The best Prepaid plans available in September 2020

Though not as dramatic as last month, this month still sees half of our prepaid categories with new names. Granted, two of those categories are a result of popularity shifts, with Boost’s $30 Prepaid plan taking out the top spot for most popular Telstra plan and the Optus Prepaid Epic Data – $30 Recharge snagging the most popular Optus network pick.

As for the other new categories, both have been claimed by amaysim’s 55GB-packing $40 UNLIMITED Plan. This amaysim plan is a great prepaid pick whether you’re looking for the best value this month or plenty of data.

Best value prepaid plan

amaysim $40 UNLIMITED Plan

amaysim $40 UNLIMITED Plan at a glance:

• $40 for 28 days
• 55GB data (was 45GB)
• Limited-time discount
• Limited-time bonus data
• International calls and texts
• Optus network

You’ll want to get in quick to take advantage of this deal. Until 15 September, amaysim’s $40 UNLIMITED Plan comes with extra data and a first-renewal discount. Outside of this online promotional period, you’re looking at $40 per 28 days for 45GB of data. Get in on time, though, and it’s $40 for 55GB of data, with a $25 discount on the first renewal ($495 first-year cost).

That extra data also applies to the life of the plan. Unlimited standard international talk is included for 28 countries, too, with unlimited SMS and MMS to mobiles in 42 countries, and 300 minutes for a further 14 selected dialling destinations. It’s worth noting that last month’s category winner (Lebara’s $69.90 XXL Plan) and Kogan’s Extra Large – 365 Day Flex Plan still offer better overall data-for-dollars value, albeit at a noticeably higher price.

Best perks prepaid plan

Woolworths Mobile Pre-paid Mobile $30 Recharge

Woolworths Mobile Pre-paid Mobile $30 Recharge at a glance:

• $30 for 30 days
• 30GB data
• 200GB data bank
• International calls
• 12-month Family Zone subscription
• 10% off Woolies shop
• Telstra network

Woolworths Mobile has had a long run of popularity in our top prepaid picks because of the value it packs into its plans. Take the telco’s Pre-paid Mobile $30 Recharge, for instance. On the surface, you’re paying $30 every 30 days for 30GB of data ($360 first-year cost) on the Telstra network.

Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll find more perks. There’s unlimited talk and text to 22 selected countries to factor in. On top of this, the telco also includes a 12-month Family Zone subscription, which covers one user on two devices.

Finally, this plan also includes a 10 per cent discount for your Woolies shop every second weekend of the month for up to $50 in savings.

Check out other popular perky Prepaid plans below.

Best budget prepaid plan

Woolworths Mobile Pre-paid Mobile $10 Recharge

Woolworths Mobile Pre-paid Mobile $10 Recharge at a glance:

• $10 for 30 days
• 1GB data
• 200GB data bank
• 12-month Family Zone subscription
• 10% off Woolies shop
• Telstra network

What’s not likely to ever change is that TPG’s T4G PAYG Plan is the true cheapest prepaid plan around for $1 a month (with a $30 upfront fee). But it only includes 50MB of data and you have to pay for calls and texts.

Woolworths Mobile returns for another category to combine great value with solid perks. The telco’s Pre-paid Mobile $10 Recharge costs $10 every 30 days and includes unlimited national talk and text, plus 1GB of data ($120 first-year cost). If you somehow don’t manage to use that 1GB of data, you can put any that’s left towards a 200GB-capacity data bank.

While not as perk-packed as the Woolworths Mobile plan in our ‘best budget’ winner above, the Pre-paid Mobile $10 Recharge still includes a 12-month Family Zone subscription to protect one user on two devices. Plus, you also get a 10 per cent discount on your Woolies shop every month, as long as you stick to the shopping on the second weekend.

Check out this plan in comparison with other budget prepaid plans below.

Best big-data prepaid plan

amaysim $40 UNLIMITED Plan

amaysim $40 UNLIMITED Plan at a glance:

• $40 for 28 days
• 55GB data (was 45GB)
• Limited-time discount
• Limited-time bonus data
• International calls and texts
• Optus network

If you’ve already seen our best value prepaid winner above, you’ve already read all about this plan. For those who scrolled ahead, though, here’s what you need to know. With amaysim’s $40 UNLIMITED Plan, what normally costs $40 per 28 days for 45GB of data has a limited-time discounted promo until 15 September. Get in before the clock ticks over to 16 September, and your first renewal costs $15 a month, plus you’ll also score 55GB of data for the life of the plan ($495 first-year cost).

That’s great prepaid value for a fair chunk of data. On top of this, you’ll also get unlimited texts to mobiles in 42 selected countries, unlimited calls to 28 countries, and 300 minutes up your sleeve for a further 14 selected countries.

Best long-expiry prepaid plan

Kogan Extra Large – 365 Day Flex Plan

Kogan Extra Large – 365 Day Flex Plan at a glance:

• $335 for 365 days
• 486GB data
• Vodafone network

Long-expiry Prepaid plans suit the person who doesn’t mind forking out a sizeable amount upfront with the promise of not having to think about paying again for months. Or, in the case of this month’s winner, for a year. Kogan has dropped the price of its Extra Large – 365 Day Flex Plan from $529.90 to cover 365 days to $335.

While $335 is a lot to pony up initially, it works out to around $27.92 per month. You also get 486GB of data to use throughout the year, which amounts to 40.5GB a month if you’re rationing it out equally.

For long-expiry alternatives, check out these popular prepaid plans below.

Most popular prepaid plan (Telstra)

Boost $30 Prepaid

Boost $30 Prepaid at a glance:

• $30 for 28 days
• 20GB data
• 14GB bonus data (first three recharges)
• International calls
• Telstra network

Telstra network Prepaid fans have switched away from the perky Pre-Paid Mobile $10 Recharge from Woolworths Mobile to Boost’s $30 Prepaid plan this month.

We reckon it’s popular because of the bonus data. You normally get 20GB per 28 days, but Boost is throwing in 14GB of bonus data for your first three recharges ($390 first-year cost). The only catch here is you have to get your first recharge in by 26 October and your next two before the end of 2020. Recharge before your recharge expires and you can pay that bonus data forward, too. This Boost Prepaid plan also comes with unlimited standard text and talk to 20 selected countries, plus 100 standard minutes (as well as 100 SMS and 100 MMS) to a further 35 selected countries.

Most popular prepaid plan (Optus)

Optus Prepaid Epic Data – $30 Recharge

Optus Prepaid Epic Data – $30 Recharge at a glance:

• $30 for 28 days
• 10GB data
• 25GB bonus data (first three recharges)
• International calls
• Optus network

Optus has recaptured the attention of purchasers this month after amaysim snatched the popularity crown last month. At first glance, $30 per 28-day recharge for 10GB of data doesn’t seem like a flash deal ($390 first-year cost). But this Optus Prepaid Epic Data – $30 Recharge plan is very likely popular because of the bonus data.

For the first three recharges, you score a bonus 25GB of data for 35GB in total to use. Unused data can also be banked up to 200GB, so those unused megabytes (or gigabytes) today can help you out in data-intensive months down the track. This Optus prepaid plan also includes standard talk and text to 15 selected countries.

Most popular prepaid plan (Vodafone)

TPG Medium Plan

TPG Medium Plan at a glance:

• $12.50 per month for the first six months (normally $24.99)
• 14GB data
• Vodafone network

In July, TPG’s Small Plan was the most popular, but this month people are seemingly interested in more data for not a whole lot more money. TPG’s Medium Plan normally costs $24.99 per month (compared to $19.99 on the Small Plan), but you’ll only pay $12.50 for the first six months, which means a first-year cost of $224.94.

That’s only $45 more than the Small Plan, but instead of only having 6GB of monthly data to play with, you’ll have 14GB to use in an actual calendar month (instead of the 28-day or 30-day trend from other telcos). There’s no data rollover, so use up as much of that data as you can.

Glance down to see this TPG plan in comparison to other popular Vodafone prepaid plans.

How do I change prepaid plans?

Switching prepaid plans and providers is nowhere near as stressful as switching postpaid plans. The process will be different for every provider but, typically, all that’s required to switch prepaid “plans” is to select a different recharge type next top-up. Other providers will ask you to switch rate plans via an automated service over the phone, and some let you do it all from their app.

Switching providers is almost as simple, but not quite. If you want to switch providers and keep the same number, make sure you approach your new provider with the mobile number you would like to switch, the associated account number (if available), and your personal details for security purposes (e.g. name, date of birth, driver’s license number).

Where you might run into trouble is using one provider’s prepaid handset with another’s prepaid SIM. Unlike contract phone plans, prepaid phones tend to be network locked. Unlocking your prepaid handset will come with a small fee, which may vary depending on the make and model of your phone and the date of purchase.

What is the difference between prepaid and postpaid plans?

Postpaid plans are usually associated with contract terms and included handsets (though there are some decent month-to-month SIM plans available these days) whereas prepaid plans are low-commitment plans that give you more control over your spending.

With prepaid plans, you pay for the calls, text and data you think you will need before using them. Postpaid plans, on the other hand, calculate your usage at the end of your billing month and bill you for the calls, text and data used over that period (typically with excess fees if you go over your plan’s inclusions).

Both offer their own peace of mind; prepaid plans simply restrict your network access when you’ve burned through your data, whereas excess usage on a postpaid plan will result in additional charges on your bill at the end of the month. But prepaid plans come with the risk of getting cut off without notice, which can be dangerous if you forget to recharge, whereas postpaid plans will only cut you off if you fail to pay the last month’s bill after it’s due.

Which prepaid plans allow tethering?

You would be stretched to find a prepaid provider and plan that doesn’t allow for tethering these days. We reviewed every Australian prepaid provider and couldn’t find a single provider that didn’t offer tethering on its prepaid plans. The Optus website states that prepaid tethering is available on “most plans” but we checked with the customer service team who confirmed it was available on every prepaid plan.

So, here are the prepaid providers that allow tethering:

• ALDI Mobile
• amaysim
• Boost Mobile
• Coles
• Dodo
• Hello Mobile
• Hive Mobile
• Jeenee Mobile
• Kogan Mobile
• Lebara Mobile
• Lycamobile
• Optus
• OVO
• TeleChoice
• Telstra
• TPG
• Vodafone
• Woolworths

What is the best prepaid plan for international calls?

We’ve already mentioned amaysim’s stunning value on its prepaid options above but one added bonus you get on these plans is international call and text inclusions. On the highest recharge option, amaysim offers 300 standard international minutes to 22 countries every month (and unlimited standard international calls to another 10 countries). ALDI Mobile also offers unlimited calls to 15 countries and an extra 400 minutes to 35 more countries. Both outstanding, all-rounder prepaid plans but if international calls are your number one priority, look no further than Lebara

Lebara already offers top data-per-dollar value on its XXL Plan but it also offers unlimited calls to 56 selected countries and an additional $10 for calls to every other zone.

More prepaid plans

Take a look at the most popular prepaid plans in Australia according to WhistleOut’s comparison engine.