager the bigger plan
- Destination weddings: guests arrive from several countries on different contracts, so a host can cover everyone's data on one invoice, or share a link so guests buy their own
- Choirs, bands and touring groups: multi-country routes, where one regional eSIM per person replaces a new plan at every border
What can go wrong on a group trip, and the fix for each
Group trips multiply small problems by the headcount, so it pays to know the answer to each one before departure rather than in the arrivals hall.
- A phone fails the check after you have ordered: an eSIM that has not been installed can be refunded under our refund policy, so it is not money lost
- A traveller drops out: the same applies to an eSIM nobody has installed
- Someone joins the trip late: add an eSIM for them to the same account at any time
- Someone runs out of data: most plans top up on the same eSIM, with nothing to reinstall
- Someone deletes the eSIM by mistake: the original install link or QR code can usually put it back on that same phone, as long as the plan is still running and has data left, so the rule for the group is to delete nothing until the trip is over
- No connection on arrival: the usual cause is data roaming left off for the eSIM line, and the traveller can reach our support directly at any hour
- A phone is lost or broken mid-trip: an installed eSIM stays with the phone it was installed on, so the replacement phone needs a new eSIM
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy eSIMs for a whole group?
Yes. If one organisation pays for everyone, request a quote with the headcount, the destinations and the dates; once the price is agreed, every traveller receives their own eSIM by email and you receive one invoice. If travellers pay for themselves, a travel agency or tour operator can share a partner link or promo code instead and earn commission on every sale.
Is there a group discount on eSIMs?
Group bookings are priced by quote rather than one by one off the shelf, with pricing built for the size of the group. Tell us how many travellers there are and where they are going, and the reply, usually within one business day, comes with the price for the whole group. Asking for a quote is free and needs no card.
How do I buy eSIMs in bulk for a tour group?
Request a quote with the group size, the route and the dates. Once you agree the price, send an email address for each traveller, and each of them receives their own eSIM with a one-tap install link and a QR code as a backup. There is nothing to print, collect or hand out on the day.
What does each traveller get in their eSIM email?
One email each, in one of six languages, with a one-tap install link that sets the eSIM up on the phone it is opened on, a QR code as a backup and the setup steps. Travellers don't need to create an account first, and the organiser doesn't need to forward anything.
Can one eSIM be shared by the whole group?
One eSIM works on one phone. Its data can be shared by hotspot with people standing nearby, which suits a coach or a hotel room, but the connection ends where the hotspot's range does. For a group that splits up during the day, an eSIM on every phone is what keeps everyone reachable.
Do all travellers in a group need the same data plan?
No. A group booking can mix sizes, and it usually should. The tour leader, teacher or team manager carries the group's coordination and often shares a connection, so their plan should be at least one size bigger than everyone else's, or unlimited.
What if someone in the group has a phone that doesn't support eSIM?
Find out before you order. An EID in the results of *#06# on Android, or an Add eSIM option in an iPhone's mobile data settings, means the hardware is there, and the phone also has to be unlocked. For anyone whose phone fails, plan a hotspot from a roommate or a local SIM if the phone takes one. An eSIM that has not been installed can be refunded under our refund policy.
Can a travel agency earn commission on eSIMs?
Yes. Our Partner Program is free to join and pays 12% commission on every sale made through your link or promo code, approved after the refund window and paid monthly. Travellers check out on Lumbus and we handle payment, delivery and support, so the agency has nothing to run.
How far in advance should a group order eSIMs?
Two to three weeks before departure is comfortable, which leaves time for the quote, the phone check and any carrier unlocks. Ordering earlier costs nothing, because a plan's days are only counted from its first connection at the destination, and an eSIM that has never connected keeps for 180 days from purchase.
Can students under 18 use a travel eSIM?
Yes, with a parent's consent, which our terms require for anyone under 18. For a school trip, send each student's eSIM to a parent or a teacher and install them all at the pre-departure meeting, so nothing is left to the morning of the flight.
Can we add travellers after the group order is placed?
Yes. eSIMs for late joiners can be added to the same account at any time, and a traveller who uses more data than planned can top up the eSIM they already have instead of starting again.
Who helps a traveller whose eSIM stops working mid-trip?
We do, directly and around the clock, in six languages, so the tour leader is not the helpdesk. The usual cause on arrival is data roaming left off for the eSIM line, which the traveller can switch on in their settings in a few seconds.
Will travellers keep their own phone numbers?
Yes. A travel eSIM carries data and sits alongside the traveller's own SIM, so their usual number keeps working for calls and texts on their home plan's terms while the eSIM handles the internet.
How can a group avoid surprise roaming bills?
Put a prepaid eSIM on every phone and keep data roaming off for each traveller's home line. Roaming costs depend on each traveller's own network and contract, from included to expensive by the day, so nobody knows the group's real cost until the bills arrive. A travel eSIM has a known price before departure, and when its data runs out it simply stops rather than billing more. Travellers whose contract already includes the destination may pay nothing extra to roam, so it is worth checking before you order for them.
How should an Umrah group organise its eSIMs?
An eSIM on every pilgrim's phone, because groups separate around the Haram and a hotspot only reaches whoever is standing next to it, plus one larger plan for the hotel and the road between Jeddah, Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia requires every local SIM to be registered to an ID, so installing eSIMs at home also spares the group a passport queue on arrival.