During my recent Asia trip to Japan and China, I tried using GigSky’s travel eSIM for mobile data. It turned out to be a surprisingly useful option — especially because I was able to use it for free thanks to my credit cards.

Here’s how it worked and what I learned from using it during the trip.

How I Got Free GigSky Data

Some Visa Signature credit cards offer complimentary GigSky data plans as a benefit.

In my case, I had three eligible cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Capital One Venture X
• another Visa Signature card

Each card provided 3GB of free GigSky data.

Before leaving for my trip, I added all three cards to my GigSky account. Once I arrived in Asia, I simply redeemed the data plans.

Here’s how I used them:

1. Activated the first 3GB plan when I arrived
2. Switched to the second plan when the first one was almost used up
3. Activated the third plan when the second one ran out

This gave me about 9GB of free data during the trip, which was more than enough for maps, messaging, and basic browsing.

One Important Quirk: You Can’t Stack Data on One eSIM

One thing I discovered is that GigSky does not allow you to add additional data to the same eSIM profile.

Instead, each plan creates a separate eSIM.

That means I ended up with three different eSIM profiles, each with 3GB of data.

When one ran out, I had to switch to the next eSIM manually in my phone settings.

It’s not difficult, but it’s something to know in advance.

Tip: Activate the eSIM Before You Travel

Another useful tip is to activate the eSIM while you still have Wi-Fi.

You can install and activate the eSIM before your trip, then simply turn it on when you arrive at your destination.

Doing this ahead of time makes the process much smoother when you land.

How Well Did GigSky Work?

Overall, GigSky worked well enough for travel.

However, it was not as fast as a local SIM card.

In Japan

The connection worked reliably, but the speed didn’t feel as smooth as when using domestic mobile data. Japan has extremely advanced cellular networks, so a local Japanese SIM would likely perform better.

Still, GigSky worked fine for:

• Google Maps
• messaging
• basic browsing

In China

The experience was more complicated.

China’s internet environment is very different, and many local apps work best with Chinese mobile numbers.

For example:

• DiDi (ride hailing)
• WeChat services
• Gaode Maps
• Taobao

These apps tend to work better with a local Chinese SIM card.

However, using GigSky had one big advantage:

it allowed me to access Google services, which are normally restricted in China.

For travelers who rely on Google Maps or Gmail, that can actually be very helpful.

Pros and Cons of Using GigSky

Pros

• Free data through Visa Signature benefits
• Easy to set up with eSIM
• Works across multiple countries
• Provides access to Google services in China

Cons

• Slower than local SIM cards
• Cannot stack multiple plans on one eSIM
• Requires switching between eSIM profiles

Final Thoughts

GigSky turned out to be a very convenient backup data option during my trip to Japan and China.

The speeds weren’t as good as a local SIM card, but the fact that I was able to use 9GB of data for free made it extremely worthwhile.

If you’re interested in trying GigSky for your next trip, you can use my referral code KEVI967 to get 25% off your purchase.