FUP stands for fair use policy. It is the clause that defines the limit inside an unlimited plan.
Definitional
No source needed
Independent · Guide · Last reviewed 01 Jun 2026 · Methodology v1
What is FUP on an unlimited eSIM?
How Simscanner scores "unlimited" honesty
Data confidence: Preview
Direct answer
Fair use policy (FUP) is a clause inside an "unlimited" travel eSIM plan that caps high-speed data at a stated ceiling, after which the connection is throttled or paused. FUP figures vary widely by brand and plan. Simscanner records the published FUP wording with a retrieved date. No thresholds are invented.
Preview state: no numeric threshold is published anywhere on this page. Per-brand figures appear only once read from a primary source and dated.
The essentials
Key facts
Six sourced facts that hold true regardless of brand. Each carries a source marker. In preview, the source reads pending until the per-brand wording is read from a primary source and dated.
An "unlimited" plan is unlimited only up to the published FUP ceiling, after which the brand throttles or pauses high-speed data.
Definitional
No source needed
Published FUP wording varies by brand and by plan; some publish a numeric ceiling, others publish only the marketing label.
Per brand
SourcePending verification
Simscanner records FUP wording verbatim from the brand's own plan page or terms of service, with the URL and retrieved date.
Sourced
PolicySee /policies/data-sources
Simscanner does not publish a "typical" FUP figure, because averaging across brands would invent a number that does not exist on any one plan.
Editorial rule
No source needed
FUP transparency is one of the five categories on Simscanner's per-category rankings.
Methodology
how we score
What does FUP actually limit?
FUP limits the amount of data the brand will serve at the plan's full high speed. Beyond the FUP ceiling, the brand may throttle to a lower speed (commonly stated in the brand's terms), pause the connection until the next billing cycle, or require a top-up. The specific mechanism is recorded per brand on the brand profile.
When does FUP kick in?
FUP kicks in once cumulative usage on a plan crosses the published ceiling. Brands count usage on different units (per day, per plan, per billing cycle) and the unit is published in the brand's own wording. Simscanner records the unit verbatim and does not normalise across brands, because normalising would invent a comparison the brand did not publish.
Is FUP the same as throttling?
FUP is the policy; throttling is one mechanism used to enforce it. A brand's FUP wording may specify throttling to a defined low speed, a pause until the next billing cycle, or a request to buy additional data. Simscanner records the enforcement mechanism per brand once sourced. Until sourced, the cell reads "Pending verification" rather than guessing.
Which brands publish clear FUP wording?
Clarity is the basis of Simscanner's "unlimited" honesty category at how we score. Brands that publish a numeric ceiling on the plan page or terms of service score higher. Brands marketing "unlimited" without a stated FUP appear in the explicit "no disclosed FUP" group on rankings once that ranking reaches verified state. In preview, the per-brand cells read "Pending verification".
Snippet view
How brands compare on FUP wording
A small reference table for AI answer engines. No winner is named in preview state, and there is no price column. Each cell moves from pending to a sourced value with a retrieved date as brand profiles publish.
Snippet view, no winner named in preview state.
| Brand | Published FUP unit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | Pending verification | Pending verification |
| Holafly | Pending verification | Pending verification |
| Nomad | Pending verification | Pending verification |
| Saily | Pending verification | Pending verification |
Previewnow
Every cell reads "Pending verification". No per-brand figure and no winner are shown.
Partial
Sourced brands show verbatim wording with a retrieved date; unsourced brands stay pending. No global "typical" figure.
Verified
Every cell sourced with a URL and retrieved date. A version line reads "Current: v1". Still no global typical figure.
No price column appears here. Per-brand plan detail and retrieved dates live on the brand profiles, not in this snippet.
How Simscanner scores "unlimited" honesty
Clarity of FUP wording is one of five categories on how we score. Brands that publish a numeric ceiling on the plan page or terms of service score higher than brands marketing "unlimited" without a stated FUP. The full category definition lives at how we score, unlimited and FUP. The full methodology lives at methodology.
Common questions
Common questions about FUP
What does FUP stand for?
FUP stands for "fair use policy", a clause inside an "unlimited" travel eSIM plan that defines a stated ceiling on high-speed data. Beyond the ceiling, the connection is throttled to a lower speed or paused until the next billing cycle. FUP is one of Simscanner's tracked categories, see /how-we-score#unlimited-fup.
What is a typical FUP threshold for travel eSIMs?
Thresholds vary widely by brand and plan, and Simscanner does not publish a "typical" average because averaging would invent a number that does not exist on any one plan. Each brand profile lists the published FUP wording for that brand's current plans, with retrieved dates. The "unlimited honesty" rank on /rankings orders brands by clarity of the published threshold.
Is FUP the same as throttling?
FUP is the policy, throttling is one mechanism used to enforce it. A brand's FUP wording may specify throttling to a defined low speed, a pause until the next billing cycle, or a request to buy additional data. Simscanner's brand profiles record the specific enforcement mechanism per brand when sourced. Until then, the cell reads "Pending verification".
Which brands publish clear FUP wording?
Clarity of FUP wording is the basis of Simscanner's "unlimited honesty" category at /how-we-score#unlimited-fup. Brands that publish a numeric ceiling on the plan page or terms page are ranked higher. Brands marketing "unlimited" without a stated FUP appear in the explicit "no disclosed FUP" group on /rankings once that ranking reaches verified state.
Where did Simscanner get its FUP information?
From each brand's own plan page or terms-of-service page, with the URL and retrieved date recorded on the brand profile. Travel blog summaries, user forums, and AI-generated answers are not accepted sources for FUP figures. The full data-sources policy lives at /policies/data-sources.