An AT&T customer was shocked to receive a staggering $10,000 monthly bill for roaming charges, despite having activated an International Day Pass prior to traveling. The bill was particularly alarming as it featured nearly $8,500 for 4.25GB of roaming data and around $1,000 for 500 minutes of phone calls.
The International Day Pass offered by AT&T enables travelers to utilize their existing domestic plan’s talk, text, and data allowances while abroad. The unexpected bill left the customer feeling anxious and confused, as he believed he had taken the necessary steps to ensure his plan was active.
After receiving the bill, he reached out to AT&T customer service, and a support ticket was generated, indicating that an investigation into the situation would follow. Responses from other users on social media were largely critical of the situation.
Many expressed disbelief that 4GB of data could incur costs as high as $8,500 in 2025. One commenter noted that while excessive roaming charges should be in place to discourage overuse, they shouldn’t be punitive.
Although the customer affirmed he activated the International Day Pass before his trip, some users pointed out discrepancies in the billing receipt. Notably, it did not display an itemized charge for the Day Pass.
Instead, the receipt indicated that he upgraded to Business Unlimited Premium 2.0, which provides seven International Day Passes per line at no additional cost. For anyone experiencing a similar issue with a U.S. wireless provider, filing a complaint with the FCC is a recommended avenue for resolution.
Many who have previously filed complaints report a relatively swift response from the agency. If the customer’s claims are valid, the billing error appears to rest with AT&T.