Esim

In a time where everyone is talking about reducing dependence on American big-tech, I spent last week doing the opposite. I switched from a Dutch payment provider to an American one.

Not in a “I love hyperscalers” way. In a “I have run out of options” way.

The setup

You may have read about my eSIM side project. It’s a small webshop selling prepaid eSIM data bundles for travel. No subscriptions. No recurring billing. Customers buy a bundle, pay once, and the eSIM gets generated automatically. That’s it.

Earlier this year I was planning a trip to the 🇺🇸 US. Despite the current political situation there, I had a great time and met some wonderful people. I did not have a single negative experience.

During trip planning, I started looking for an eSIM. An electronic SIM card for mobile data while I am in the US. There are many options. But I noticed something: not a single one of my options was 🦁 Dutch.