Operators charge extra fees. Your EU package has a hidden limit you don't know about

Going on vacation to Italy, Spain or Croatia in 2025 for many Poles means peace of head thanks to the rule “Roam Like At Home”. We are convinced that our national net package operates throughout the European Union without any additional costs. Unfortunately, reality frequently brutally verifies these expectations erstwhile we return home and receive a telephone bill for hundreds and even thousands of zlotys. This is not a mistake or a fraud – this is the consequence of mechanisms that operators are reluctant to talk about, and which are full legal.

The key to knowing the problem is the so-called. Fair usage Policy (FUP), or Fair usage Policy. It is an EU mechanics to prevent abuse, but in practice it becomes a trap for unconscious users. Contrary to popular belief, your EU data roaming package is not unlimited. It has hidden limit, whose amount depends straight on the price of your subscription in Poland. The cheaper you have the package, the little data you can actually usage abroad before the operator starts charging severe subsidies. In this article we will explain how this strategy works and what to do to avoid financial shock after vacation.

Fair usage Policy (FUP) – Key to knowing additional charges

The "Roam Like At Home" rule never meant full freedom. Its aim was to enable Poles to usage the telephone on national terms during their journey. In order to defend operators from a situation where customers would buy cheaper services in a single EU country to be permanently utilized in another country, it was introduced Fair usage Policy (FUP). It determines how many gigabytes from your national package you can actually usage in roaming without surcharge.

This limit is calculated on the basis of a simple expression that makes it dependent on the net price of your subscription and the wholesale rate for data transmission in the EU. In 2025, the maximum wholesale rate set by the European Union will be even lower, which may paradoxically mean larger FUP packages. For example, if your subscription costs 60 PLN net per monthand the wholesale rate is EUR 1,5/GB, Your EU roaming limit will be respective gigabytes. It's much little than 100 or 200 GB you can have in the country. After crossing this threshold, the operator has the right to charge additional fee for each megabyte used, in line with the EU maximum rates. That's where advanced bills come from.

How to check your limit and where to find information?

The biggest problem is the deficiency of proactive and clear communication by operators. Information about the FUP limit is usually hidden deep in rules for the provision of services or on undisclosed websites. Operators are obliged to send you SMS after crossing the limit with information about the rates and the next 1 erstwhile you are approaching the exhaustion of the FUP limit (e.g. after consumption of 80% and 100% of the package). Unfortunately, many users ignore these messages by treating them as standard notifications.

To avoid surprise, you must act proactively. Before each abroad trip, do 1 of the 3 things:

• Login to the mobile app of your operator – Most modern applications (Play24, My Orange, My T-Mobile, Plus online) have the section “Roaming” in which your current FUP limit is clearly specified.
• Call the hotline. – the consultant is required to give you precise information about the size of your roaming package.
• Send free SMS – any operators supply peculiar SMS codes that return information about the available limit in response.

Remember, not knowing does not relieve the work to pay. The Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) confirms that charging after exceeding the FUP limit is full legal, provided that the operator has informed the user, even if he has only done so in the rules and via standard SMS.

Traps outside the EU region – erstwhile the telephone generates costs itself

Another origin of gigantic bills is the unconscious usage of a network of operators outside the European Union, where the "Roam Like At Home" rule is not applicable. This problem concerns not only apparent countries like Switzerland, Turkey, Albania or Montenegrobut besides places we seldom think about in these categories.

Special care should be taken:

• On cruise ships and ferries – in global waters the telephone frequently connects to the satellite network, where the cost of 1 MB of data can be up to 50-60 PLN.
• In aircraft – any airlines offer on-board Wi-Fi, but if your telephone connects to the mobile network “AeroMobile”, the bill can be astronomical.
• In border areas – surviving or travelling close to the border with Ukraine, Belarus or Switzerland, Your telephone can automatically control to a stronger abroad operator signal, which immediately triggers charging at global rates.

To defend yourself from this, the best solution is manually choice the operator network in the telephone settings. alternatively of automatic mode, choose a permanent network of 1 of the partners of your Polish network in the country where you are staying. It is besides worth to completely disable data roaming erstwhile approaching the EU region border.

Practical guide for 2025: How to avoid a threat account?

In conclusion, knowingly utilizing a telephone abroad is essential. alternatively of hoping for happiness, follow the following rules so that your vacation does not end in a financial disaster:

1. Check your FUP limit before leaving. Do it in the app, on the hotline or via SMS. This is the most crucial step.
2. Monitor data consumption. Check the operator's application regularly or usage the phone-based data counters.
3. Set the data limit on your phone. Both Android and iOS let you to set the informing and transmission lock after crossing a certain threshold. Set it somewhat below your FUP limit.
4. Use Wi-Fi. In hotels, restaurants and public places, usage free Wi-Fi to download maps, watch videos or update the app.
5. Disable automatic synchronization. Cloud images, app updates – disable these options in your telephone settings so they don't usage a valuable package in the background.

Remember that EU roaming rules are beneficial but not unconditional. Treat your FUP package as a valuable resource, not an inexhaustible source. This will aid you enjoy the connectivity without worrying about a bill that will spoil your best vacation memories.