How to get free Wi-Fi anywhere in the world with credit cards

Whether you are a frequent traveler or a digital nomad, free internet access is a great advantage. If you don’t want to get an eSIM for example, Boingo Wi-Fi can be a good alternative method.

Boingo Wi-Fi is one of the largest wireless Internet companies in the world. They have over a million secure access pointsaround the world. They offer subscription levels available for people on the go.

Access points can be shops, office buildings, restaurants, airports or even airlines (WestJet, Lufthansa, Swiss, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, etc.).

Through a prior registration of your mobile device, the connection to the network can be in two ways.

For example, it can be found all over the island of Oahu, Hawaii. In Honolulu, there are plenty!

After downloading the Boingo application, you need to create your account. Then, the access to the network is done :

• automatically when a Boingo hotspot is nearby with the new Passpoint system
• or the application asks to authorize access to the hotspot and the connection is accepted

We recommend using a VPN when connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Find out why.

There are two subscription options:

• 24 consecutive hours of daily pass anywhere in the world: $7.95
• Unlimited: $14.99 per month

However, it can be totally free! Here’s the trick!

Thanks to Mastercard, World and World Elite credit cardholders have free access to Boingo! In fact, these people will have 12 annual accesses of 90 minutes free, with unlimited data.

You must confirm your eligibility here on the Mastercard website. Next, enter the credit card number to verify and then create a Boingo account.

As long as your Mastercard credit card is open, the Boingo subscription is valid.

In Canada, here are the Mastercard cards of the main institutions in the country that offer free access to Boingo’s Wifi:

If your World or World Elite credit card is not in this table, check to see if it qualifies on the Boingo page.

First, my colleague Brigitte did a very detailed article on her choice of World Elite credit card.

Coming back to the travellers or digital nomads, they will be inclined to choose between two options:

• Excellent travel insurance (medical, cancellation, delay, lost luggage, car rental, etc.)
• or no-FX fee (usually 2.5% in foreign currencies)

For insurance, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard and the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard stand out.

In addition to their excellent assurances, let’s do the pluses and minuses of each card:

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard has a welcome bonus, travel credits (up to $250 annual credit) and a first-year annual fee refund.

Credit cards have some almost hidden options. Having Wi-Fi (and it’s free!) makes life a lot easier when you’re traveling or working all over the world. Like Maude, who works and travels in Central America!