Calling another country from the US on AT&T costs $4.00 a minute to most countries if you have no add-on ($5.00 to some, such as Vietnam), and $2.00 a minute to Mexico and Canada, according to AT&T's own rate table as of October 2026. The add-on AT&T sells to fix this is AT&T International Calling: $15 a month per line for unlimited calls to 85+ countries and discounted per-minute rates to 140+ more (AT&T International Long Distance, as of October 2026).

So you need the add-on, or another way to call, unless you only phone Mexico or Canada and your plan already includes them. Below: what the add-on covers, what a call costs to five common countries, and when you are better off without it.

Calling abroad from the US vs using your phone abroad

AT&T sells two separate products, and they are easy to mix up:

International long distance is when you are in the US and call a number in another country. This is what the $15 International Calling add-on covers.
Roaming is when you take your phone to another country and use it there. That is the International Day Pass: $12 a day on land in 210+ destinations, plus $6 a day for each extra line used the same day, as of October 2026. On cruise ships it is $20 a day (AT&T International Day Pass).

The Day Pass lets you use your plan abroad. The add-on does nothing for you when you are travelling outside Canada and Mexico. If you need both, you pay for both.

One trap sits between the two. AT&T's support page says calls to numbers outside the US made over Wi-Fi Calling are billed as international long distance, including calls to the country you are visiting and even if you have an international plan (AT&T: Call and text internationally). AT&T's advice is to use Wi-Fi Calling only for calls to the US and turn it off for other calls. Our guide on whether Wi-Fi calling is free internationally covers this in more detail.

What the $15 AT&T International Calling add-on includes

From AT&T's page and its offer details, as of October 2026:

Price: $15 a month, per line. Taxes, fees and other charges apply on top.
Unlimited calls from the US to 85+ countries. AT&T names China, Germany and India as examples.
Discounted per-minute rates to 140+ other countries.
Who can get it: you need a domestic postpaid wireless plan that includes unlimited talk. It is for phones only, and AT&T says eligibility can also depend on how long you have been a customer, payment history or credit.
Calls from Canada and Mexico are covered too, if your plan includes roaming in those countries.
Use rules: AT&T says the service is "for calls between people only, and for individual, non-commercial use." Banned uses include telemarketing, autodialed calls, call forwarding, monitoring services and broadcasting recordings. If AT&T decides you broke the terms, it can charge you pay-per-use rates or end the service.
Exclusions: calls to some countries may not be available, premium-rated numbers may cost more, and countries and rates can change without notice.

AT&T's postpaid rate table lists one rate per country with no split between landline and mobile numbers. AT&T does not say outright that the rate covers both, so check the country in the table before you rely on it.

Mexico and Canada are a special case. AT&T says most of its plans already include unlimited calling to both. Check your plan in myAT&T before you pay $15 for calls you may already have.

What a 10-minute call costs: AT&T vs BoraPhone

AT&T figures come from the "Eligible countries and rates" table on its long distance page, as of October 2026, and exclude taxes and fees. BoraPhone figures are its rates at the time of writing (October 2026).

10-minute call to	AT&T pay-per-use	AT&T with $15 add-on	BoraPhone landline	BoraPhone mobile
Mexico	$20.00 ($2.00/min)	Included	$0.40 ($0.04/min)	$1.10 ($0.11/min)
India	$40.00 ($4.00/min)	Included	$1.10 ($0.11/min)	$1.10 ($0.11/min)
United Kingdom	$40.00 ($4.00/min)	Included	$0.40 ($0.04/min)	$0.70 ($0.07/min)
Philippines	$40.00 ($4.00/min)	$2.00 ($0.20/min)	$4.60 ($0.46/min)	$6.50 ($0.65/min)
Colombia	$40.00 ($4.00/min)	Included	$0.90 ($0.09/min)	$0.90 ($0.09/min)

Pay-per-use is the expensive option by a wide margin: a single 10-minute call to India costs $40, which is more than two and a half months of the add-on. The Philippines is not in the unlimited group. With the add-on it costs $0.20 a minute, which is far below pay-per-use and also below BoraPhone's Philippines rates.

Which option is cheaper for you?

It depends on how often you call and where.

You call one country for hours every month. Get the add-on. Five hours a month to India is 300 minutes: $15 with the add-on, against $33 on BoraPhone at $0.11 a minute. AT&T wins, and you dial from your normal phone.

You call the Philippines a lot. The add-on still wins. 300 minutes a month costs $15 plus $60 in per-minute charges, so $75. Pay-per-use would be $1,200. Free apps like WhatsApp or Viber cost nothing if the person you call uses them.

You make a few calls a year. Skip the add-on. Three 10-minute calls to the UK cost $120 at pay-per-use, or $180 if you keep the add-on all year. A per-minute service like BoraPhone suits this kind of use: the same three calls cost about $1.20 to UK landlines or $2.10 to UK mobiles. It runs in a web browser, you top up from $5, the rate shows before every call, and there is no monthly fee. It also helps when you need a landline that is not on WhatsApp, or a country outside AT&T's unlimited list.

You only call Mexico or Canada. Check your plan first. If it includes them, you pay nothing extra. If it does not, pay-per-use is $2.00 a minute.

For a wider look at how carrier pricing compares with internet calling, see our carrier vs VoIP cost comparison, or check any country on the international calling rate index.

How to add or remove AT&T International Calling

To add it, AT&T says to log in to myAT&T and select AT&T International Calling. The steps are:

Log in to myAT&T.
Select AT&T International Calling.
Choose the line you want it on (it is charged per line) and confirm.

The "Get started" button on AT&T's long distance page leads to the same place. To do it by phone, call 611 from your AT&T phone or 800.335.4685.

AT&T's page only describes adding the package. To drop it, look in the same area of myAT&T or ask customer service on 611. Either way, AT&T's terms say pay-per-use rates apply as soon as the package is removed, so do not call abroad on that line afterwards expecting the old rates.

How to dial an international number from an AT&T phone

AT&T's instructions, as of October 2026:

Most countries: press + (hold the 0 key) or dial 011, then the country code, then the local number. Example for France: +33 then the number.
Mexico: +52, then the area code and local number. AT&T notes that the code for Mexican mobiles is now 52, not 521.
Canada and most Caribbean countries: these share the +1 code with the US, so dial 1 and the 10-digit number like a domestic call.

Drop the leading 0 that many countries use for domestic calls. A UK mobile written as 07700 900123 becomes +44 7700 900123.

AT&T Prepaid works differently

AT&T Prepaid has its own add-ons and rate table (AT&T Prepaid international rates, as of October 2026):

$10 International: 250 minutes a month to a list of countries.
$15 International Plus: unlimited calling to some countries and discounted per-minute rates to others.

AT&T says both include calls to landline and mobile numbers in the listed countries.

Country	Prepaid pay-per-use	$10 International	$15 International Plus
Mexico	$2.00/min	Included	Unlimited
India	$4.00/min	Included	Unlimited
United Kingdom	$4.00/min	Included	Unlimited
Philippines	$4.00/min	Not included	$0.20/min
Colombia	$4.00/min	Included	Unlimited

How to avoid surprise international charges on AT&T

Look up the country before you dial. AT&T's table shows the add-on rate next to the pay-per-use rate. Many countries are $0.00 with the package, but some, like the Philippines and Vietnam, still cost $0.20 a minute.
Turn off Wi-Fi Calling for calls to foreign numbers while abroad. Otherwise they are billed as international long distance.
Use a free app when the other person has one. For landlines and numbers that are not on any app, use the add-on or a per-minute service.
Compare carriers if you are thinking of switching. Our guides to T-Mobile international calling and Verizon international calling cover the same ground.

Frequently asked questions

Is international calling free with AT&T?

Not to most countries. Most AT&T plans include unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada, but other countries cost pay-per-use rates ($4.00 a minute to most countries as of October 2026) unless you add the $15 AT&T International Calling package.

How do I activate international calling on AT&T?

Log in to myAT&T, select AT&T International Calling and add it to the line you want. You need a postpaid plan with unlimited talk. You can also call 611 from your AT&T phone and ask an agent to add it.

How do I avoid international charges with AT&T?

Add the $15 package if you call abroad often, or use a free app or a per-minute service for occasional calls. When travelling, the International Day Pass covers roaming, and Wi-Fi calls to foreign numbers are still billed as international long distance.

Does the AT&T International Calling add-on work when I travel abroad?

Only in Canada and Mexico, and only if your plan includes roaming there. Everywhere else you need the International Day Pass, which is $12 a day on land as of October 2026.

AT&T International Calling: Add-On Price, Rates and Cheaper Options