Compare Vodafone prepaid plans

Vodafone prepaid plans and recharges

Vodafone is one of the biggest telcos in the country, and while it might be more known for its range of phones available on a plan, it also has a selection of prepaid phone plans.

Vodafone offers two types of prepaid plans. You can choose between standard prepaid plans with a set amount of inclusions, and pay-as-you-go plans where what you use comes out of your plan’s credit. Plans use the Vodafone 4G and 5G mobile network, however some plans might not have 5G access.

What’s included in Vodafone prepaid plans?

Vodafone’s Prepaid Plus plans are available across 28-day, 185-day and 365-day expiry periods. These plans all include unlimited standard national calls and SMS, while international call inclusions are available on select plans. All plans include up to 200GB of data roll over, while some plans include access to ‘infinite’ data. This means that once you use up your plan’s full-speed data inclusions (including data rollover), you can continue using data at capped speeds of 1.5Mbps.

The Vodafone prepaid Pay and Go plans are available over a 180 or 365-day expiry period, with a set amount you pay upfront. You’ll be charged rates for calls, SMS and data usage, which will come out of your prepaid credit. Once you use up your credit, you’ll need to recharge your plan.

Rates for Vodafone’s Pay and Go plans are as follows:

• Calls: 20c per minute for standard national calls
• SMS: 20c per standard national text sent
• Data: 6c per MB (comes in 512KB increments)
• MMS: 50c per standard national MMS
• Video MMS: 75c per standard national video MMS
• International calls: country-specific rates apply

The Prepaid Plus plans offer some good value when it comes to data, with Vodafone routinely offering bonus data on activation. The Pay and Go recharges are aimed at light phone users looking for a ‘set and forget’ style plan with cheap PAYG rates. These PAYG plans with long expiry periods could also be useful if you’re overseas for an extended period but want to keep your Australian number active.

Where can you buy a Vodafone prepaid SIM?

While you can buy your Vodafone prepaid plan directly from the Vodafone website and in authorised Vodafone retail stores, you may be able to buy a prepaid SIM pack from other retailers such as Kmart, Officeworks and Woolworths stores.

How do you recharge Vodafone prepaid mobile plans?

Vodafone offers several options for recharging your prepaid plan. You can set up automatic recharge, recharge via your Vodafone account on the Vodafone website, SMS 1511 with a relevant code and accepted payment method, or call 1511 and follow the prompts.

Vodafone prepaid phones

Vodafone gives customers the option to bundle their prepaid plan with a mobile phone, usually for an upfront cost. The mobile phones available will change from time to time, but you’ll usually find Vodafone-branded phones along with OPPO, HMD and Motorola devices. These phones will come bundled with a Vodafone prepaid starter pack and these phones may be locked to Vodafone.

How do Vodafone prepaid plans compare?

Vodafone has a good variety of prepaid plans, with options available to suit a range of users. From regular users who rely on lots of data and data bonuses, to those who don’t use their phone that often or just need a spare plan, a Vodafone prepaid plan likely has you covered.

Its range of pay-as-you-go plans make it one of a small number of telcos to still offer these types of prepaid plans, which can be useful for very light data users or anyone looking to set and forget their plan.

However, if you’re looking for a cheap prepaid plan, you might need to look towards a smaller telco. MVNOs such as Boost Mobile, Amaysim and TPG often have cheaper plans than what Vodafone is offering.

While Vodafone is also known to offer discounts and bonus data regularly on its range of prepaid plans, take a look at the standard pricing when comparing plans from a range of providers to see what kind of value for money you can get.

About our phone experts

Emma Bradstock: Senior Telco Specialist

As Canstar Blue’s Senior Telco Specialist, Emma Bradstock covers all things mobile phone and internet, which she’s focused on for over five years. Emma has over a decade of professional writing experience across print and digital media outlets and for digital agencies, and has turned her hand to multimedia content and social media management.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University. You can follow Emma on LinkedIn.

Josh Filosi: Data Insights Analyst

Josh Filosi is Canstar’s Data Insights Analyst, and helps develop and deliver the methodology for Canstar Blue’s Value Rankings and Awards for the telco industry. He holds a double-major in Economics and Behavioral Science, and enjoys interpreting complex data. Connect with Josh on LinkedIn.