Optus prepaid phone plans

Optus is one of the biggest phone providers in Australia and while it’s more known for postpaid plans and plans bundled with handsets, it does offer a range of prepaid recharges that could be what you’re looking for. When it comes to its prepaid plans, Optus has a large selection to suit a range of prepaid needs, plus it’s one of the few telcos to offer a ‘daily’ prepaid recharge.

So, what does Optus have to offer when it comes to prepaid phone plans and recharges? We’ll take more of a detailed look below at the different prepaid options available, along with the prepaid devices that you can pick up from Australia’s second largest telco.

Optus prepaid plans and recharges

There is now one main Optus prepaid plan type available to new customers, although older long expiry and pay-as-you-go options are still used by existing customers. Optus’ prepaid range includes:

• Optus Prepaid Flex Plus ($12 to $320 recharges available)
• Optus Prepaid Daily Plus ($10 to $100 recharges available for existing customers)
• Optus Prepaid Long Expiry ($10 to $100 recharges available for existing customers)

Optus Flex Plus prepaid recharges

The Optus Flex Plus plans are focused on prepaid users that like to use a lot of data. All of these recharges have unlimited standard national SMS and unlimited standard national calls, with 28-day  recharges of $35 and up also including an international call allowance.

These plans really stand out for the huge data inclusions, with 5GB available on the $12 recharge over a 7-day expiry and going up to 260GB on the $320 recharge over a 365-day expiry. Plus, you can roll over any unused data (up to 200GB) when you recharge your plan before the expiry.

The following table shows all published Optus Flex Plus prepaid plans with unlimited capped-speed data from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of advertised standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. For a complete look at all the phone plans Canstar Blue compares, use our phone plan comparison tool.

How do Optus prepaid plans compare?

Optus certainly has a large selection of prepaid plans to suit a range of different customer needs, but just how do these plans stack up against other telcos? If you’re looking at prepaid phone plans, there are many MVNOs (in addition to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone) offering lots of data at smaller prices.

The following table includes a list of prepaid phone plans for $50 or under from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of advertised standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. For a complete look at all the phone plans Canstar Blue compares, use our phone plan comparison tool. This table includes products with links to referral partners.

Optus prepaid phones

If you’re after a new phone to pair with your prepaid plan, there are a range of devices available to buy outright from Optus. Most are priced at under $200 and are only basic smartphones, but you might find the devices available change from time to time, as Optus has previously offered older iPhone models.

Is an Optus prepaid plan right for me?

Optus has a decent suite of prepaid mobile plans, designed to suit a range of users. If your prepaid needs don’t match plans on offer from other telcos, you might find that Optus has the right plan for you. The Flex Plus plans offer some good value for money if you’re big on video streaming, but if you plan on making this your regular phone plan, you might want to steer clear of the plans with shorter expiry periods. After all, a $10 plan isn’t as cheap as you might think if you’re recharging four or more times per month.

If you’re looking for a cheap prepaid plan with lots of value, you might find some Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) can offer plans with heaps of value for under $20, even under $10. Some of these might be on shorter expiry lengths, however you can easily pick up a cheap deal that runs on a recharge cycle of around a month.

Many of these plans from the small MVNOs are lacking when it comes to perks. That is where the big telcos do have an advantage and Optus is no exception. When you’re comparing prepaid phone plans, you’ll really need to consider what you’re looking for in a plan. Whether you’re after a super-cheap phone plan, lots of data or a no fuss long-term plan, it’s always best to take a look at what phone plans are available and compare to see which telco has the right prepaid phone plan for you.