Manage your spending on the Flexible Plan

: June 7, 2024
: Google

Table of Contents

Manage your spending on the Flexible Plan

Manage your spending on the Flexible Plan

On the Flexible plan, your Google Fi bill can vary month-to-month based on your usage. You can use this article to learn to manage your costs.

What causes your bill to vary

Your domestic calls and texts are covered by your Flexible plan, so they won’t cause your monthly bill to vary. But you’ll want to pay attention to the following, which can cause your bill total to vary from month to month:

Data usage.
International calls from the U.S.
Using your phone outside the U.S. (international roaming).

Tips for managing data usage

Track your data usage

You’re charged the same rate for data whether you stay within your monthly data budget or go over it. But it’s still a good idea to pay attention to your data use so there are no surprises on your monthly statement. You get a notification on your phone when you’re close to your monthly data budget. You can choose whether to get this notification or not.

To check your current data usage:

Open the Google Fi website or app .
Go to the Account tab.
At the top of the screen, you can see your current data usage.
- To see your daily breakdown, select View details or View details .

View a tutorial on how to view data usage on your Android or iPhone.

Keep in mind that it takes about a day for your data usage to show up.

Activities that use the most data:

Streaming or downloading videos or music.
Downloading and uploading photos.
Downloading apps.
Using your phone as a mobile hotspot for other devices (tethering).
Turn-by-turn navigation.

Be aware that some apps may use data in the background without your knowing. Learn how you can optimize your data usage.

See what apps are using your data

You can use your phone’s settings to see what apps are using the most data. Learn how to check data usage by app.

Set a data alert or limit

You can get alerts from Google Fi about your data usage.

If you want to make sure you don’t go over your monthly data budget, on Android phones you can also set a data limit. When you reach that limit, mobile data on your phone turns off automatically and you get a notification.

Learn how to set a data limit through your settings. You can always turn your data back on.

View a tutorial on how to set a data limit on your Android.

Tips for managing international usage

Check your upcoming international charges

Here’s how you can check your upcoming charges for international calls from the U.S., and calls and data outside the U.S.:

Open the Google Fi website or app .
Go to the Account tab.
Below your current data use graph, select Overview.
Select Extras this cycle so far.
You’ll see a line for international charges, if you have any.

Note: International charges may take up to 60 days to appear, so the details you see here might not be completely up to date.

Check international long distance rates

Since international calls from the US are charged per minute separately from your monthly plan, you may want to check the rate for the country you’re calling before you make your call. Calls to Canada and Mexico from the US are included in your monthly plan.

Receiving international calls in the US is included in your plan. There’s no additional cost.

International texts within the U.S. are also included in your plan. There’s no additional cost to send or receive international texts.

Turn off international long distance if you don’t want to use it

If you want to guard against making any international calls from your phone, you can turn this feature off or on entirely.

Open the Google Fi website or app .
Go to the Account tab.
Under “Your plan,” select Manage plan.
Turn Calls to non-US numbers off.

Turn on international settings

You can still receive international calls. Receiving international calls is free. Learn more about calling and texting other countries from the U.S.

Know how much it costs to use your phone outside the U.S.

In over 200 supported countries around the world, you can enjoy data for just $10 per GB (the same rate as in the U.S.), cellular calls for $0.20 per minute, and texts at no additional cost. You can also make calls over Wi-Fi. The rates for calling over Wi-Fi depend on the country you’re calling and can be more or less than $0.20 per minute.

Since international phone use is charged separately from your monthly data budget, it’s a good idea to keep the international rates in mind.

Learn more about using your phone outside of the U.S.

Turn off international roaming entirely

If you want to avoid phone costs entirely while you’re traveling outside the U.S., you can turn off international roaming completely. You won’t be able to make or receive calls, send or receive texts, or use data. To turn international roaming off: