This Travel App Lets You Call, Text, and Video Abroad For Free

When it comes to communicating when you travel abroad, the question is always about finding the cheapest way. I’ve gotten hit with cellular bills that are almost as much as my plane ticket, mostly because the rates are bad or I go over my international package plan, which is never fun to see when you get back from an awesome trip.

The good news is that Wifi works wonders, especially with notorious communication apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger, the only problem is that the other person needs to be using the same app in order to see the message or get the call. From my experience it’s always a hit or miss, especially if I’m trying to contact someone like my mom, who doesn’t always remember to check apps for messages or to turn on her Wifi so that she gets them at all. She also gets horrible cell service at her house and usually has to use a land line (weird, right?), so making a call with one of those apps is usually out of the question.

Getting a sim card in another country is usually pretty affordable, that is, if you have an unlocked phone that they will work in, and a card that will fit in your phone. I remember when I was in Cuba it was beyond expensive and limited to get Wifi, so I attempted using a sim card instead. The sim card itself was fairly inexpensive but it didn’t fit in my iPhone’s card holder, so they tried to cut it in order to make it fit, which made it almost break the holder.

Trust me when I say I’ve tried every possible way to find the easiest and cheapest way to communicate when I travel, and usually end up just being anti-social. But recently I was approached by a new communication app that looks like it could be the solution to connecting with anyone in the world, without the inconvenience of limitations and fees.

It’s called Primo, and it’s designed to allow users to not only connect app-to-app in any country for free, but to call four billion people around the world for free too. Well…you probably wouldn’t have time to call that many people, but you get my point. Anyway, the Primo creators asked me to try the new app by calling anyone in the world from wherever I currently was, emphasizing on the fact that it could be to a mobile or landline number and from an iPhone or Android.

Since I live in LA, I decided to hike on up to the Hollywood sign to try calling a friend that lives in Norway. I dialed out through the Primo app, using my friend’s regular Norwegian cell phone number, and was able to get a clear call that was free instead of a long distance charge! Primo gives you 500 free call minutes in the first month and 100 free minutes each month after that, with the option to purchase more for a reasonable price.

But! What’s also cool is that if I receive a call, let’s say from my mother who just saw a photo of me hanging off a cliff on Instagram and is concerned about me, she could call me on the U.S. number that I get with the app, and it would still count as a local call!

As someone who travels internationally almost every month, this is definitely something worth having, especially since I refuse to ever take my phone off airplane mode! Plus I really like the idea of being able to make work calls to business land lines, because that just means I don’t ever really have to be home! Primo just recently launched and still has a lot of plans for additional features and enhancements, so be sure to download it and give it a try!

Interested in being a part of this travel tech breakthrough? Primo is also offering the opportunity for tech investors of all levels to become owners of their amazing company!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored article however all opinions are my own and I really do think the app is awesome.