Airalo for Business: Pre-paid vs post-paid connectivity

For any business sending employees abroad, keeping your team connected is key for productivity and trip success. 

However, managing international mobile roaming costs can be a significant challenge. High, unpredictable bills, endless expense reports, and frustrating connectivity issues often lead to wasted time and budget overruns.

Enter Airalo for Business – your comprehensive solution for global connectivity that reduces mobile roaming costs by up to 90%. Our platform centralizes all eSIM purchases and invoice management, liberating your team from repetitive tasks, eliminating financial discrepancies, and simplifying currency exchanges. This allows your valuable employees to focus on what truly matters: your core business objectives.

Airalo for Business offers two distinct payment approaches to suit your organizational needs: pre-paid and post-paid monthly. Below, we'll explore the advantages and processes of each to help you choose the best fit.

What are pre-paid Airalo credits?

Pre-paid connectivity with Airalo for Business means you purchase a set amount of Airalo credits upfront. Think of it like loading a digital wallet specifically for your team's travel connectivity. Once these credits are purchased, each eSIM purchase or top-up automatically deducts from your total credit balance.

To give you even greater control, Airalo for Business allows you to set customized purchase limits per employee, department, or even your entire company. These limits can be configured monthly, quarterly, or annually, providing visibility and cost management for your admin and finance teams.

How pre-paid Airalo credits work:

• If your admin is purchasing eSIMs: On the Airalo Partner Platform, your travel administrator selects their desired eSIM package and chooses "Airalo Credits" as the payment option. The eSIM order will then appear in the "Orders" section of the Partner Platform, with the corresponding amount deducted from your Airalo credit balance.
  
• If an employee is purchasing eSIMs: If the self-purchase option is enabled for your organization, employees can directly purchase eSIMs through the Airalo app and choose "Bill to organization" as the payment method. The cost of their selected eSIM package will then be billed directly to your company and deducted from your central pool of Airalo credits. This eliminates the need for personal out-of-pocket expenses and reimbursement processes.

At the end of each month, you'll receive a single, consolidated invoice detailing all your organization's eSIM orders. 

Here's an example of the pre-paid method:

Imagine Hannah, your travel admin, purchases $1,000 USD worth of Airalo credits for the company. Later, Angie travels from Germany to Singapore for an important conference. When she lands in Singapore, she purchases a 3-day Singapore eSIM for $4.50 USD via the Airalo app and is instantly connected to a local network. On the Airalo Partner Platform, Hannah can see Angie's purchase under "Orders," with $4.50 USD deducted from the initial $1,000 USD credit balance.

What are the benefits of pre-paid Airalo credits?

The pre-paid payment method offers several advantages for your business:

• Predictable spending: By purchasing credits upfront, you gain immediate clarity and control over your connectivity budget. You pay once and then manage usage against your spending limit amount, eliminating unexpected spikes in spending.
• Enhanced budget control: Pre-paid credits allow you to align your connectivity spending with your financial planning. You can pre-purchase credits for an entire quarter or year to match your budget and then implement monthly spending limits for tighter control over individual or departmental expenses.
• Simplified financial management: With a single upfront payment, you significantly reduce the frequency of transactions and administrative effort associated with continuous top-ups. You only need to replenish credits when your balance runs low.
• Reduced administrative burden: The centralized credit system minimizes the need for individual expense reports and reimbursements, freeing up valuable time for your finance and HR teams.
• No expiry: Your investment is secure as Airalo credits never expire and roll over indefinitely, giving you maximum flexibility.

What is post-paid?

Post-paid connectivity with Airalo for Business works with a "pay-as-you-go" model, similar to a traditional credit card. You pay for all eSIM packages consumed during the previous month in a single, consolidated bill.

With post-paid, you set a total credit limit for your organization's connectivity expenses each month. Your employees and admin team can then purchase eSIMs, and the charges will accumulate against the credit limit.

Your company's credit limit can be adjusted and topped up at any time. Similar to the pre-paid option, you can also set purchase limits per employee, branch, and company, which reset monthly, quarterly, or yearly, giving you more control over connectivity costs.

How post-paid works:

• If your admin team is purchasing eSIMs: From the Partner Platform, your admin can purchase eSIMs, and these purchases will be automatically added to the "Orders" page. At the end of the billing cycle, all orders will be compiled into one consolidated invoice. Your admin team then simply pays the total amount for the eSIMs purchased – not the entire credit limit – ensuring you only pay for what was used.
  
• If an employee is purchasing eSIMs: Employees can choose their preferred eSIM package through the Airalo app and bill it directly to your organization. They can then activate their eSIM at their destination, with no reimbursement paperwork required. Their purchases are added to the "Orders" page on the Partner Platform and listed in the consolidated monthly invoice.

Here's an example of the post-paid method:

Consider Ben, who is traveling to New York from London to visit a client. He purchases a USA eSIM package directly from the Airalo app and bills it to his company. There’s no need for him to pay out-of-pocket or worry about reimbursement. On the Airalo Partner Platform, his eSIM purchase immediately appears under "Orders." At the end of the month, this purchase, along with all other organizational eSIM usages, will be included in the consolidated invoice.

What are the benefits of post-paid Airalo credits?

The post-paid payment method offers advantages for businesses that prioritize flexibility and simplified reconciliation:

• Cash flow optimization: Instead of a large upfront payment, you only pay for what your team actually uses each month. This can significantly improve your company's cash flow management.
• Streamlined monthly billing: All your organization's eSIM purchases are consolidated into a single invoice at the end of the month, simplifying reconciliation and accounting processes.
• Convenience and flexibility: Employees and admins can purchase eSIMs as needed without worrying about depleting a prepaid balance, ensuring continuous connectivity.
• Reduced upfront commitment: No large initial investment is required, making it easier to adopt Airalo for Business, especially for organizations with fluctuating travel needs.
• Scalability: The post-paid model effortlessly scales with your team's travel volume, adapting to both quiet and busy travel periods without requiring manual credit top-ups.

What to consider

The ideal payment method for your organization – pre-paid or post-paid – depends on your financial model, travel patterns, and desired level of control. 

Here are some key factors to consider:

• Budget predictability vs. cash flow:
  • Pre-paid offers maximum budget predictability as you allocate funds upfront. This is ideal if you have a fixed travel budget you wish to stick to rigorously.
  • Post-paid provides greater cash flow flexibility, as you only pay for actual usage after the fact. This is suitable if your travel needs fluctuate or you prefer to defer expenses.
• Administrative preferences:
  • Pre-paid requires less frequent payment processing (only when topping up), but involves monitoring your credit balance.
  • Post-paid involves regular monthly invoicing, which might fit existing accounting workflows well.
• Usage volume and frequency:
  • Pre-paid is excellent for organizations with predictable, consistent travel or if you prefer to allocate a set amount for a specific period (e.g., a quarter).
  • Post-paid is highly flexible for businesses with variable or high-volume travel, as it adapts to usage without needing constant credit management.
• Control over spending limits: 
  • Both options offer robust spending limits per employee/branch/company, but the approach to enforcement differs (pre-funded vs. post-billed with a credit limit).

Take control of your connectivity and travel budget with Airalo for Business

No matter your organization's connectivity needs and business travel patterns, Airalo for Business provides a flexible solution to manage your global connectivity. By eliminating roaming fees by up to ~90% and simplifying administrative tasks, we empower your travel admins, HR, and finance operations to support a connected workforce.

FAQs

Is there a subscription fee for Airalo for Business?

No, there are no subscription fees for Airalo for Business. You only pay for the eSIM packages you purchase, providing a cost-effective solution with full control over your budget.

Can I set spending and purchase limits for my employees? 

Yes, Airalo for Business offers comprehensive budget controls. You can set customized spending and purchase limits per employee, department, or company, which can be configured to reset monthly, quarterly, or yearly, depending on your budgeting preferences.

How does Airalo for Business help reduce mobile roaming costs by up to 90%? 

Airalo for Business offers significant cost savings by providing access to local and regional eSIM data packages at competitive rates, which are dramatically lower than traditional international roaming charges from mobile carriers. By eliminating hidden fees and pay-as-you-go roaming, you gain predictable and affordable connectivity.

What kind of reporting and analytics are available on the Airalo Partner Platform? 

The Airalo Partner Platform provides a comprehensive dashboard with detailed reporting and analytics. You can monitor employee data usage, track eSIM purchases by country or region, identify top users by spend, and gain insights into your overall connectivity expenses, all centralized for easy management.