Qonto travel eSIM brings team data to 180+ countries
August 11, 2026. Qonto and Gigs announced a business travel eSIM on July 7 that puts mobile-data assignment inside the Qonto app. The service is designed for Qonto administrators to assign an eSIM to a teammate much like they assign a company card. Gigs says the same installed profile can be reused across more than 180 countries, topped up in the app and connected to 5G or 4G LTE partner networks.
The launch announcement also promises 1GB of global data to every Qonto user. It does not publish the free allowance's expiry, the paid plan prices, a complete country list or the exact Qonto markets receiving the feature first.
There is also a rollout question. The Gigs release describes the service as launched, while Qonto's Head of Partnerships said it was coming during summer and a Qonto product leader said users would soon be able to try it. Qonto's public product-release page did not list the eSIM when checked on August 11. A business traveler should confirm that the eSIM menu is visible before treating it as the trip's data plan.
The traveler decision: Qonto eSIM is useful when a company already uses Qonto and wants an administrator to assign travel data to a teammate. Choose a separate Roaming eSIM when the traveler needs to compare public prices and network details now, is not a Qonto business customer, or wants a plan independent of the employer's finance app.
What Qonto and Gigs announced
The Qonto and Gigs announcement describes a team-oriented travel-data product rather than a normal consumer bank perk.
| Published feature | What it means for a business trip |
|---|---|
| Admin assignment | A Qonto administrator can assign an eSIM to a traveling teammate using a workflow compared with issuing an expense card |
| One eSIM for life | The installed profile is intended to stay on the phone and accept data for later destinations |
| 180+ countries | The customer selects a destination and buys data in the Qonto app; the public announcement does not provide the full country list |
| 5G and 4G LTE | Gigs says the service uses partner networks, but it does not name the operators for each destination in the announcement |
| In-app top-up | The release says users can add data at any time without installing another profile |
| 1GB launch data | The announcement says every Qonto user receives 1GB of free global data, with no public deadline or validity period stated |
| Arrival connection | Gigs says the user selects a destination, installs the eSIM and connects after arrival |
This is a practical model for an employer that wants to arrange data before a trip. It does not yet answer the questions an administrator needs for procurement: destination prices, invoices, spending controls, employee eligibility, unused-data ownership and what happens when a team member changes phones or leaves the company.
Is Qonto eSIM available now?
The public messages are not fully aligned.
- Gigs' July 7 release says Qonto users can now install travel eSIMs in the app.
- Qonto partnership lead Romain Goueffon described the feature as arriving during summer.
- A Qonto product leader wrote that users would soon be able to try it.
- Qonto's public What's New page did not list the travel eSIM when checked on August 11.
That does not prove the launch is delayed. App features can be phased, account-specific or omitted from a public release page. It does mean that an employee should not arrive at the airport assuming the option will appear.
Open the current Qonto app, look for the travel-data or eSIM option and confirm that the intended user can receive the assignment. If it is missing, ask Qonto whether the organization, plan, market or user role is eligible. Keep another data option ready until the assigned profile and destination plan can be seen on the traveler's phone.
Who can get the Qonto business travel eSIM?
The announcement is for Qonto customers, not any traveler who downloads the app. Qonto's current account-eligibility page says its business accounts are available to qualifying organizations registered in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands.
The eSIM announcement is framed as Gigs' expansion into France and calls Qonto the first French fintech to embed travel eSIMs. At the same time, it says every Qonto user receives the launch data. Neither Qonto nor Gigs publishes a market-by-market eSIM availability table on the open web.
Do not assume that having a Qonto account in one of the eight markets guarantees immediate access. The reliable check is the organization's live app and an answer from Qonto for that account.
Team assignment is the important difference
Most travel eSIM purchases involve one person acting as buyer, installer and user. Qonto separates those roles. An administrator can arrange the eSIM, while the employee carries the phone and uses the data.
That can remove reimbursement work and prevent an employee from buying an unfamiliar plan at the airport. Qonto already promotes card controls, expense tracking and approval workflows for business travel. The eSIM announcement, however, does not say that the same budgets, approval limits or reporting fields apply to mobile data.
Before assigning a plan, the business should settle five ownership questions:
- Which Qonto roles can buy and assign travel data?
- Does the employee need their own Qonto login on the phone?
- Who can see usage and buy a top-up during the trip?
- Can the profile move to a replacement phone?
- Who receives any refund or unused allowance?
Gigs' general travel agreement makes its service rights non-transferable and warns that moving a SIM to another device without consent may lead to termination. The Qonto launch does not publish a separate device-transfer policy. Do not delete or move the profile unless the in-app instructions or support team confirm the procedure.
The 1GB launch offer needs an in-app check
Qonto and Gigs say every Qonto user receives 1GB of free global data to mark the launch. Public materials do not state:
- the claim deadline;
- how long the 1GB remains valid;
- whether it is available in every Qonto market;
- whether each employee receives 1GB or each organization receives one allowance;
- whether a payment method or paid top-up is required;
- which countries accept the launch data.
Treat 1GB as an announced launch benefit, not a guaranteed allowance for a future trip. Confirm the destination and validity in the app before departure.
For light use, 1GB can cover maps, messaging and occasional web checks when automatic photo backup and video are disabled. It is not a sensible default for repeated video calls, laptop tethering or a long work trip. Use the travel data calculator to estimate the employee's actual requirement.
Check every destination inside the 180+ country claim
The release highlights the United States, the United Kingdom and Morocco as frequent Qonto business destinations. It says one installed profile works across more than 180 countries, but it does not publish the list or explain whether the traveler buys a country plan, regional plan or one worldwide allowance.
That distinction matters on a multi-stop itinerary. A Europe plan does not automatically include every nearby destination. The United Kingdom, Switzerland, Turkey, Albania and island territories should be checked by name rather than inferred from a regional label.
Gigs' general travel terms say service works only in the purchased coverage area and is not intended for the user's home country or permanent roaming. Check the live plan for every work stop, airport connection and side trip. Our country versus regional eSIM guide explains how to make that comparison.
Qonto travel eSIM appears to be data-only
Gigs' global travel-data agreement defines its travel service as mobile data-only. It also says a travel eSIM does not provide voice coverage or a local phone number. The Qonto announcement does not publish an exception for its integration.
The employee can still use WhatsApp, Teams, FaceTime, Signal and other internet services over mobile data. The Qonto eSIM does not establish a French, American, British or Moroccan number for ordinary carrier calls, SMS or local verification messages.
A dual-SIM phone can keep the usual work line active for calls and texts while the travel eSIM supplies data. Turn off data roaming on the usual line and disable automatic mobile-data switching to reduce the risk of home-carrier data charges. Read our calls and SMS guide before relying on the setup for client calls or verification codes.
Hotspot, plan length and refunds are not public
The launch does not state whether phone hotspot use is allowed, how long paid plans last, when the plan clock starts, what the paid allowances cost or how refunds work. Gigs' general terms say the checkout provides the allowance, coverage, duration, price and other service-plan details. They exclude routers, modems and commercial redirection devices, but that does not settle whether ordinary phone tethering is allowed on a Qonto plan.
An employee who needs a laptop connection should ask about hotspot use before purchase and test it before the first meeting. The administrator should also capture the checkout terms for the expense record. Do not infer that the reusable eSIM profile makes every purchased data allowance non-expiring.
Why Roaming eSIM is better for open plan comparison
Qonto's strongest feature is team assignment inside an existing business-finance workflow. Roaming eSIM has the clearer public buying path.
| Business travel decision | Qonto eSIM | Roaming eSIM |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Requires an eligible Qonto organization and an available in-app feature | No Qonto account or employer administrator required |
| Current availability | Public launch wording conflicts with Qonto posts describing a summer or coming rollout | Country and regional plan pages are publicly available now |
| Price comparison | Paid destination prices are not published on the open web | Retail price, allowance, validity, speed and top-up status appear before checkout |
| Network details | Announcement promises 5G and 4G LTE partner networks without naming destination operators | Live package records name supported operator options for the selected destination |
| Team administration | Admin can assign an eSIM to a teammate | Each traveler or buyer manages the order directly; no employer assignment claim |
| Reuse | One installed eSIM is intended for later destination top-ups | Reuse and top-up depend on the selected package; do not assume every plan is reloadable |
| Calls and number | Gigs travel terms define data-only service with no local number | Treat each package as data-only unless its card explicitly states otherwise |
| Support | Public Qonto eSIM support path and hours are not documented | Public support hub, WhatsApp contact and a published 24/7 help claim |
🏆 Roaming eSIM wins for immediate access and transparent comparison: a traveler can inspect destination plans without a Qonto business account, see the package terms and listed operators before checkout, and use a public 24/7 support route. Qonto wins when an eligible company values centralized assignment more than open self-service choice.
This is not a claim that every Roaming eSIM package is cheaper or that every package can be topped up. Qonto does not publish comparable prices, and Roaming eSIM package rules vary. Compare the exact checkout terms for the route.
Live options for Qonto's main business routes
The Roaming eSIM public package endpoint was checked on August 11. It returned 18 France plans, 37 United States plans, 18 United Kingdom plans and 17 Morocco plans. Those records expose the retail price, allowance, validity, speed label, supported operator options and top-up status before checkout.
Not every plan in those four results was marked reloadable. That is why Roaming eSIM describes top-up as a package-level feature rather than a universal promise.
Start with the route that matches the employee's itinerary:
- France Roaming eSIM for a France-only trip;
- United States Roaming eSIM for a US visit;
- United Kingdom Roaming eSIM for a UK visit;
- Morocco Roaming eSIM for a Morocco visit;
- Europe Roaming eSIM when several listed European destinations are included.
The four cards below keep the choice compact. Open the selected page to compare its live plans. Prices and availability can change, and a listed network is a supported option rather than a signal guarantee at every office, hotel or railway.
Business travel setup checklist
- Confirm the exact phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked.
- Check whether the Qonto travel-data menu is visible to the organization and intended user.
- Verify every country, allowance, validity period, price, hotspot rule and listed network before payment.
- Install on reliable Wi-Fi while the employee and administrator are both available.
- Keep the usual work SIM active only if its number is needed for calls or verification messages.
- Select the travel eSIM for mobile data and turn off data roaming on the usual line.
- Disable automatic mobile-data switching.
- Save the plan details and support route outside the finance app.
- Test ordinary data and hotspot use before the first time-critical meeting.
- Do not delete or transfer the eSIM until the provider confirms the recovery process.
Use the phone compatibility checker and installation timing guide before either purchase.
Ten questions business travelers ask about Qonto eSIM
- Is Qonto eSIM live now? Gigs describes it as launched, while Qonto leaders described a summer or coming rollout. Check the current app for the organization before relying on it.
- Who can use it? It is announced for Qonto business customers. Qonto serves eligible organizations in eight European markets, but no public market-by-market eSIM rollout list was available.
- Does every employee receive 1GB? The announcement says every Qonto user receives 1GB of launch data. It does not define whether that means each team member or each account, so confirm the allowance in the app.
- When does the free 1GB expire? No public deadline or validity period was stated in the sources reviewed.
- Which 180+ countries are included? Qonto and Gigs do not publish the full list on an open page. Check every destination in the live plan screen.
- Does it include calls, SMS or a local number? Gigs' travel agreement defines the service as data-only and says it provides no voice coverage or local number.
- Can an administrator assign it to a teammate? Yes. That team assignment workflow is the main difference described in the launch.
- Can the same eSIM be used on another phone? The service is described as reusable for later trips on the installed profile. Gigs' terms restrict transfers, so ask support before changing phones or deleting the profile.
- Can it be used as a phone hotspot? The announcement does not answer. Check the selected plan before relying on it for a laptop or another traveler.
- Is Qonto or Roaming eSIM better? Qonto suits an eligible company that wants administrator assignment inside its finance app. Roaming eSIM is better when immediate public access, route-level comparison, named network options and independence from a Qonto account matter.
Sources and updates
The launch date, team assignment, reusable profile, 180+ country claim, 5G and 4G LTE wording, top-up claim and 1GB benefit came from Gigs' July release and a public post by Qonto's Head of Partnerships. The rollout caveat came from comparing those launch claims with Qonto leaders' future-tense wording and Qonto's current product-release page. Qonto's help center established the eight account markets. Gigs' current travel agreement supplied the data-only, local-number, coverage-area and transfer context.
The Gigs release, Le Quotidien du Tourisme, Alertify and social posts repeat the partnership features but do not resolve rollout status, country-list visibility, employee eligibility, phone transfer, hotspot use, refunds or paid plan terms.
Update policy: We will revise this story when Qonto publishes the feature in its product releases or help center, provides a market-by-market rollout list, states the 1GB deadline and validity, publishes paid plan terms, clarifies hotspot and device-transfer rules, or documents the support and refund route.
