Optus Mobile Phone Plans

As one of the ‘big three’ Aussie telcos, Optus offers a variety of postpaid and prepaid mobile phone plans at a range of good price points – so no matter what your needs are, you’re likely to find a plan to suit you. Currently Australia’s second-largest telco, Optus also owns and operates a comprehensive mobile network infrastructure that rivals that of Telstra for coverage and speeds, with a focus on improving service in regional areas.

In addition to providing great coverage and rates for talk, text and data, Optus also throws in plenty of attractive extras for mobile users. Customers can access a whole bunch of bonuses and perks, including data-free sports streaming and international roaming. If you’re big on data, you can get up to 360GB of monthly fast data on some Optus phone plans, and all postpaid mobile plans now include additional ‘endless data’ capped at speeds of 1.5Mbps.

If you’re considering a new Optus mobile plan or you’re thinking about making the switch to Optus, we’ve broken down everything the company has to offer – including postpaid and prepaid plans, plans with new phones, network coverage and more. Read on to find out which Optus mobile phone plan is best for you.

Optus phone plans: a guide

Optus has a wide range of phone plans, whether you’re after a new handset with big data or a simple prepaid plan, there is a large selection to choose from. These plans can be split into three main offerings:

• SIM-only postpaid plans (all month-to-month)
• SIM-only prepaid plans (four different expiry periods to choose from, including short-term and long-term plans)
• Mobile phone plans (plans bundled with a new handset on 12, 24 or 36-month contracts)

With the rise of mobile data use in Australia, Optus has made an effort to bump up the included gigabytes in both postpaid and prepaid plans. The telco has also scrapped all excess data charges in Australia on its four postpaid SIM plans, now offering ‘endless data’ (capped at 1.5Mbps speeds) in addition to your plan’s full-speed gigabytes. Combine this with the entertainment extras, and Optus certainly does have competitive phone plans.

Postpaid plans are available as month-to-month plans, with a small selection of plans on offer . Plans with a new smartphone are month-to-month and separated from the device repayments over 12, 24 or 36 months. If you’re interested in an Optus prepaid plan, there’s a simple selection of Optus Flex Plus plans. Optus also occasionally offers a special Optus Plus Promo plans with big data inclusions and a whole bunch of extras, so keep an eye out.

Looking for a new phone? Optus has phones from all the major manufactures, such as the latest iPhones, Samsung Galaxy S series, other Samsung Galaxy devices, OPPO, Google Pixel and more. Some phones are even available to buy outright.

What does Optus offer?

Choosing the best Optus plan will depend on your needs. Optus keeps things simple with a small selection of postpaid plans (as listed below) which are available as month-to-month SIM-only plans or to bundle with a new smartphone. When you choose a new phone on a plan from Optus, your device and payment period choice will determine your monthly device payments, then bundle with your preferred postpaid plan.

When you’re choosing the best Optus phone plan for your needs, consider your needs such as how much data you’ll need, along with any international call or roaming inclusions. Whether you’re changing or upgrading to a new Optus plan or you’re considering switching from another telco, you need to have a clear idea of what you’re looking for.

Are you after a SIM-only plan or a plan with a new phone? Do you prefer prepaid or postpaid? Once you have a clear idea of what you’re after, look at what Optus has to offer in terms of value for money and have an idea of how much you want to pay for your phone plan. If you’d like to compare other plans, you’ll find more Optus phone plans further down the page.

Plans come with a range of inclusions and add-ons, including international services and entertainment, and you’re also able to bundle your service with a brand-new smartphone on your choice of payment period.

Optus network and coverage

Optus’ mobile network covers 98.5% of the Australian population – just behind Telstra and ahead of Vodafone. The telco has also been stepping up its rural coverage in recent years and has committed to investing one billion dollars to improve service in regional and remote areas.

More than 2,200 new Optus towers have been built in over one thousand regional towns, and almost 1,500 existing towers have been upgraded – so even if you don’t live in one of the major cities, Optus is working to keep you connected.

Optus provides 4G and 5G network service to its mobile customers, with super-fast 4G Plus speeds now available to around 96.5% of Australians. As for 5G, the telco is also rolling out its own Optus 5G network, with a handful of compatible devices and plan options now available. Optus has also rolled out its 5G network MVNOs which use the Optus network, so you can still access Optus 5G but from other providers. The telco also gives customers its Coverage Commitment, meaning if you do experience network issues that can’t be resolved, Optus will cover any cancellation fees if you leave. Optus will also cover any remaining handset charges (provided you return the phone in good working order).

Features and bonuses

All of Optus’s plans come with the standard talk and text, plus data use within Australia. If you’re interested in the entertainment extras that Optus has to offer, these aren’t available on all plans, so you’ll need to check the plan’s details. you’ll also get access to a whole bunch of bonuses and extras, thanks to Optus’s entertainment partnerships. Of course if you build your own plan, you’ll have control over your inclusions.

• Optus SubHub: Customers on Optus plans can add and manage selected entertainment subscriptions such as Netflix, Optus Sport and Amazon Prime Video via Optus SubHub, and save up to 10% by bundling.
• International roaming: Optus Choice Plus plans include the option to add a roaming pack, which gives you unlimited talk and text and 5GB of data to use for 24 hours in more than 90 Zone 1 countries. There is also a Data Roaming pack available for some prepaid plans, although you can only use it in five select countries.
• Endless data: Available on postpaid plans, this feature includes ‘unlimited’ data restricted at 1.5Mbps speeds, in addition to a monthly full-speed data allowance. Fair use applies.
• Data sharing: If you have multiple family members or devices on Optus plans, you can combine all your plans on to one single bill, pool your total monthly data, and share it between plan holders or phones/tablets.

Optus SIM-only postpaid plans

If you’re looking for a SIM-only plan for a smartphone you already own, Optus has a range of month-to-month plans available.

All plans include unlimited standard national talk and text in Australia, plus ‘endless’ data capped at 1.5Mbps in addition to a monthly high-speed data allowance. Optus frequently offers bonus data or discounts, so savvy buyers can score extra gigabytes and cheaper prices if they sign on at the right time.

Optus plans with phones

Previously Optus had offered its phone plans on the traditional two-year phone contract, however Optus, like Vodafone and Telstra, has your phone repayments and plan costs separated. There are plenty of new devices to choose from if you want a new Optus mobile plan with handset, including the latest iPhone, Samsung and Google smartphones. You’ll also be able to choose from a range of 5G-compatible devices, but you’ll only be able to use 5G in select 5G-ready areas as Optus works on expanding its network.

You’ll be able to select either 12, 24 or 36 months for your phone payments and the monthly phone cost will differ depending on your contract length — but you will pay the same amount in total — then you can bundle with a month-to-month postpaid plan. While your mobile plan is technically month-to-month, you will need to remain on an Optus plan for the length of your device payment period, otherwise you’ll have to pay off the remainder of your handset. Optus also offers the option to buy phones outright, but you’ll still need to bundle with an Optus phone plan.

Optus prepaid plans

Prepaid plans are great if you’re after flexibility and don’t need all the extras. If you’re looking into Optus prepaid phone plans, you’ll be able to pick up an Optus Flex Plus plan across a range of expiry periods, from seven days, up to 365 days.

Optus contact details/customer support

Need some help with your Optus plan or service? Want to find out when your Optus plan ends or how to upgrade your Optus mobile plan? The telco offers plenty of contact and support options, including:

• General customer support: 133 937
• Yes Crowd online customer forum
• 24/7 online chat on the website
• The Optus Facebook page
• Twitter support: @Optus
• My Optus app for both iPhone and Android

How does Optus compare?

If you’re interested in Optus network coverage, but want to shop around first, there are quite a few MVNOs on the Optus network offering cheaper SIM-only plans – check out the list below:

• Southern Phone
• Moose Mobile
• Dodo
• Amaysim
• Catch Connect
• Circles.Life
• Yomojo
• Coles Mobile
• Exetel
• SpinTel

The following table shows a selection of published postpaid plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of lowest standard monthly cost to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see all plans available on our database. This table includes products with links to referral partners.

Is Optus a good deal?

If you want the bells and whistles that come with a big-name telco, Optus has plenty to offer: entertainment extras, international features, and lots of customer-exclusive perks. It’s also generally cheaper than arch-rival Telstra, sells a variety of plan types, and operates networks covering over 98% of Australians.

Customers wanting big data should definitely consider Optus for their mobile service. Alongside endless speed-capped data on all postpaid plans, the telco includes some big data inclusions on more expensive plans. The company also offers a wide range of smartphones to suit most budgets, and is one of the few places you can get big-name releases — such as the latest iPhone.

Overall, Optus has remained surprisingly competitive for such a big brand, and regularly sweetens its plans with bonus data and limited-time offers. However, if you are happy to forgo extras in favour of pricing, you can find cheaper deals with smaller providers piggybacking off the Optus network.

Operators such as Amaysim, Southern Phone and Moose Mobile all sell low-cost prepaid and SIM-only plans that run on Optus’ mobile network, so may be worth checking out if you’re looking to save cash.

Related articles

• The Cheapest Mobile Phone Plans
• Top Mobile Deals
• SIM Only Plans Compared
• Excess Data Charges Explained

About the author of this page

This page was written and is regularly updated by Canstar Blue’s Telco Editor, Tara Donnelly. Having spent over seven years writing for and editing telco comparison websites, she’s an expert in all things phone & internet, including NBN plans, wireless technology, the latest mobile devices and how to find the best deal for your family. She loves to highlight the next best deals, while also flagging the things you need to be aware of.

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What do customers think about Optus phone plans?

In 2024, Australians gave Optus 3 out of 5 stars for Overall Customer Satisfaction in handset phone plans.