Does the Amex Aeroplan Reserve include a free eSIM?

No. The American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card is an American Express card, and Amex runs no cardholder eSIM program in Canada, so no complimentary travel data is attached to it at any tier.

Does the Amex Aeroplan Reserve charge a foreign transaction fee?

Yes. American Express Canada states it as a conversion commission set out in your card's information box, applied on top of the interbank rate, charged on top of the rate the payment network applies. On a travel eSIM billed in US dollars that fee applies like any other foreign purchase.

American Express Canada · American Express

Does the Amex Aeroplan Reserve include an eSIM?

No, nothing is included

The American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card is an American Express card. American Express runs no cardholder eSIM program in Canada, so there is no complimentary data attached to this card at any tier.

Where it runs out

There is no complimentary allowance on this card, so every megabyte you use abroad comes from either your Canadian carrier's roaming rate or a travel eSIM you buy yourself. The gap is the part worth planning, and it is cheaper to close than most people expect.

Closing the gap

Our Europe+ plans start at $4.99 USD, and a 10GB plan valid 30 days costs less than a single day of most Canadian carrier roaming. You keep your Canadian SIM active for calls and 2FA texts, switch data roaming off on that line, and run data over the eSIM.

Browse Europe+ plans

The card itself

Annual fee: $599
Foreign transaction fee: A conversion commission set out in your card's information box, applied on top of the interbank rate
Network tier: American Express

What it earns

On what	Rate
Purchases made directly with Air Canada	3 points per $1
Restaurants, quick service, coffee shops and drinking establishments	2 points per $1
Everything else	1.25 points per $1

Travel perks worth naming

The richest Air Canada earn rate of any Canadian card at 3 points per dollar
Lounge access and Air Canada travel benefits

Best for

Frequent Air Canada flyers, where 3x on fares does most of the work of justifying $599.

Watch out

The 1.25 points per dollar base rate is the best in the Aeroplan lineup, but it is spent cancelling a conversion commission the moment you buy anything in another currency.

The conditions on the eSIM benefit

Visa runs a cardholder eSIM program with GigSky and Mastercard runs one with FlexiRoam. American Express has no Canadian equivalent, so on an Amex the data is on you.
This is the single clearest reason to carry a Visa or Mastercard alongside an Amex on a trip, quite apart from the acceptance problem abroad.

Other American Express cards

These carry the same network tier, so the eSIM answer is identical. They differ on fees, earn rates and whether they charge you to spend in another currency.

Sources

Card facts were read off the issuer's own product pages and regulated disclosures on 2026-08-23. Network eSIM terms come from the program operator's own Canadian terms page, not from a rewards blog. Both operators can change or withdraw these programs without notice, so confirm before you rely on one. We sell travel eSIMs and none of these card links pays us a commission.

American Express Aeroplan Cards: annual fees and earn rates — American Express Canada
Amex Bank of Canada Aeroplan cardmember agreement: charges made in foreign currencies — American Express Canada

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