Canstar Blue’s annual review of postpaid SIM-only providers compares plans from Amaysim, iiNet, Vodafone, Optus & Telstra based on factors including value for money, customer service, sign up & activation, billing, network coverage, plan flexibility and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
For the third year in a row, Amaysim has taken out top spot in our customer ratings for postpaid mobile plans. It earned top marks on value for money, sign up & activation, billing, network coverage and plan flexibility.
To find the best phone plan for your needs, you’ll first need to determine which type of phone plan you want. If you desire the perfect trade-off between flexibility and value, then a postpaid SIM-only phone plan may be the way to go. Provided you already own your own handset, you can pick from more than 20 different mobile carriers, all desperate for your business. Activating a new plan is as easy as ordering a SIM and porting over your old number if you want to keep it. But with so many service providers now to choose from, picking the right plan for your needs represents a challenge.
Canstar Blue can offer a helping hand with our annual review of postpaid SIM-only providers and their plans. Each year, we survey thousands of mobile users across Australia to find out how they’re getting on with their phone plans, and ask them to rate their mobile service providers based on key factors, including the sign up and activation process, customer service, bill information, network performance, plan flexibility, value for money and their overall satisfaction. While the majority of postpaid SIM-only plans come on no-contract terms, these ratings also include feedback from customers on contracted SIM-only plans. These are not to be confused with mobile phone plans that include a new handset.
This year’s review sees the big guys – Vodafone, Optus and Telstra – pitted against smaller providers Amaysim and iiNet. While iiNet is a large provider in the internet space, it uses the Optus 4G network for its mobile services – as does Amaysim. In fact, Amaysim is the largest Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in Australia, and has once again topped our customer satisfaction ratings – making it three years in a row.
Our annual review provides an insight into what customers think of these postpaid plan providers, but what exactly do they have to offer you right now?
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
min. cost $40 over 1 month plan period |
20GB | $40 | Go To Site |
 |
Mobile Voice $37.99 SIM Only
min. cost $47.99 over 30 day billing period |
9GB | $37.99 | |
 |
min. cost $720.00 over 12 month billing period |
Unlimited* | $60.00 | Go To Site |
 |
$55 My Promo Plus
min. cost $660 over 12 month plan period |
80GB | $55 | |
 |
min. cost $588 over 12 month plan period |
30GB | $49 | Go To Site |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Amaysim has ceased offering postpaid plans, but did have five postpaid phone plans on offer, starting from just $10. Plans were SIM-only and offered on both a postpaid and prepaid basis, so the below prices and inclusions still apply. Plans max out at $50 per 30-days – this coming with 40GB data.
Amaysim benefits from having unlimited calls & texts with all plans, as well as international call allowances on the $30, $40 and $50 plans. As it stands, Amaysim’s $10 plan (not listed below) is one of the cheapest to have unlimited calls & texts plus 1GB on board. Note that the plans below are identical to its prepaid plans – if you wish to shop with Amaysim, you’ll be led to prepaid plans.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
min. cost $20 over 1 month plan period |
2GB | $20 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $30 over 1 month plan period |
10GB | $30 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $40 over 1 month plan period |
20GB | $40 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $50 over 1 month plan period |
40GB | $50 | Go To Site |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
iiNet is probably best known for its internet services, but it also has a fairly concise range of month-to-month, SIM only postpaid deals. iiNet kicks things off at $15, with plans maxing out at under $40. There is a $10 SIM card setup fee, but other than that what you see is what you get. iiNet, unlike other providers, has 30-day billing periods, not monthly.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mobile Voice $24.99 SIM Only
min. cost $34.99 over 30 day billing period |
3GB | $24.99 | |
|
Mobile Voice $37.99 SIM Only
min. cost $47.99 over 30 day billing period |
9GB | $37.99 | |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Optus has a few postpaid plans across both month-to-month and 12 month contracts. As it stands there are some incentives for signing on for a year, including data bonuses and other perks. For example, sometimes customers can lock in double data for a year at no extra cost, while the month-to-month plans see no such benefit; right now, Optus has replaced three of its standard 12-month SIM plans with ‘My Promo Plus’ options.
My Promo Plus plans offer huge amounts of data (up to 80GB), and are available to new and re-contracting customers. As for other perks, data-free music streaming is included, and data-free video streaming can be added on for about $5 extra per month.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$45 My PromoPlus
min. cost $540 over 12 month plan period |
50GB | $45 | |
|
$55 My Promo Plus
min. cost $660 over 12 month plan period |
80GB | $55 | |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Vodafone is another provider that offers both 12 month and month-to-month SIM only options. Prices start at about $40 a month on 12 month terms, and Vodafone shines through for its big data bonuses and many extras. From time to time, customers can get upwards of 20GB bonus data. Many plans also come with generous international call allowances, Qantas Points and more.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
min. cost $540 over 12 month plan period |
15GB | $45 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $720.00 over 12 month billing period |
Unlimited* | $60.00 | Go To Site |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Rounding out the list is Telstra, and again it offers 12 month and month-to-month options. All plans get access to free and data-free NRL, AFL and Netball. Customers can also receive unlimited free Telstra Air data, plus other incentives from time-to-time. On higher-end plans, Foxtel Now packages are also often included. Plans start at about $40 a month, but quickly rise to close to $100 a month (and higher).
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
min. cost $828 over 12 month plan period |
60GB | $69 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $1068 over 12 month plan period |
90GB | $89 | Go To Site |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
As you can see above, there are lots of great postpaid SIM-only deals around. But before you go signing up with a plan, it’s important to understand exactly how these plans work because, unlike with prepaid phone plans, you could be charged more than you were expecting to pay. With postpaid plans, you pay your bills at the end of each billing period:
The main advantage of postpaid plans is that you’ll never been left stood by the side of the road unable to make a call, send a text message or use mobile data to chat online. If your prepaid plan had expired, you would need to spend extra money there and then to get your service back up and running. With postpaid plans, you can settle the bill later.
The main disadvantage of postpaid plans is the potential to blow out your budget if you are not careful. You’ll be familiar with the term ‘bill shock’! Make sure you know exactly what you will need to pay for going over your plan’s inclusions, and make sure that doing so doesn’t become a habit. If it does, you would be better off upgrading your plan rather than paying extra in excess charges.
The safety net of being able to make calls whenever you need to means that postpaid plans are probably a good idea for those who use their phones a lot, and those who travel fairly regularly. They may also be the preferred choice for parents looking for a phone plan for their child.
If keeping close tabs on your spending is important to you, then prepaid may be the wise alternative. For maximum bang for your buck, it’s hard to look past postpaid plans.
Canstar Blue surveyed 6,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who currently have a prepaid mobile phone plan in their name and they pay the bills – in this case, 1,217 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then alphabetically. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
Postpaid- Mobile Plans (2017)
Postpaid – Mobile Plans (2016)
Please note: the past ratings listed are for Mobile Phone Plans – with or without a handset.
Mobile Phone Providers – Plans (2015)
Mobile Phone Providers – Plans (2014)
Mobile Phone Providers – Plans (2013)
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