Buy an eSIM with Bitcoin Cash (BCH): Pay on the Right Network

You can buy a HelloSIM travel eSIM with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) by choosing "Pay with crypto" at checkout, selecting Bitcoin Cash on the secure payment page and sending the exact BCH amount shown on the Bitcoin Cash network. Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin are different coins on different networks, so BCH goes only to a BCH payment request and BTC only to a BTC one.

That second sentence is the heart of this guide. The two coins share a name, a history and some wallet software, which makes them easy to mix up at the moment of sending. Everything else about the payment works like any other HelloSIM crypto order.

Can you pay for a travel eSIM with Bitcoin Cash?

Yes. HelloSIM sells prepaid travel data eSIMs for 190+ countries, plus regional plans for areas such as Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America, and Global plans for longer routes. "Pay with crypto" is available at checkout on the website and in the HelloSIM iPhone and Android app, and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is one of about 100 coin and network combinations on the payment page. The list shown there is the current one, and it can change.

Every plan is priced in euros. When you choose BCH, the page converts the euro amount into Bitcoin Cash at the moment of payment and shows a payment address, a QR code and the exact amount to send.

Is Bitcoin Cash the same as Bitcoin?

No. Bitcoin Cash started as a split from Bitcoin, and since then the two have been separate coins with separate blockchains. A BCH payment request expects Bitcoin Cash on the Bitcoin Cash network; a BTC request expects Bitcoin on the Bitcoin network. Sending one to the other's request is a transfer on a different network, which can leave the payment incomplete, and blockchain transfers cannot be recalled once sent.

The mix-up usually happens in one of three places:

• Multi-coin wallets. Many wallets hold BTC and BCH side by side with similar names and icons. Open the Bitcoin Cash account before you send, not the Bitcoin one.
• Address formats. Bitcoin Cash addresses are often shown in the CashAddr format, which may start with "bitcoincash:" or with q or p. Older legacy-format BCH addresses begin with 1 or 3, just like many Bitcoin addresses, so the address alone does not always tell you which coin it belongs to.
• Exchange menus. Some exchanges also offer BCH as a token on other blockchains. Only the Bitcoin Cash network matches a BCH payment request.

If you hold both coins, decide which one you are paying with before you open the payment page, and choose that same coin there.

How to buy an eSIM with BCH, step by step

1. 1Choose a plan. Pick a country, regional or Global plan on the website or in the app.
2. 2Enter your email address. This is where the eSIM is sent. Guest checkout works with just an email; an account helps you manage your eSIMs and top up later.
3. 3Select "Pay with crypto". A secure hosted payment page opens.
4. 4Choose Bitcoin Cash (BCH). The page shows the payment address, a QR code and the exact BCH amount. The request stays open for 1 hour.
5. 5Send from your BCH balance. Scan the QR code or paste the address into your wallet or exchange, enter the exact amount and check that the network is Bitcoin Cash.
6. 6Wait for confirmation. Once the payment is confirmed on the blockchain, the eSIM is issued. It appears in your account or the app, and the QR code is emailed to you.
7. 7Install the eSIM. You can do this over Wi-Fi before you leave home.

How much BCH to send: exact amount, fee on top

Send the exact amount the page shows, not a rounded figure and not one you worked out yourself. Sending less can leave the payment incomplete, while overpaying still completes the order.

The network fee is paid by you, the sender, on top of the amount shown. A few wallet and exchange habits can quietly reduce what arrives:

• "Subtract fee from amount". Some BCH wallets offer this option. Leave it switched off so the fee is added to the transfer and the full amount reaches the address.
• "Send max" buttons. Sending your entire balance usually takes the fee out of it. Use it only if your balance is comfortably larger than the amount requested.
• Display units. Some wallets can show amounts in smaller units than BCH. Set the unit to BCH before you paste the amount, so the figure matches the payment page.
• Exchange withdrawal fees. Many exchanges deduct their fee from the figure you type. Check the amount that will actually be received and raise it if needed.

How long a Bitcoin Cash payment takes, and when to buy

The eSIM is issued when the payment is confirmed on the blockchain. How long that takes depends on the coin and the network at the time, so HelloSIM does not promise a number of minutes. Paying at home or in a hotel on a steady connection, and not at the departure gate, takes the pressure off.

Buying early costs nothing. The eSIM's validity starts when it first connects to a network at your destination, not on the day you pay, so you can buy and install it well before the trip. If the 1-hour window closes before you send, start a new request from checkout and never send BCH to an expired one.

What you need to pay with Bitcoin Cash

• An email address to receive the eSIM
• A phone that supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked
• BCH in a wallet or on an exchange, enough for the amount plus the network fee
• A Wi-Fi connection to install the eSIM

No bank card is involved. The minimum for a crypto payment is €1.00, and BCH can also be used to top up your HelloSIM wallet balance.

Refunds and what you are buying

All sales are final, so there are no refunds once an order is paid. Check the destination, the plan and your phone before you send any BCH. The eSIM is data-only and has no phone number, so it adds mobile data without replacing your usual number.

Pay with BCH and land connected

Choose Bitcoin Cash on the payment page, send from your BCH balance on the Bitcoin Cash network, make sure the full amount arrives and finish within the hour. Your travel data is then ready before you board.