Can I send an eSIM as a gift?
Yes. You can buy eSIMs for other people — for a trip you're sending them on, a frequent-traveler family member, a wedding-abroad gift. The activation email goes to their inbox; you pay.
How it works on the checkout
Add the eSIM to your cart as usual. At checkout you'll see a section called "Who is this for?" with three options:
- For me — everything goes to your email. The default.
- For one other person — the activation email goes to a single recipient you specify (great for sending an eSIM as a gift to one person).
- Different per SIM — if you have multiple SIMs in the cart and want to address them to different people (e.g., the four members of a travelling family). You'll see a small recipient form per SIM.
For the "for someone else" options, we frame the activation email as a gift: the subject line reads [your name] sent you an eSIM for [country] so the recipient knows it's not spam.
What the recipient gets
The recipient gets an activation email with:
- A QR code for easy install.
- Step-by-step setup instructions.
- The SM-DP+ address + activation code in case the QR won't scan.
- The same iOS one-tap install link your own activation would have.
They don't need an esimple account — they just install and use the eSIM. Anyone with the QR can install it (once), so treat that email like a gift voucher.
A few notes
- Receipts come to you as the buyer. Only the activation email goes to the recipient. They never see the price or your payment details.
- You manage the SIM from your account — top-ups, status, all of it.
- You can also send to yourself if you want a clean separation — e.g., business trips on your work email, leisure on personal. Just type whichever email at checkout.
If you're sending an eSIM as a literal gift before a trip and want to time the activation email, contact support@esimple.ai — we can hold the activation email until a date you specify (currently a manual ops step; an automated "scheduled gift" flow lands later).