Compare Prepaid Phone Plans

Why compare prepaid plans with Canstar Blue?

What is a prepaid mobile plan?

Prepaid is essentially a phone plan that you pay for in advance. These are typically available as SIM-only plans, where you will receive a SIM card and phone number (you can also keep and use your current number if you prefer). Most prepaid SIMs are pre-loaded with a certain amount of inclusions (calls, SMS and mobile data), so you just need to insert the card into your phone, activate and then you’re ready to start using your plan. You can also buy a prepaid SIM card on its own with no call, text or data inclusions, and then choose your preferred prepaid plan later when activating your SIM card.

Once you’ve set up your prepaid plan, you will have a set amount of calls, SMS and data included, which you are able to use over the course of your expiry period. An expiry period is how long you have to use your inclusions until you need to either recharge your plan, or until it automatically resets (depending on whether you have auto recharge set up). Expiry periods are commonly over 28 or 30 days, however there are also short-term and long-term expiry periods — it can be as short as 7 days, or as long as 365 days.

When it comes to inclusions, what you pay will typically determine how much value is on your plan. The cheapest prepaid mobile plans might be on a short-term expiry period, while the more expensive ones might be a 12-month plan. Most prepaid plans these days include unlimited standard national calls and SMS, while data inclusions can be as little as 1GB and as much as 100GB (and even plans with unlimited data). Ultimately, whichever prepaid plan you sign up to will need to suit your needs and budget.

Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) plans

Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) plans are similar to prepaid plans in that you pay for your plan upfront. However, PAYG is more like the traditional prepaid plan where your calls, texts and data use is taken from your account balance and charged per minute, text or MB of data.

Month-to-month plans

If you want a plan that runs every month, most prepaid plans are usually over a set expiry period, commonly over 28 or 30 days. Postpaid phone plans are typically offered as month-to-month plans, where you pay a bill monthly without a lock-in contract. A couple providers, namely Felix, TPG and iiNet, offer prepaid plans but on a rolling month-to-month basis.

Long expiry plans

Prepaid plans can include a range of different expiry periods — some as short as 7 days and some as long as 365 days. Many telcos offer long-expiry prepaid plans, which can be convenient if you like to ‘set and forget’ your plan, but you may need to monitor your usage throughout your expiry period.

Best prepaid providers and plans

There are many different telcos in Australia which offer prepaid plans. The big three telcos — Telstra, Optus and Vodafone — all offer prepaid mobile plans in addition to a suite of other mobile phone plans, and also operate the three mobile networks across Australia.

Some smaller providers, known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), focus on offering prepaid plans only and can offer some competitive options to the big three telcos. These smaller providers — including Boost Mobile, ALDI Mobile, Amaysim, TPG and Woolworths Mobile — will deliver services using either the Telstra, Optus or Vodafone mobile network. Keep in mind that before you sign up to a provider that you check your mobile network coverage to ensure you have coverage where you live and any places you frequently visit.

Trying to find the best prepaid provider can be hard. If you’re curious about what other Aussies think of their prepaid provider and plan, at Canstar Blue we release an annual report on Australia’s favourite prepaid providers. We surveyed Australians on criteria such as value for money, network coverage, customer service and ease of recharge and overall satisfaction with their prepaid provider, with the winning provider awarded the Most Satisfied Customers award for Prepaid Mobile SIM-Only.

How to find the best prepaid plan?

If you’re not dedicated to a particular prepaid provider, there are plenty of prepaid plans to choose from. Comparing a range of plans and providers could help you find the best plan for your needs. However, you’ll need to consider a few things before signing up to a plan.

Plan length

Prepaid plans are offered on different expiry periods. There are short term plans which run over seven days or so, there are ‘monthly’ plans that run over 28 days, 30 days or monthly, and long-term plans which usually run over 90 days, six months or 12 months/365 days.

A short term plan is great if you need something for a short period, such as overseas travellers. A short-term plan will need to be recharged more frequently, so even if the plan is cheap, if you’re recharging it multiple times, the cost will add up and you might have been better off with a 28 or 30-day plan.

Long-term plans are great if you like to set and forget, however it is not without its faults. Long-term plans will typically need you to ration your inclusions such as data to avoid recharging early. For example, a 12-month plan with 200GB of data in total will only give you around 16GB of data per month, so you’ll need to keep on top of your usage, otherwise you might find yourself recharging long before the 12-months is up.

Cost

Cost is also an important factor when choosing a prepaid plan as you’ll need to ensure you’re signing up to a plan that fits in your budget. Keep in mind that the cheapest prepaid plans are sometimes on a shorter expiry period. If you want a monthly plan, it’s best to compare the costs of 28 or 30-day plans, rather than recharging a cheaper short-term plan.

Another thing to consider is that a long-term plan will require you to pay a bigger amount upfront. Some plans, especially over 12 months, can cost anywhere from $100 to $300, which might seem like a lot, but when you work out how much this cost is per month, it can give you an indication as to whether this plan represents good value for your needs.

Inclusions

When comparing plans, you’ll also want to look at what is included on the plan. Typically data will be the biggest driver, and it’s important to ensure you’ve got enough data for your needs. However, when comparing data inclusions on plans, don’t forget to check the expiry period to make sure it’s enough data over that period of time. Often plans with big data inclusions will be long-term plans, which won’t be enough if you’re looking for lots of data over a monthly expiry period.

Some plans might also include other extras like data banking, 5G network coverage or even unlimited data (but usually at a capped speed). Data banking can be useful if your data usage differs from month-to-month and like a bit of extra data up your sleeve. You might also want to keep an eye out for any offers and deals such as bonus data or discounts on plan fees as some telcos will run deals from time-to-time.

Is a prepaid plan right for me?

Prepaid plans have their pros but there are also cons which might not suit everyone’s needs. If you like to pre-pay for your plan and essentially ‘set and forget’, a prepaid plan might be right for you.

Lighter phone users, such as children and seniors, might also find a prepaid plan suits their usage needs. For parents, a prepaid plan puts the responsibility on the child for managing data usage, otherwise they will be unable to use data until the plan is recharged or additional data is added on.

However if you don’t want to be out of data if you happen to go over your inclusions, you might prefer a postpaid plan for that security, knowing you can continue using your inclusions (depending on the plan) and pay the additional cost later.

Prepaid plans are also rather convenient, with prepaid SIM cards available online and in some stores such as supermarkets. Some plans also include auto recharge so you truly can set and forget, bar monitoring your data usage.

Ultimately you’ll need to consider whether a prepaid plan will work for you, and if there are plans out there that suit your needs. These plans aren’t for everyone but you can typically cancel a prepaid plan without paying any exit fees, so if you find it doesn’t work for you, you can always switch to another plan.

About our phone experts

Tara Donnelly: Utilities Editor

As Canstar Blue’s Utilities Editor, Tara Donnelly covers the internet, mobile and energy sectors – topics she’s spent a decade focused on, alongside consumer technology, within the comparison industry. Her telco expertise has seen her appear in national media including 9 News, 7 News, Sunrise, the ABC and The Sydney Morning Herald. You can follow Tara on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Josh Filosi: Data Insights Analyst

Josh Filosi is Canstar’s Data Insights Analyst, and helps develop and deliver the methodology for Canstar Blue’s Value Rankings and Awards for the telco industry. He holds a double-major in Economics and Behavioral Science, and enjoys interpreting complex data. Connect with Josh on LinkedIn.