Get Nan on the blower, we’ve rounded up the best 365-day plans and cheapest long expiry prepaid plans for low-usage customers.
The best 365-day prepaid and long expiry mobile plans in March 2024
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- What are 365-day prepaid plans?
- Best 365-day prepaid plans under $150
- Best 365-day prepaid plans under $200
- Best 180-day prepaid plans under $150
- Best long expiry plans on the Optus network
- Best long expiry plans on the Telstra network
- Which providers have 365-day prepaid plans?
- How to pick the best 365-day prepaid plan
- Commonly asked questions about long expiry prepaid plans
There was a time when even the best 365-day plans featured only the minimum inclusions and were used more for receiving calls than making them (or parking a phone number). Back then, prepaid plans with 30-day recharge cycles included more overall value for calls and data. These days, most long expiry plans have shifted with the times, focusing more on data-usage than phone calls and texts.
In this guide, we're going to take a look at the best 365-day plans and long-expiry prepaid plans available in Australia. But first, here's a look at the most popular plans in this category:
The most popular 365-day plans in Australia
What are 365-day prepaid plans?
The best 365-day prepaid plans and where to find them
365-day prepaid plans (also known as long expiry plans) are a type of SIM-only mobile plan that lets you lock in a year of on-the-go coverage and connectivity in advance. You pay upfront, but once you've done that you're free to use all the data and other inclusions your plan includes however you want.
The only catch is that if you use up your data faster than you expect, you may need to recharge and top it early. Otherwise, you've got an entire year from the moment you sign up to use it or lose it.
Best 365-day prepaid plans under $150
✓ How we picked the best cheap 365-day long expiry prepaid mobile plan:
- We ranked long-expiry mobile phone plans in our database by price and chose one that offered the best coverage and value at the cheapest price. We factored in the cost per gigabyte and other relevant inclusions.
For the best cheap prepaid plan with a long expiry, at the time of writing that crown was handed to the Catch 365 Day Plan - 120GB. This thrifty entry in our list of the best 365-day plans offers unlimited national calls and texts and 120GB of data for $119 with a 365-day expiry.
Obviously, if you guzzle data like water on a hot day then 120GB of data won't suffice for a full year (10GB per month), but if you hardly ever use the internet on your phone, this could be a cost-effective option for you.
The only catch here is that you'll revert to the usual $150 on the first recharge and you have to sign up before 19 March 2024 to get the cheaper price.
Catch 365 Day Plan - 120GB
Additional Info
- Network: Optus 4G
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: Yes, but rates
- Data rollover: Yes, up to 20GB
- Cost per month over the course of a year: $10
Best 365-day prepaid plans under $200
✓ How we picked the best 365-day long expiry prepaid mobile plan:
- We ranked long-expiry mobile phone plans in our database by price and chose one that offered the best coverage and value. We factored in the cost per gigabyte and other relevant inclusions.
If you're in the market for a top-value 365-day long expiry plan, it's hard to look past this one from Kogan. It offers all the usual unlimited call and SMS trimmings (nationally), 80GB of data and 4G speeds on the Vodafone network.
If you sign up before November 30 2024, you'll score an additional 40GB and pay just $120 rather than the usual $179.99. Recharges will revert the cost to the usual rate, but if you're after a lot of data and 365-day expiry this is a standout choice.
Kogan Small - 365 Day Flex Plan
Additional Info
- Network: Vodafone 4G
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: From $10
- Data rollover: No
- Cost per month over the course of a year: $8.33
Need more data?
If these long expiry plans aren't enough to satisfy your appetite for calls and data, head to our round-up of the very best no-contract prepaid deals currently available.
Best 180-day long expiry prepaid plans
✓ How we picked the best 180-day long expiry prepaid mobile plan:
- We ranked long-expiry mobile phone plans with 180 day expiry in our database by price and chose one that offered the best coverage and value. We factored in the cost per gigabyte and other relevant inclusions.
If you don’t want to commit to the full 12 months with a 1-year prepaid phone plan, the Lebara Large 180-day plan is currently the best value choice with a decent 140GB of data for $140.
This one shakes out at roughly 11.5GB per month and includes unlimited standard national calls and texts, as well as unlimited calls and texts to 35 selected countries and another 50 minutes to Zone 1 countries. Lebara operates on the Vodafone 4G mobile network so be sure to check your coverage before signing up.
Lebara Medium 180 Day Plan
Additional Info
- Network: Vodafone 4G
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: From $7
- Data banking: Up to 200GB
- Cost per month over the course of a year: $8.25
Best long expiry plans on the Optus network
✓ How we picked the best 365-day long expiry prepaid mobile plan on the Optus network:
- We ranked long-expiry mobile phone plans on the Optus network in our database by price and chose one that was the most popular.
The most popular option for long-expiry plans and providers on the Optus network at the moment is powered by Catch Connect. This prepaid plan includes 120GB of data with a 365-day expiry, which works out to be 10GB per month. That's not going to be enough if you stream Netflix in your morning commute but if you don't use much data and want to set and forget about your mobile bill, it might do the trick.
Optus itself offers a huge variety of long-expiry prepaid options but the majority of them don’t actually include any data and instead charge per MB used (which is deducted from your recharge amount). This is an archaic pricing model but Optus does also have options for long expiry prepaid with included data.
Catch 365 Day Plan - 120GB
Additional Info
- Network: Optus 4G
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: Yes, but rates
- Data rollover: Yes, up to 20GB
- Cost per month over the course of a year: $10
How we choose the best long expiry plans
As always, all of our returning picks for the top long expiry mobile plans have been vetted to ensure they’re the best value at the start of the month. We compare all relevant Prepaid recharges and subscriptions to pick new winners or confirm the continued reign of incumbent victors.
You can find out more about how we review mobile providers here.
Best long expiry on the Telstra network
✓ How we picked the best 365-day long expiry prepaid mobile plan on the Telstra network:
- We ranked long-expiry mobile phone plans on the Telstra network in our database by price and chose one that was the most popular.
We've gone with Everyday Mobile for our pick of the best 365-day plans on the Telstra network for a few reasons.
Firstly, it offers decent data-per-dollar value at $170 for 125GB every 365 days (plus unlimited standard national calls). This prepaid plan has data rollover when you recharge before an expiry date, making it an even better deal.
The other reason we've rolled with Woolworths is its included grocery shopping discounts that you can claim every other month. If you spend $500 in one shop at Woolworths, you'll get 10% off, potentially saving yourself $50 per month. It's a great perk for big families where a $500 shop will be enough to get you through the weekend.
Everyday Mobile $170 long-expiry
Additional Info
- Network: Telstra 3G/4G
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: From $7
- Data banking: Yes
- Cost per month over the course of a year: $10.41
Which providers have 365-day prepaid plans?
The best 365-day prepaid plans are found with these providers
How to pick the best 365 day prepaid plan for your needs
Read the fine print and pay attention to the terms and duration of your recharge.
Long expiry prepaid plans are, by their very nature, relatively straightforward and no-fuss. That simplicity is a big reason that people opt for them. Still, there's a few things to keep an eye out for when choosing a 365 day or 1 year prepaid phone plan:
Longer recharge durations
There are a few different types of long expiry prepaid options. The most common is the 365-day recharge, but there are also 90-day and 180-day options. Every now and then, telcos will off one-year recharge options, which won't necessarily last you 365 days, instead they expire on a year from the day you activate.
Better dollars-to-data value
The easiest way to compare long expiry prepaid options is to calculate the equivalent monthly cost and inclusions. This allows you to compare 180-day and 365-day recharge options in a like-for-like way. For example, Kogan's $120 Small Flex Plan costs $120 for the first year and gets you 80GB of data to use over the year. That works out at roughly $10 and 6.6GB of data per month.
Data rollover
Different telcos offer different data rollover offers (some don't offer it at all). Some allow you to bank a limited amount of unused data for your next recharge, others let you rollover all of your unused data if you recharge before the expiry date. It's important to know which data rollover or data banking option is available to you before signing up.
Auto-recharge with no excess data fees
Again, different telcos have different ways of handling excess data charges. Some will simply charge a per-megabyte rate for all data used in excess of your inclusions, deducting that amount from the dollar value of your recharge amount. Others offer convenient auto-recharge options that automatically top-up your balance via direct debit when you run out of credit or your plan expires
Long expiry prepaid plan and recharge FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked question we get about the best 365-day prepaid and long expiry plans
In a nutshell, prepaid mobile phone plans are bill-less options that are paid upfront via a recharge purchased in-store, online, or set up with auto-recharge. Essentially, you pay before you use.
Postpaid mobile phone plans on the other hand come with a monthly bill, which you pay after you've used.
When your prepaid plan expires - you'll need to sign up for a renewal if you want to keep using your phone. Some plans let you rollover any unused data if you renew, so check your plan's Ts and Cs to see if they offer that.
It depends, but as a general rule of thumb, prepaid plans tend to be cheaper than postpaid plans. Postpaid plans tend to bundle better overall value into its monthly fee.
While 365 day and 1 year prepaid phone plans do command an expensive upfront cost, they can sometimes work out to be cheaper than their month-to-month counterparts. However, the downside of this affordability is that they tend to offer significantly less value from a dollars-per-gigabyte perspective. You're paying less, but you aren't getting as much for your money.
Long expiry, 365 day and 1 year prepaid phone plans are great for those who don't use that much data or like the idea of locking in the cost of their phone bill ahead of time. However, they aren't necessarily going to be the right for everyone as monthly plans can offer significantly more data, perks and flexibility.
At the time of writing, there are no long expiry prepaid plans with unlimited data. If you do want excess-charge free or unmetered data, you'll have to go with a postpaid provider like Felix or Dodo.
No. Unfortunately, every prepaid mobile plan in Australia has some sort of timeline on when it will expire. If you're keen to put off having to think about your mobile plan for as long as possible, a 365-day long expiry plan like the ones featured on this page may be the best choice.
Typically, Aussies signed up for a long expiry prepaid mobile plan like the ones featured on this page lose any remaining or unused data once their expiry date arrives. However, some providers offer a form of data banking or data rollover. So long as you meet that (and any other) criteria, some amount of your data will carry over into your next recharge.
If you're looking for the cheapest 365-day mobile plan, you're probably looking at spending around $100. However, that only applies if there's a good deal going. If there isn't, then you're looking at closer to $120.
Yes. Usually, prepaid plans give you all the data at the start of your plan's life rather than later on. The upside of this is that you can use the data how you want when you want. The downside is that you can get through your data allowance well before your expiry date arrives if you aren't careful. To help with that, some providers allow you to break your data out into neat monthly allotments.
Long expiry prepaid plans vary in terms of how long they last. Shorter long expiry plans can last either 90 or 180 days while longer ones can last you a whole year.