Definitive answer on how to receive 2FA SMS calls in New Zealand with no charges

Forum|Forum|6 months ago
February 22, 2026
1 reply
61 views

First up, please accept my apologies if this has been answered before but there are so many threads out there with conflicting answers that it’s next to impossible to fully trust which one is correct.

We’re about to go to New Zealand for 4 weeks. Naturally I don’t want to pay roaming charges for that length of time so I’ve got an second e-Sim from a local company (Spark) which I plan to use for both primary data and voice. However, ideally I’d still like to be able to receive SMS messages, particularly essential 2FA ones, sent to my UK telephone number but without having to incur any extra charges over my regular monthly payment.

This is my current plan, using an iPhone 17. Can someone please confirm back that this will do what I want? Thanks.

Enable Wi-Fi calling on my iD Mobile plan while still here in UK (already done)
Set both Mobile data and Default Voice Line to be the NZ eSim.
Leave the ID eSim line On, which I believe is necessary for receive SMS/2FA messages but turn data roaming off.
I can also disable automatic network selection if necessary to prevent battery drain finding one - several threads suggest this can be an issue.

I’m hoping this combination will use allow ID to connect using either Wi-fi or my NZ eSIM and allow me to receive 2FA/SMS messages without any additional charges.

Best answer by Gemma M

Hi @stevett6,

Thank you for getting in touch, and I’m very sorry to hear about the issues you’re experiencing.

Please note that this applies specifically to your iD Mobile SIM. If you are outside of the UK and iD Mobile’s 50 inclusive roaming destinations, you will not be able to use services unless a spending cap is enabled or out-of-plan charges are applied, that included receiving OTP’s or other 2FA texts.

Below you can see the charges for roaming or making use of your iD Mobile services whilst in New Zealand:

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/international-and-roaming-charges

You are able to buy a roam-beyond bundle which allows you to use only data, the rate for this is:

Data	Duration	Price
2 GB	1 day	£5
10 GB	5 days	£20
20 GB	10 days	£35

Tip: To avoid being charged, we recommend setting your bill cap to £0.00 before leaving the UK if you are not wanting to be charged more than your monthly line rental.

The table below displays how much you’ll be charged for any minutes, texts or data that you use.

Roaming	Cost
Calls to UK*	£1.68
Calls to New Zealand*	£1.68
Calls received*	£1.50
Texts to New Zealand**	£0.42
Texts to UK**	£0.42
Picture message (MMS) sent**	£0.60
Internet and Data (per MB)***	£0.30

* Price per minute

** Please note: MMS charges vary. For further information, refer to Terms & Conditions. If you joined or upgraded on or before 20th June 2023 the MMS cost is £0.30 per message for Roaming within EU Bands 1 and 2.

*** Data is charged or deducted in one kilobyte (KB) increments and any part KB used will be rounded up to the nearest KB

**** The charges below will apply to all Pay-as-you-go customers starting from 1st October 2024. Find out more about the current charges here.

Prices shown include VAT where applicable.

I hope this clarifies everything and answers any questions you may have, if you do need further assistance or face any issues during your journey, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our customer service team via live chat, they’re happy to help.

Safe Travels!

Gemma M

The iD Mobile Social Media Team

Gemma MAnswer

iD Mobile Employee