I spent a significant part of December and a couple of weeks in January in India. Some of it was a true “vacation,” but for a couple of weeks, I worked remotely from a relative’s apartment. During my previous trip, I had purchased a phone specifically for use in India, preloaded with Google Pay and other essential apps. However, in the rush of last-minute packing, I accidentally left the phone behind, leading to some unexpected challenges.

Long story short, I remembered that my mobile plan allowed me to have two numbers, one of which was installed as an eSIM on my primary phone used in the U.S. While having the number was helpful, enabling it for transactions like Google Pay required additional verification steps, including a visit to the bank. In the meantime, I experimented with an app called MyPursu, designed for non-resident Indians to facilitate payments without a local phone number. It’s a brilliant concept, but unfortunately, it didn’t work reliably in all situations. Eventually, I set up my own phone for transactions, which worked seamlessly—making it the only device I needed. (more…)