How Global Pulse Works
Global Pulse is a check-in, trusted-contact notification, and emergency-information tool from ExpatPostal. It is designed for people who live abroad, travel internationally, spend time alone, or visit remote and off-grid locations.
Global Pulse can help you:
- Check in and confirm that you are safe
- Send an emergency alert to people you trust
- Notify contacts when you miss a scheduled check-in
- Share your last known location when available and authorized
- Find emergency-service information for your location
- Store important trip, residence, and emergency information
- Keep your family or trusted contacts better informed
Who Global Pulse Is For
Global Pulse may be useful for expats, snowbirds, digital nomads, solo travelers, older adults traveling or living abroad, adult children supporting parents abroad, students traveling internationally, remote workers, people living alone, people visiting rural or off-grid locations, cruise passengers, road-trip travelers, and short-term international travelers.
The Four Main Global Pulse Features
1. Emergency Alert
The Global Pulse Emergency Alert button gives you a fast way to notify selected contacts when you need assistance. Press and hold the button to begin an emergency alert.
When the alert is successfully transmitted, Global Pulse may:
- Record the date and time
- Record your available location when authorized
- Notify your selected emergency contacts
- Create a secure status page
- Display available local emergency numbers
- Provide buttons to call emergency services or trusted contacts
You do not need to type an explanation before the initial alert is sent. Afterward, you may be asked to identify the general type of situation, such as a medical emergency, personal safety concern, lost or stranded, transportation problem, natural disaster, missing documents, or other assistance.
2. Safety Check-Ins
You may choose when Global Pulse asks you to check in. Available schedules may include daily, every two days, every three days, every five days, every seven days, or custom days and times.
When prompted, you may select:
- I’m Safe
- I Need Assistance
- Emergency
- Remind Me Later
When you select I’m Safe, Global Pulse records the check-in and may notify the contacts you authorized to receive safe-status updates.
3. Missed Check-In Notifications
A missed check-in does not necessarily mean that an emergency has occurred. If you do not respond to a scheduled check-in, Global Pulse may:
- Send you a reminder
- Send an additional reminder
- Warn you that contacts may soon be notified
- Notify your primary trusted contact
- Notify backup contacts according to your settings
The notice explains that you missed a scheduled check-in and that an emergency has not been confirmed.
4. Emergency Information
Global Pulse may display available information for general emergency services, police, ambulance, fire services, the nearest available U.S. embassy or consulate, travel-insurance assistance, and your personal emergency contacts.
Emergency systems vary by country and region. You should independently review emergency procedures before visiting a new location.
Local Emergency Numbers
People traveling abroad may not know which number to call for police, medical assistance, or fire services. Global Pulse is designed to make available emergency information easier to find.
Depending on your device settings and available information, Global Pulse may use your current device location, your selected trip destination, your saved country of residence, or a country you select manually.
Global Pulse may provide a one-touch call button, but you remain responsible for placing the call unless a future feature expressly states otherwise.
Trusted Contacts
You choose the people who may receive Global Pulse notifications. For each trusted contact, you may control whether the person receives:
- Safe check-ins
- Missed check-in notices
- Assistance requests
- Emergency alerts
- Last known location information
- Trip details
- Secure status links
Your contacts do not need access to all of your information. You may assign different permissions to different people. Trusted contacts should accept their role before regular notifications begin.
Last Known Location
Location sharing is optional. Depending on your permissions, Global Pulse may record an available location when you check in, when you request assistance, when you activate an emergency alert, or while an active emergency workflow is operating.
A last known location is the most recent location Global Pulse was able and authorized to record. It may be delayed, approximate, incomplete, unavailable, or different from your current location. Global Pulse does not guarantee continuous or live tracking.What Happens Without Internet Service?
Global Pulse requires an available network connection to transmit digital alerts, emails, text messages, push notifications, or status updates.
When your device is offline, Global Pulse may save an emergency alert on your device, record the time you activated it, save an available location, continue attempting delivery, store selected emergency information for offline viewing, and display your saved trusted-contact information.
The app clearly tells you whether an alert was transmitted:
Alert Sent The Global Pulse system confirmed receipt of the alert.
Alert Delivery Pending — Waiting for Connection The system has not confirmed that the alert was transmitted.
Do not assume your contacts received an alert marked as pending. For remote or off-grid travel, consider carrying an appropriate satellite communicator or other safety equipment.Facebook and Instagram Sharing
Global Pulse may offer optional sharing tools for supported Facebook and Instagram accounts. You may be able to share “I’m Safe,” “Arrived Safely,” a voluntary travel check-in, an approved emergency notice, or a secure status link.
Social-media sharing is not the primary Global Pulse emergency-alert method. The primary notification methods may include SMS, push notification, email, and secure web links.
Public emergency posting, automatic social posting, and precise location sharing are turned off unless you deliberately enable them. Available social features may depend on the social platform, account type, permissions, and current third-party rules.
What Global Pulse Does Not Do
Global Pulse does not:
- Dispatch police, an ambulance, or firefighters
- Operate a rescue service
- Provide medical monitoring
- Provide professional security monitoring
- Guarantee emergency-service response
- Guarantee alert delivery
- Guarantee an exact or live location
- Replace travel insurance
- Replace a satellite emergency device
- Replace local emergency services
ExpatPostal employees do not continuously watch your location, check-ins, or emergency alerts.
Plans and Pricing
30-Day Travel Access$19.99 one time- 30 consecutive days of access
- Choose your activation date
- No automatic renewal
- Designed for one trip or temporary use
- Ongoing access
- Automatically renews until canceled
- Designed for expats, snowbirds, remote residents, and regular travelers
- No additional cost with an active ExpatPostal plan paid for one full year
- Non-annual ExpatPostal customers may add Global Pulse for $9.99 per month
Before You Activate Global Pulse
You should:
- Add accurate trusted-contact information
- Ask your contacts to accept their role
- Select a realistic check-in schedule
- Review your location permissions
- Verify your destination and time zone
- Review local emergency procedures
- Send a test alert
- Confirm that your contacts recognize Global Pulse messages