Fair-use policy (FUP)

A fair-use policy defines the hidden limits of an "unlimited" plan — usually a daily high-speed allowance followed by reduced speeds.

A fair-use policy (FUP) is the fine print that governs how much you can really use a mobile data plan — most importantly on plans sold as "unlimited". A typical travel eSIM FUP grants a fixed amount of full-speed data per day (for example 1–3 GB), after which speeds are throttled until the next day.

FUPs exist because networks must manage congestion, and roaming agreements are priced per gigabyte. They are not inherently dishonest — but an unlimited plan's daily cap and post-cap speed matter far more than the word "unlimited".

Before buying, find the FUP in the provider's terms or help center and check three things: the daily high-speed allowance, the throttled speed after it, and whether hotspot use is restricted.