Globe Roaming in the USA: Prepaid and Postpaid Guide

Globe roaming works in the United States when an active, registered SIM connects to a supported partner network. Prepaid activates automatically with no minimum load required for activation; Postpaid is normally pre-activated except on select plans. AT&T and T-Mobile are the recognizable official US partners. Incoming SMS is listed as free for both account types, but bank and e-wallet OTPs are not guaranteed. Prepaid mobile data needs an active roaming offer and stops when its allowance ends; Postpaid can trigger Roam Surf 399 when mobile data and Data Roaming are enabled. Because US legacy networks have been retired, VoLTE provisioning and device compatibility matter for calls and texts.

Keep Your Globe SIM Loaded While in the USA

1

Enter Mobile Number you want to recharge:

2

Choose Load Amount:

Select Load Amount

Continue

Go to Load

Included with every top-up

No sign up or app

Delivery tracking

Immediate processing

Money-back protection

Globe Prepaid vs Postpaid Roaming in the USA at a Glance

Since 2013, PinoyLoads has provided fast, automatic Globe load online through browser checkout in USD, with no registration, KYC, or sign-up. Use the form above to check available Globe Prepaid load amounts or a $5 Data Bundle where available. After a successful regular-load top-up, you can register some eligible roaming packages yourself through GlobeOne or a currently supported Globe USSD menu; not every package is available through both channels. PinoyLoads does not sell or manually register roaming packages, pay Postpaid bills, activate roaming, or guarantee OTP delivery.

What to Do Before Leaving the Philippines

Globe Prepaid

• Confirm SIM registration and active status. The SIM must be registered under the Philippine SIM Registration Act and not permanently disconnected. If it has been idle for months, check your Globe balance and activity status before departure.
• Install and sign in to GlobeOne. Do this while still in the Philippines so you can browse available roaming offers, purchase a GoRoam USA pack if desired, and inspect account details without worrying about roaming connectivity.
• Check VoLTE provisioning. A Prepaid/TM account without active VoLTE can request provisioning through official Globe Messenger. This matters in the US because legacy 2G and 3G networks have been largely retired, so calls and texts depend on VoLTE over LTE.
• Add regular load if the validity deadline is approaching. Globe's Prepaid SIM terms can permanently disconnect a SIM after one year without a regular-load top-up, or after 120 days with zero regular-load balance and no promo registration. A successful regular-load top-up counts as regular-load activity; a Data Bundle or roaming package does not automatically protect the SIM from expiration.
• Consider buying a roaming data offer in GlobeOne if you know you will need mobile data on arrival. Confirm USA appears as the destination and review the live price and validity for your specific number.
• Configure alternative bank or e-wallet authentication. If your bank or financial app supports app-based authentication, biometric login, or recovery codes, set those up before leaving. This reduces dependence on SMS OTPs while abroad.

Globe Postpaid

• Verify roaming eligibility. Globe says roaming is pre-activated for most Postpaid customers, but some select plans are not enabled. If uncertain, contact Globe before travel or use the roaming hotline from abroad.
• Check account standing and spending limits. Postpaid roaming usage is billed to the account. Confirm there are no holds or restrictions that might block roaming data or calls.
• Keep mobile data and data roaming off until you intentionally need Globe data. This prevents an unintended Roam Surf 399 auto-charge on arrival.
• Review VoLTE provisioning. Most Postpaid accounts should be VoLTE-ready, but confirm with Globe if the line has been on an older plan or inactive device.

Which US Network Will a Globe SIM Use?

When you land in the USA, the Globe SIM should automatically select a compatible roaming partner. Let the phone try automatic selection first; registration time varies with location, coverage, device compatibility, and account provisioning.

If the phone does not register after restarting or toggling airplane mode, scan for networks manually:

• Settings path on iPhone: Settings > Cellular/Mobile Service > select the Globe line > Network Selection > turn off Automatic.
• Settings path on Android (Samsung example): Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Network Operators > disable automatic selection.

From the available networks, try AT&T or T-Mobile. These are the two recognizable official Globe roaming partners in the USA listed on Globe's current VoLTE destinations page. Globe's official list also includes Limitless Mobile, but AT&T and T-Mobile are the networks an ordinary user should expect to see and select.

Globe does not list Verizon as an outbound customer USA roaming partner—do not select Verizon expecting Globe roaming to work.

Important: Network registration, mobile data, calls and texts over VoLTE, and OTP delivery are separate checkpoints. Connecting to AT&T or T-Mobile does not automatically mean every service works. Each layer—radio access, VoLTE provisioning, data allowance, SMS routing—must function independently.

US 3G Shutdown, LTE, VoLTE, and Device Compatibility

The United States has retired most legacy 2G and 3G cellular networks. This is a structural change that affects how a roaming Globe SIM works in practice, and it is one of the most important things to understand before relying on your Globe number in the US.

What VoLTE does: VoLTE (Voice over LTE) uses the carrier's IMS system to let compatible calls and text services work over LTE without relying on legacy 2G or 3G voice fallback. This network capability is separate from purchasing an internet data allowance.

Why LTE or 5G bars are not enough: A phone can show a strong LTE or 5G signal and still fail to make or receive calls, send SMS, or deliver OTPs. That is because radio access (connecting to the tower), VoLTE provisioning (the account's ability to use voice services over IMS), and SMS/OTP routing are separate technical layers. A 5G icon proves data connectivity; it does not prove voice, SMS, or OTP reliability.

What must align:

• The phone must be VoLTE-capable and support the US carrier's VoLTE profile.
• The Globe account/SIM must be VoLTE-provisioned.
• The user must connect to a VoLTE-ready roaming partner (AT&T or T-Mobile for Globe in the US).

If any one of these is missing, the phone may show data-only service, fail to place or receive calls, or display "Emergency Calls Only."

Practical advice:

• Before leaving the Philippines, confirm that your phone supports VoLTE on US bands and that your Globe account is VoLTE-enabled.
• If the phone shows network registration but calls and texts fail, VoLTE provisioning or device compatibility is the most likely blocker—not load balance.
• Do not rely on a 5G icon as proof that everything is working. Test an actual outgoing call or SMS to confirm voice and text service.

Globe Roaming USA Data Promos and Rates

Important consumer finding: Globe's public USA offer pages did not show one consistent GoRoam catalog when checked on August 15, 2026. The Prepaid landing page, the central GoRoam FAQ, and the Postpaid roaming page each listed different prices, data allowances, or validity periods for what appear to be overlapping offers. Treat the rows below as official page snapshots—not a combined menu available to every account. The safest purchase-time reference is the offer displayed for your specific number in GlobeOne.

Do not assume all variants are available to your account. Open GlobeOne, search by country, choose USA, and treat the offer, allowance, validity, price, and eligibility displayed for your specific number as current at checkout.

Key operating rules:

• GoRoam is country-specific and data-only. It does not include regular cellular calls or SMS; standard zonal rates or a separate call/text offer apply.
• Prepaid data stops when the GoRoam allowance is exhausted or expires. There is no automatic fallback.
• Postpaid can fall back to Roam Surf 399 (₱399 for 24 hours of all-day data under a Fair Use Policy) when mobile data and data roaming remain enabled after a GoRoam pack expires. The USA uses the ₱399 Roam Surf service, not the ₱499 variant available in some other countries.
• Multi-country Prepaid Roam Surf Global Packs and Postpaid Longer Stay packs exist as alternatives. Exact current inventory should be checked in GlobeOne before purchase.
• GoRoam USA purchases can be made before the trip or after arrival within Globe's stated advance-purchase window. The pack activates when the phone first connects to the eligible partner network abroad.

For a broader look at roaming bundle options across categories, see the Globe roaming promos guide.

Prepaid and Postpaid Call and Text Charges

Globe currently publishes different incoming and outgoing call rates for Prepaid and Postpaid in the USA/Zone 1. Do not use one account type's table for the other—the directions are reversed between Prepaid and Postpaid.

SMS is billed per 160-character segment. A message longer than 160 characters may count as multiple segments.

Separate call/text offers worth knowing:

• Prepaid Roam ALL NET 99: ₱99 for 30 shared incoming/outgoing roaming call minutes plus 30 texts, valid for 24 hours. This is a GCash-exclusive offer and can coexist with data roaming promos except Roam Super Saver.
• Postpaid Roam Surf Plus: A ₱200 add-on to an active Roam Surf 399, providing all-day incoming and outgoing calls and texts to all networks under a Fair Use Policy. Registration uses ROAMSURFPLUS to 8080 after Roam Surf 399 is active.

How to Use Data, Calls, and Texts in the USA

Data Roaming toggle: Turn this on only when you intentionally want to use Globe mobile data in the USA. Receiving ordinary SMS—including incoming texts listed as free—does not require the Data Roaming toggle to be enabled. Leaving it on without an active data offer may result in charges (Postpaid) or simply no data access (Prepaid).

Phone number format:

• To reach a Philippine mobile number, use +63 followed by the number without the leading zero (e.g., +63 917 123 4567).
• To reach a US number, use +1 followed by the area code and number (e.g., +1 212 555 1234).
• The Globe number remains a Philippine +63 number while roaming. It does not change to a US number.

Messaging apps vs cellular SMS: WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber, FaceTime, iMessage, and RCS consume mobile data or Wi-Fi. They are not the same as ordinary cellular SMS. An OTP delivered via SMS and a message delivered via WhatsApp use entirely different channels. If you turn off Data Roaming, messaging apps will stop working over cellular but ordinary SMS can still arrive.

Dual-SIM cost risk: On dual-SIM phones, background data and automatic data switching can cause the Globe line to consume roaming data even when you intend the local US line to handle data. On iPhone, select the local US line for Cellular Data and turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching. On Android, set the local US line or eSIM as the preferred mobile-data SIM while keeping Globe enabled for calls and texts.

Can You Receive Philippine Bank OTPs in the USA?

Current Globe USA/Zone 1 tables list incoming SMS as free for both Prepaid and Postpaid. The SIM does not need a data pack simply to receive an ordinary incoming SMS. However, free incoming SMS does not guarantee delivery of every OTP from a Philippine bank, e-wallet, or government service.

Here is why: an OTP from BDO, BPI, Metrobank, UnionBank, Security Bank, RCBC, Landbank, GCash, Maya, SSS, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, or any other institution is sent by that institution or its messaging provider through A2P (application-to-person) SMS routing. This is a different delivery path from a person sending you a text message. An OTP can fail because of the sender's system, international A2P routing, carrier filtering, alphanumeric sender ID handling, timeout settings, or account-level security flags—none of which Globe load can fix.

Diagnosis flow:

• No ordinary SMS at all: The problem is likely Globe registration, VoLTE provisioning, device compatibility, or network selection. Fix the foundation first.
• Ordinary SMS works but one OTP sender fails: The problem likely sits with the bank, app, A2P aggregator, or filtering. Contact the institution rather than repeatedly buying load.
• Avoid rapid OTP requests. Requesting many OTPs in quick succession can trigger rate-limiting or temporary blocks on the sender's side.
• Configure app-based authentication before travel. If your bank or e-wallet supports biometric login, in-app push verification, or recovery codes, set those up while still in the Philippines.

For a deeper walkthrough on OTP failures specifically, see Philippine bank OTP not working abroad.

Regular Load, Roaming Packages, and SIM Validity

Regular load and a roaming data package serve different purposes and operate under different timers. Understanding the difference is essential for anyone keeping a Globe Prepaid SIM alive while abroad.

Globe's current Prepaid SIM terms define two expiration conditions:

1. One-year condition: No regular-load top-up for one year from the last regular-load top-up date.
2. 120-day zero-balance condition: No regular-load top-up activity or promo registration for 120 days after reaching zero regular-load balance, or after a promo expires with zero regular-load balance.

What does not count as activity: Globe states that incoming calls, outgoing calls, texts, data usage, and zero-rated or emergency activity do not count as valid activity to keep the SIM active under these terms.

The critical distinction: A Data Bundle or roaming package does not automatically extend SIM validity, reset load validity, prevent SIM expiry, or replace regular load. A promo registration can matter to the 120-day zero-balance condition because promo registration is listed as qualifying activity for that specific condition—but it does not replace the separate one-year regular-load top-up condition.

The safest approach: Add regular load before the one-year deadline and avoid leaving the line at zero regular load after a promo expires. Once a Globe Prepaid SIM is permanently disconnected, Globe says it cannot be reconnected and the number may be reassigned—this is particularly consequential when the number is tied to online banking, e-wallet, or government portal accounts.

PinoyLoads can help a supported Prepaid user add regular Globe load to create regular-load activity. It cannot repair an expired or permanently disconnected SIM, and it cannot guarantee number recovery once disconnection occurs. For more detail on keeping a Philippine SIM active while overseas, see keep a Philippine SIM active abroad.

Globe Roaming Not Working in the USA

If the Globe SIM is not working in the USA, follow this troubleshooting sequence. Different symptoms point to different root causes.

1. Confirm the SIM is active and registered. An unregistered or expired SIM will not connect to any network.
2. Confirm the Globe line is enabled. On dual-SIM phones, the Globe line may be disabled in settings. Verify it is turned on.
3. Restart the phone or toggle airplane mode. This forces the device to rescan for available networks.
4. Retry automatic network selection. Let the phone attempt to register on its own before intervening manually.
5. Scan manually and try AT&T or T-Mobile. These are Globe's recognizable US roaming partners. If the phone cannot register on either, the issue may be device compatibility or VoLTE provisioning.
6. Confirm LTE/VoLTE capability and account provisioning. In the post-3G US environment, a phone without VoLTE support or an account without VoLTE provisioning may fail to register for calls and texts even with a data signal.
7. If only data fails, confirm an active offer or allowance. Prepaid data stops when no roaming offer is active or the allowance is consumed. For Postpaid, verify that Roam Surf 399 has not triggered unintentionally.
8. If ordinary SMS works but one OTP fails, contact the sender. Repeatedly buying load will not fix an A2P routing or filtering problem on the institution's side.
9. Contact Globe when an active SIM cannot register or appears not to be VoLTE-provisioned. The roaming hotline is (+632) 7730-1212.

Common symptoms and what they mean:

• No Service: The phone cannot find or register on any network. Check SIM status, line enablement, and device compatibility.
• SOS Only / Emergency Calls Only: The phone detects a network but cannot complete registration. VoLTE provisioning or device band/profile mismatch is likely.
• Signal bars but no data: An active data allowance may be missing, or the APN may need adjustment. Globe says to try internet.globe.com.ph if the default https.globe.com.ph APN cannot browse.
• Calls and data work but OTPs from one sender do not: The problem is almost certainly on the sender or A2P routing side, not Globe.

For a broader all-country troubleshooting guide, see Globe roaming not working abroad.

iPhone and Android Settings

Menu names can vary by iOS and Android version. Treat the paths below as common examples, not universal instructions.

Network selection (manual scan):

• iPhone: Settings > Cellular/Mobile Service > select the Globe line if applicable > Network Selection > turn off Automatic, then select AT&T or T-Mobile.
• Android (Samsung example): Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Network Operators > disable automatic selection, then select AT&T or T-Mobile.

Data Roaming:

• Enable only when you intentionally want to use Globe mobile data in the USA. Receiving ordinary SMS does not require this toggle.
• On iPhone: Settings > Cellular/Mobile Service > Globe line > Data Roaming.
• On Android: Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Data Roaming (select the Globe SIM).

Dual-SIM data control:

• iPhone: Settings > Cellular/Mobile Service > Cellular Data > select the local US line. Turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching to prevent the phone from falling back to Globe roaming data.
• Android: Settings > Connections > SIM Card Manager > set the local US line or eSIM as the preferred mobile data SIM. Keep the Globe line enabled for calls and texts only.

APN for data troubleshooting:

• Globe's default APN is typically https.globe.com.ph. If roaming data does not work despite having an active allowance, Globe says to try internet.globe.com.ph as the fallback.
• APN settings affect mobile data only. They do not fix basic network registration, calls, SMS, or VoLTE provisioning.

If your phone supports eSIM and you plan to use a local US data line alongside Globe, confirm the device is unlocked. See Globe eSIM in the Philippines for more on eSIM compatibility.

Globe Roaming vs a Local US SIM or Travel eSIM

A local US SIM or travel eSIM is usually better suited for heavy local data use—maps, rideshare, streaming, and US domestic calls. But it cannot receive an OTP sent to your Globe number. A practical dual-SIM arrangement uses the Globe line for calls and SMS while the local US line handles data. This requires an unlocked phone that supports dual-SIM or eSIM functionality and careful configuration to prevent Globe roaming data charges.

Globe Roaming Support From the USA

If you need help while in the USA, these are Globe's current official support channels:

• Globe International Roaming Hotline: (+632) 7730-1212 or +63 2 7730 1212. Globe describes this number as toll-free even while roaming. Note that this applies to this specific Globe hotline—do not assume other international toll-free numbers are free from a Globe roaming line.
• Official Globe Messenger: m.me/globeph — useful for VoLTE provisioning requests, account questions, and non-urgent issues.
• GlobeOne over Wi-Fi: You can use GlobeOne while connected to Wi-Fi to inspect balance, account status, usage, and available roaming offers without incurring data charges.

Details to prepare before contacting support:

• Your Globe number and Prepaid or Postpaid account type
• Your current US city and state
• Phone make and model
• The network name displayed on the phone (e.g., AT&T, T-Mobile, or No Service)
• The specific symptom (no signal, calls fail, data fails, OTP missing)
• Any active roaming package or offer name
• Screenshots of error messages or network settings if possible

Conclusion

Globe roaming in the USA is straightforward once you understand the pieces: automatic activation for Prepaid, pre-activation for most Postpaid plans, AT&T and T-Mobile as official partner networks, a compatible VoLTE setup for calls and texts in the post-3G US environment, and GlobeOne as the live source for available offers. Keep your Prepaid SIM active with regular load, configure alternative authentication for banking and e-wallet accounts before you travel, and know how to troubleshoot step by step if something does not work.

• Globe Prepaid roaming activates automatically; no minimum load is needed for activation.
• Always check GlobeOne for account-specific GoRoam USA offers—official pages showed conflicting catalogs.
• Incoming SMS is free but OTP delivery depends on the sender, not Globe load alone.
• Add regular load before the one-year deadline to avoid permanent SIM disconnection.

PinoyLoads has served customers since 2013 with fast, automatic browser checkout for supported Philippine Prepaid products. Enter the Globe number and an email address, choose an available regular-load amount or Data Bundle, review the total price in USD, and pay using the methods shown at checkout—no registration, KYC, or sign-up. PinoyLoads sends receipt, processing, and delivery/status updates by email and provides a live order-status page. Delivery is normally within a few minutes, although carrier or system delays can occur. You can also send Globe load from the USA to a family member or friend's Philippine Globe number.

Frequently Asked Questions