Econnex provides a free, independently-owned comparison engine for its customers to explore the three types of mobile plans available. This makes it easy to compare the features of different types of plans and select the one that best matches your needs.
What are the types of mobile plans available?
There are three types of mobile plans available;
SIM Only Plans
This plan allows you to retain your existing device, while upgrading the benefits included in your mobile service. With SIM Only you can save money as you are not paying for the cost a new device in your plan. SIM Only Plans can come as either Pre Paid where you pay in advance or as Post Paid contracts where you receive a bill at the end of the cycle.
Post Paid Plans
This plan allows you to subsidise the cost of a device with a mobile service plan that suits your requirements. However, there are Post Paid Plans that are SIM Only as well, making this option very flexible.
Pre Paid Plans
This plan allows you to pay a set amount on your plan up-front, ending bill scares for good. Pre Paid Plans can be great if you want the flexibility of exiting plans or switching to new ones when it suits you, rather than being locked into fixed term contracts.
Which mobile plan is right for me?
SIM Only Plans
A SIM Only Plan is a great alternative for someone who is looking to upgrade the benefits they receive on their mobile phone service, but who is still happy with their current mobile device.
Sim Only Plans – sometimes called Bring Your Own or BYO plans – can come as either Pre Paid or Post Paid depending on preference. With a SIM Only Plan, whether Post Paid or Pre Paid, you pay only for the services provided by the telco. This can save you money as you’re not paying for the cost of the latest new device, which can often be expensive. Another benefit of SIM Only is that if you do find you need a new device you can always purchase one off the shelf yourself, and simply transfer the SIM card over from your old phone.
These plans can be billed monthly as a PAYG service or locked into a contract term for 12, 24 or 36 months, depending on the telco provider and your choice of plan. With a contract plan you agree to a fixed price for the period of the plan, however if you exceed your data cap you may need to either pay more or agree to additional data at lower speeds.
With a month-to-month or casual plan you can exit at any time, whereas with a contract setup you agree to a fixed price for the agreement period.
SIM Only Plans can offer great value for money. You might choose a SIM Only Plan if you want to keep using your current device and just want to upgrade your services, you don’t want to be locked into a long-term contract, you want a temporary short-term solution, or you want to switch providers.
For more information on the Pre Paid or Post Paid Plans available, simply select the SIM option from the Plan Type dropdown in the comparison engine.
Post Paid Plans
A Post Paid Plan gives you ultimate control to pay for exactly what you use. Whether you require a higher data allowance or international call minutes, these plans are a popular way to go.
Post Paid Plans differ from Pre Paid in that you pay the bill after using the Telco’s services at the end of the month or billing period, rather than paying in for phone credit in advance.
Post Paid Plans are essentially agreements between you and your provider. They can be part of a fixed contract arrangement over 12, 24 or 36 months or they can be contract-free and operate month by month. In some cases, the plans include the cost of a new phone which is paid off over the contract period, while in others they are SIM Only where the user brings their own device.
Usually with these plans the month-to-month and 12-month contract options are SIM Only. This means if you want a phone included you will most likely need to look at the longer-term plans.
Post Paid Plans can offer very good value for money. With providers competing for business you can often nab a very good deal that offers substantial amounts of data for a relatively low monthly charge.
Most plans offer unlimited national calls and texts with the main point of difference being the data provided. Plans can also differ in their inclusions for international calls and texts.
With a Post Paid Plan it can be possible to use more data than is included in your agreement, which can lead to a bigger bill than anticipated. This may be something to consider when looking at plans and deciding between them.
You might choose a Post Paid Plan if you want a new up-to-date device, you don’t want to be bothered with recharging your credit each month, or you are generally good at monitoring and controlling your usage.
For more information on the Post Paid Plans available, simply select the SIM or Mobile + SIM option from the Plan Type dropdown in the comparison engine.
Post Paid Plans can be billed monthly as a PAYG service or locked into a contract term for 12, 24 or 36 months, depending on the telco provider.
Pre Paid Plans
A Pre Paid Plan offers reliability in the form of “recharging” your available phone credit at the start of the billing cycle. They are an excellent option for those with a strict monthly budget or minimal phone users.
Prepaid plans can offer the ultimate in flexibility. For example, if you are only a light user or only want a short-term option you can usually find very cheap plans to match your needs. On the other hand, if you want a plan with lots of inclusions like unlimited texts and calls, loads of data and international call credit you should have no problem finding an affordable plan that fits the bill.
With Pre Paid Plans, since you pay in advance, you get to avoid the ‘bill shock’ that can come at the end of the month where the amount owing is more than expected!
Another benefit of a Pre Paid Plan is that you’re not locked in to a contract. This could allow you to test out different plants to see what suits you best, without incurring exit fees. So, if you’re not happy with a plan or you would like to upgrade to a better one, you can easily do so with a Pre Paid Plan.
Most Pre Paid Plans these days include unlimited national texts and calls and offer deals on international calls. The main point of difference between plans is the amount of data they offer. There are cheap plans that come with as little as 1GB of data right up to plans offering massive amounts while still being affordable. This means you can always find a plan to suit your budget.
It’s important to be aware that the data expiry can vary with Pre Paid Plans. While it is typically 28 or 30 days, a plan can also have a cycle of only a few days or as long as a whole year! This is something you need to factor in when deciding between plans as it will affect the overall cost. Short-expiry plans (7 days for instance) could be good for a temporary solution. On the other hand a very long expiry might suit occasional use – such as for a ‘spare’ phone or for someone who rarely uses their mobile.
You might choose a Pre Paid plan if you don’t need much mobile data, you want greater flexibility, you want to avoid bill shock, or even if you are a visitor to Australia looking for a temporary solution. Pre Paid Plans can also be great for kids.
For more information on the Pre Paid Plans available, simply select the SIM option from the Plan Type dropdown in the comparison engine.
Pre Paid Plans must be paid for upfront and inclusions used within specified expiry period. Long Expiry plans may be available through certain telco providers.
Do you own a business?
Plans specifically designed to suit business needs are available across SIM Only and Post Paid mobile plan options but not Pre Paid. For more information, simply select the Business (1-9 Connections) option from the Connection Type dropdown in the comparison engine.
Ready to start comparing your options and save some money? Simply adjust the filters to what you’re looking for and the Econnex comparison engine will do the rest.