Saily just turned the eSIM into a $1 burner phone number

If you’re like me and have relied on travel eSIMs, you know the drill. You get access to mobile data abroad without paying the premium your carrier charges for the roaming bill. But more often than not, you’re stuck with just data since you don’t actually have a proper phone number to use.

But Saily is trying to make traveler eSIMs a lot more useful by actually including a phone number. NordVPN‘s eSIM app is now letting users get a dedicated US +1 phone number directly through the Saily app. The number subscription starts at $0.99 per month, with separate call and text plans also starting from $0.99. So, for less than a cup of coffee, you get a second number that can be handy for food delivery apps, hotel bookings, ticketing services, online marketplaces, 2FA codes, and all those random forms that ask for your phone number.

Why Saily’s new deal is pretty useful

While the headline is the $1 US phone number, the second angle is the privacy-friendly deal. Rather than handing your main number to every app, shop, or service, you can use the Saily number as a buffer. It also helps with services that prefer or require a US number. This feature isn’t just for show either, since you can make actual calls, send SMS, and receive verification codes, which make it more useful than a typical data-only eSIM. Users can get the number in the app, allowing them to complete identity verification with a government ID or passport, install the eSIM, and set it as the primary line if needed.

So it should be really useful for frequent travelers, digital nomads, or anyone who likes keeping their personal number away from the spam machine.

Things to keep in mind

This is not a full replacement for every mobile plan. Saily’s support pages say MMS is not supported, so picture messages, group messages, and messages that convert into MMS may fail. Premium-rate numbers and call forwarding are also off the table.

Call minutes are shared between incoming and outgoing calls, which is worth noting before treating it like a normal unlimited voice line. People calling your Saily number may also be charged international rates because it is a US-based number. Regardless, the deal is pretty sweet as a cheap second line. Saily already offered mobile data in over 200 destinations, but adding a phone number makes it a more rounded travel communication tool.