Are EU roaming charges coming back?
Image source: Getty Images  Thought to be a thing of the past, EU roaming charges are making a comeback. Since 2017, UK customers have been able to use the minutes, data and texts included in their tariff when travelling around the EU. But the Brexit trade deal opened this up, and EE is the first mobile operator to reintroduce EU roaming charges for new customers. Plot your path towards financial freedom with our Heros Journey tool! MyWalletHero is here to help you learn about taking control of your money, whether thats paying off debt, working towards a short-term money goal, or investing for your future. This tool can help you understand the next steps on your journey  simply choose a goal that best describes your current interests to get started. EE is the first mobile operator to break ranks. In January 2021, EE, O2, Three and Vodafone all said they had no plans to reintroduce EU roaming charges. But this week, EE announced that new customers joining or upgrading from 7 July 2021 will be charged 2 a day to use their allowances in 47 destinations from January 2022. However, the mobile operator is offering customers the chance to buy a 30-day pass for 10 to use their home tariff abroad. The move by EE to reintroduce EU roaming charges has led some to speculate about whether the other mobile operators will follow. At the time of writing, this doesnt appear to be happening. Instead, what O2, Three and Vodafone are saying is that they will place fair use limits on the amount of time that customers will be able to use their phones abroad. Basically, they will introduce charges if someone spends more than 62 days abroad in a four-month period. Similarly, data limits will be subject to fair use restrictions. Heres how each mobile network is approaching it:  O2 will have a monthly data limit of 25GB and will charge 3.50 for each GB after that. Vodafones limit will also be 25GB, with a 3.13 charge per GB after that. Three plans to reduce its limit from 20GB a month to 12GB a month from July. It will charge 3 per GB above the limit. Fair use limits have been around for a while. However, the UK trade deal has brought them into sharper focus. For now, it looks like operators are using them as a way to hold off reintroducing EU roaming charges. 4 iron-clad rules for saving money on everything Our Editor Sam Robson has been on a personal cost-cutting mission for years  and its time to share his wisdom. Check out his choicest saving tips and tricks in this free report, Sams 4 Iron-Clad Rules For Saving Money On Everything. Just enter your email below for instant access to your free copy. Click here! While it may be easy to just carry on and accept extra charges, you could save yourself hundreds of pounds each year by switching your mobile phone deal. Much like your car insurance or energy tariff, shopping around and comparing mobile networks could save you money. If you are happy to do a bit of haggling, you could bag yourself a bargain. Its best to be prepared if you do decide to do this. Try to do your research by looking at your data usage and the cheapest tariffs out there. And bear in mind that EU roaming charges may become more commonplace. Also, ask what new customers get, and if you arent happy, threaten to switch. But dont feel pressured to walk away if they say they cant do anything for you. Deals and discounts can also vary during the year, so keep an eye on the latest handset releases. Often the time to get a good price on a handset is a month or so after its successor has been launched. Get a free initial review lasting up to 1 hour, plus 50 off any follow-up advice. MyWalletHero has sourced you a 50 discount off the cost of advice when you find an independent or whole-of-market financial adviser through Unbiased.co.uk*. All advisers are FCA-regulated, qualified and give fully unbiased advice. To find yourself an adviser fast and for free  use the Unbiased matching tool. Find an adviser now! *This is an offer from one of our affiliate partners. For more information on why and how we work with partners, click here. About the author Kate Anderson Kate is a freelance writer specialising in personal finance. She made her start as an analyst at Nielsen, closely following financial news developments and working on the front line of best buys. Having written for MyWalletHero... Read More