MILAN, Italy and SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 30, 2026 (EZ Newswire) — Instead of paying expensive roaming fees, turning to third-party applications, or buying a physical SIM card when traveling abroad, BBVA customers in Italy can now purchase and activate an eSIM directly through BBVA’s bank app. To offer this new mobile connectivity service, BBVA relies on Gigs, a leading embedded connectivity provider.
“With the new eSIM, we are making it easier for our customers to access an essential service when travelling abroad, in a fully digital and frictionless way, adding mobile connectivity to BBVA’s range of solutions that go beyond purely financial services,” says Walter Rizzi, Head of Digital Banking at BBVA in Italy.
The eSIM service complements a broad range of solutions in Italy that BBVA is already offering to support its customers before and during their trips, simplifying different needs within a single digital environment. Customers currently have access to solutions for planning each trip through the dedicated ‘MyTrips’ tool, which helps them budget and categorise travel expenses, as well as exclusive benefits such as 0% FX fees on payments abroad with the BBVA debit card, a natural companion to the new eSIM when travelling abroad, and free cash withdrawals of €100 or more across the eurozone, including unlimited free withdrawals at BBVA ATMs when travelling to Spain. This is complemented by the payment flexibility and instalment options offered by ‘Pay&Plan,’ along with other direct benefits such as 4% interest on account balances and 4% cashback on purchases.
“Today’s travellers don’t want to juggle different apps for every part of their trip, they want to manage the essentials in one place. By embedding connectivity directly into its app with Gigs, BBVA gives customers one place to budget, pay, split expenses, and stay connected abroad. It’s a radically better experience built for those who want to travel, bank, and connect globally,” says Hermann Frank, co-founder and CEO of Gigs.
An eSIM for travelling in your BBVA app
This eSIM service is designed for customers travelling abroad who need a simple, fully digital way to access mobile data. The eSIM only needs to be installed once and can be reused to purchase new plans in the future, so customers do not need to reinstall it every time they travel.
The entire experience sits within the BBVA app. Customers choose their destination and data allowance, then activate their eSIM with a tap. On arrival, they simply switch it on to connect to a local network. Customers can also track data usage, check their plan’s remaining validity, receive usage alerts, buy more data, and contact technical support, all without leaving the app.
The new eSIM is initially available to individual customers residing in Italy who are over the age of 18 and hold a BBVA online current account, provided their device supports eSIM technology.
A more proactive, useful, and personalised banking experience
With this launch, BBVA is entering the connectivity space, a new category of services with the potential to grow in the future and support customers both while travelling and in their day-to-day lives. Integrating these types of solutions into the app makes it possible to offer a more proactive, useful, and personalised experience.
For now, the eSIM service is already available to the bank’s customers in Italy, with the possibility of progressively extending it to other markets.
About Gigs
Gigs, the operating system for mobile services, empowers tech companies to embed connectivity into their product. By bundling phone plans and travel data with their core services, Gigs’ customers can increase stickiness and unlock a new recurring revenue stream with digital mobile experiences that create meaningful value for consumers. Trusted by the world’s leading tech companies including Revolut, Klarna, Cash App, and Motorola. Backed by Ribbit Capital, Google, and Y Combinator, plus the CEOs of Uber, DoorDash, and OpenAI, Gigs was founded in 2020 by Hermann Frank and Dennis Bauer. For more information, visit gigs.com.
About BBVA
BBVA is a global financial group whose strategy revolves around a single purpose: “Support your drive to go further.” Its approach to banking is based on one idea: understanding each customer and supporting them in their financial decisions. In this regard, the Group supports families, entrepreneurs, and businesses in their plans for the future, helping them seize the opportunities offered by innovation and sustainability. Through its activities, BBVA contributes to the progress and well-being of all its stakeholders: customers, shareholders, employees, suppliers, and society at large.
Our purpose is underpinned by strong values — the customer comes first, we think big, and we are one team — and six strategic priorities: embed a Radical Client Perspective in all we do; boost sustainability as a growth engine; scale up all enterprise segments; promote a value and capital creation mindset; unlock the potential of AI and innovation; and strengthen our empathy to succeed as a winning team.
BBVA holds a leading position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico and has leading franchises in South America and Türkiye. In Europe, BBVA has a steadily growing presence, driven by its specialized offices serving business customers and its focus on digital banks in Italy and Germany. In addition, BBVA provides specialized services to large corporations through its offices in the United States and Asia. For more information, visit bbva.com.
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SOURCE: Gigs
