You land, switch on your travel eSIM, and maps load. Then your bank sends a verification code for a card payment. Nothing arrives. The mobile data connection is fine; the missing text is a different problem.
Check the line that owns your phone number first. Many travel eSIM plans provide data but no ordinary SMS service. A code addressed to your usual number goes to your home SIM, not to the travel eSIM. Your home line must remain active, be able to register on a partner network in China, and be allowed to receive the message under your carrier’s rules. The eSIM can keep handling data at the same time on a compatible phone.
This is a troubleshooting guide, not a plan comparison. If you have not bought an eSIM yet, start with the China eSIM guide. If the code arrives but the wallet rejects your card, jump to the Alipay and WeChat Pay failure guide.
Identify which line is failing
Open your phone’s SIM settings. Look for two active lines, perhaps labelled “Primary” and “Travel.” Check the eSIM package details too: data-only means it normally has no SMS number for banks to contact. Do not change the number registered with your bank to an eSIM identifier or an unrelated local number just because data is working.
Then separate the symptoms:
| What you see | First thing to check |
|---|---|
| Websites load, but no SMS to your home number | Is the home line switched on and registered on a network? |
| No signal on the home line | Does your home carrier support service in China on this plan? |
| Normal texts arrive, but one bank’s code does not | Verify the registered number and ask that bank about its delivery or approval options. |
| Neither eSIM data nor SMS works | Fix the data connection first with your eSIM provider; do not assume the SMS issue is the same failure. |
Before you change roaming settings: Ask your home carrier what it charges for incoming texts, calls and data in China. Some carriers require a roaming feature for SMS; that does not mean you should enable expensive data roaming on the home line. Airalo’s support instructions explicitly warn that the required setting and charges depend on the home carrier.
On iPhone: keep voice and data separate
On a compatible unlocked iPhone, open Settings > Cellular (called Mobile Service in some regions). Check the home line and turn on Turn On This Line if it is disabled. Under Default Voice Line, select your home number. Under Cellular Data, choose the travel eSIM. Review Allow Cellular Data Switching: leaving it on may let the phone use the home plan for data under some conditions, so check the carrier’s rates before enabling it.
For example, “Primary” can stay on for a bank’s SMS while “China Data” handles maps and Alipay’s internet connection. Apple’s dual-SIM instructions confirm that calls and messages can use one line while cellular data is assigned to another; your carrier still has to provide service to the home line abroad. See Apple’s dual-SIM guide.
If the home line shows No Service, changing the eSIM’s data plan will not fix that. Check your home carrier’s China roaming coverage and account settings. Do not delete either eSIM profile as a first troubleshooting step; some activation QR codes cannot simply be reused.
On Pixel or Samsung: inspect the SMS default
On a Pixel, go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs. Keep the home SIM enabled. Set Texts and Calls to the home line, and Mobile data to the travel eSIM. Menu wording can differ by model and Android version. Google’s Pixel dual-SIM instructions explain the separate defaults.
On a Samsung phone, open Settings > Connections > SIM manager and check the preferred SIM for calls, texts and mobile data. If you do not see separate options on your model, consult its SIM-manager screen or your carrier before changing a line you rely on for verification. Airalo also documents these iPhone, Samsung and Pixel settings.
These settings are worth checking before departure, while you can still test a code with your bank and contact your carrier without airport Wi-Fi. After landing, a home SIM without roaming service will not start receiving texts merely because the other line has mobile data.
If the code still does not arrive
Check the destination number in the bank or wallet app, including its country code. Request one code and wait for its stated validity period; repeated attempts can trigger a temporary limit. If ordinary SMS to the home number also fails, the home carrier is the right first support contact. If ordinary SMS works but one sender’s codes do not, contact that bank or app instead. Ask whether it offers an in-app approval, another registered verification method, or an account-specific block. Availability varies by provider.
For Alipay or WeChat Pay setup, do not assume a working eSIM data connection completes passport, card and SMS checks. The payment setup guide explains the wider sequence. If checkout is already waiting and a code will not come, use a wallet you configured before the trip; where the merchant accepts it, try a physical card or cash. Do not keep retrying the same failed payment until your bank locks the card.
Before leaving your hotel for the day, make one small payment with your chosen wallet. Keep a second payment method. For the rest of the arrival setup, use the 14-Day Arrival Checklist rather than treating SMS as the only thing you need to solve.
What we checked
This guide reflects the linked Apple, Google and Airalo dual-SIM support instructions checked on September 26, 2026. They explain device settings, not whether your particular bank delivers codes or what your home carrier charges in China. Verify those two points with the providers that control them.
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