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.