Key points
- Pay as you go (PAYG) plans are similar to older-style prepaid plans, where you recharge with an amount of money and your usage costs come out of your credit.
- PAYG plans don’t come with set inclusions, so you’ll need to compare policies based on their usage rates for calls, data and texts.
- PAYG phone plans are ideal for occasional mobile phone users, as calls, text and data can be chewed through quickly with more regular usage.
In a world of cheap unlimited monthly phone plans and new phones on long repayment plans, PAYG (pay as you go) plans are still fighting for a place in the market – and they still prove to be popular. Read on to find out more about PAYG phone plans in Australia and to compare some of the options currently available.
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Prepaid offers you might like
The following table shows a selection of sponsored SIM Only plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $20) SIM Only Prepaid
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Unlimited
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$20.00 Cost/month |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $17.50) SIM Only Prepaid
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50GB Data/month |
$17.50 Cost/month |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $17.50) SIM Only Postpaid
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50GB Data/month |
$17.50 Cost/month |
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What is PAYG?
‘Pay as you go’ (or PAYG) plans are similar to old-school prepaid plans — you typically recharge with a set amount of credit with no obligation to keep recharging, and you only pay for what you use. Some providers even carry long expiries such as 180 or 365 days. This allows you to go six months or an entire year without worrying about your phone plan, provided your credit stretches that far.
While these are obviously good options for a spare phone or a light user, many customers simply like the flexibility PAYG affords. These plans are also good if you’re going away for a long period of time, and want to keep your number. These deals are usually on a prepaid basis, meaning once you’ve paid any initial set-up fees, you only pay when you want to use your phone. You aren’t charged excess fees when your credit runs out; instead, you simply can’t use talk, text or data until your plan is recharged.
How to find the best pay-as-you-go mobile plans
When choosing a PAYG plan, there are a few steps to follow to make sure you’re signing up for a plan that works for you.
- Step 1: Determine your budget
- Step 2: Consider how long you want the plan to run for
- Step 3: Compare plans from a variety of providers around your established price point.
Rather than comparing inclusions, you’ll need to compare how much it costs to make calls, send texts and use data, along with rates for international calls if this is important to you. It also helps to look for any catches, such as call connection fees and limitations on what you can use your credit for.
You might also want to consider the provider, and which mobile network that provider uses. If you’re living in a more regional or remote area, you’ll want to ensure you have network coverage where you live and in areas you frequently visit.
Once you’ve compared your options, hopefully you’ll find the right pay as you go mobile plan that will best suit your needs.
The top PAYG phone plans
There are a number of popular Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that provide PAYG phone plans, with some even offering plans that last a whole year. These providers include:
ALDI Mobile PAYG Plans
ALDI Mobile is a popular low-cost provider, offering both PAYG and traditional prepaid phone plans. ALDI Mobile offers a $5 PAYG starter pack, with additional PAYG recharges available for $15, $25 or $35. All recharges last for 365 days, with the following pricing for standard calls, text and data:
- Calls are 15c/minute
- Texts are 15c each
- MMS is 35c each
- Data is 6c/megabyte
International numbers also start as low as 10c a minute, depending on the country, and you can recharge as often you like. ALDI SIMs are available in-store or online. You can also recharge your plan through SMS. ALDI Mobile’s PAYG plan operates on the Telstra 4G network.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Pay As You Go $15
min. cost $15 over 365 days |
PAYG | $15 | |
|
Pay As You Go $25
min. cost $25 over 365 days |
PAYG | $25 | |
|
Pay As You Go $35
min. cost $35 over 365 days |
PAYG | $35 | |
 View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Amaysim PAYG Plans
Amaysim is a popular prepaid phone plan provider, and offers one simple PAYG plan. Operating on the Optus 4G network, Amaysim has one $10 SIM available with a 365-day expiry period. This plan includes $10 credit and you can recharge as you see fit, with rates as follows:
- Calls are 12c/minute
- Texts are 12c each
- MMS is 35c/each
- Data is 5c per MB
While these call and text rates are some of the cheapest available, you are limited to a single plan to choose from.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Basic As You Go
min. cost $10 over 365 days |
NA | $10 | |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Vodafone PAYG Plans
Vodafone has a selection of pay and go starter packs with varying expiry periods. Plans are priced from $35 with a 180-day expiry and up to $55 with a 365-day expiry. The rates are:
- Calls are 20c/minute
- Texts are 20c each
- Data is 6c/MB
- International rates start from 3c/minute
While these rates may be higher or comparable to others, Vodafone does appear to have some of the best international rates out there. So if you’re looking for a plan while you travel, this might be a good option.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Prepaid 365 Plus $30
min. cost $30 over 365 days |
PAYG | $30 | |
|
Prepaid 365 Plus $40
20c/min calls, 20c texts, 2c/MB min. cost $40 over 365 days |
PAYG | $40 | |
|
Prepaid 365 Plus $50
min. cost $50 over 365 days |
PAYG | $50 | |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
PAYG pros and cons
A pay as you go plan, just like its prepaid and postpaid counterparts, will have its advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately you need to take these pros and cons into consideration to help determine if PAYG is the right option for you.
PAYG pros:
- Only pay for what you use
- Usually available on a long expiry period, so you can set and forget
- Rather cheap plans considering plan length
- Suitable for light phone users
- Good option for a second back-up phone, or for keeping your phone number when you’re not using your phone (such as extended stints overseas).
PAYG cons:
- You need to keep on top of your usage
- Only suited to light phone users
- No unlimited calls or SMS
- Not many providers offer these plans, so they’re hard to find with limited choices to compare.
How is PAYG different to prepaid and long expiry plans?
PAYG plans were in many ways the original prepaid phone plan. Before unlimited calls and SMS became commonplace, if you had a prepaid plan, you’d need to monitor your usage and recharge when you ran out of credit.
These days, PAYG plans are much less common, and differ from the standard prepaid plans on the market. The key feature of a PAYG plan is that you pay for what you use — any calls, texts or data will come out of your credit. Once you use up your credit, you’ll need to recharge.
In comparison, a prepaid plan will include a set amount of calls, texts and data to use within that expiry period — if you happen to use up your inclusions before the expiry, you’ll be unable to call, text or use data until your next recharge, or you’ll need to add on extra inclusions.
While most PAYG plans have long expiry periods, prepaid plans are also available over a longer period. The difference is that with a PAYG plan, you choose the amount of credit to purchase, while pre-paid plans will give you set inclusions to use within the expiry period.. With both cases, if you run out of credit or inclusions before your plan expires, you’ll need to recharge.
Do I need a pay as you go mobile plan?
A pay as you go plan may only work for a limited number of phone users. If you use your phone for calls, texts and data every day, a PAYG plan will probably not suit your needs and could definitely cost you more long-term.
For example, if a PAYG plan includes $20 of credit and charges 15c per call, if you make a three minute call each day, you’ll use up your $20 of credit in around 40 days. Considering most of these plans are on a 365-day expiry period, you’ll need to recharge your plan around eight times a year. Making a daily phone call of six minutes, or sending six text messages each day at that same 15c per minute/per message rate, will see you use up close to $1 of credit per day and need to recharge every 20 or so days.
Compared to prepaid plans, $20 can get you unlimited calls and SMS, along with around 10GB of data to use over a 28 or 30-day expiry period. If you prefer to ‘set and forget’, then you might be better off looking into a long-expiry prepaid plan.
If you only occasionally use your mobile phone, then a PAYG plan might be the right choice for you. The point of these plans is to be there when you need it — whether that’s making the occasional call or checking an address online when you’re out.
Another benefit of a PAYG plan is that it’s cheap and typically has a long expiry period. If you have a second phone for emergencies and want to keep it active, or if you’re going overseas for an extended period and don’t want to lose your phone number, a cheap PAYG plan is a good way to have access to service or your number without the monthly bills or expensive costs.
Overall, a PAYG phone plan does have its advantages, but you’ll really need to consider if it’s the right option for you. These plans aren’t as common as they once were, and many providers might make it hard to find. However, if you’re considering a PAYG plan, compare what’s on offer to ensure you find the best plan for you.
Is a PAYG phone plan worth it?
PAYG phone plans benefit from being low-maintenance, low in cost, and long in recharge times. Many come with cheap call and text rates too. However, if you’re more than a very occasional mobile phone user, you may struggle to see value in a PAYG plan, especially when $20 or so can diminish pretty quickly.
This is especially noticeable when phone plans with unlimited calls and SMS along with 1GB of data, can be as little as $8-$10 per month, so regular phone users may like to look elsewhere. Adding insult to injury is the fact that some service providers can charge a fair amount of money per megabyte of data used, so even casually checking your email or looking something up on Google can become an expensive affair.
PAYG is good for spare phones, those wanting a low-maintenance phone plan, those heading abroad for a while and wanting to keep their number, or for elderly people. But the large majority of people who depend on their mobile phone day-to-day will most likely want to look elsewhere.
Compare SIM plans
Postpaid Plans Under $40
Here is a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database for $40 or less, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our tool for mobile phone plan comparison to see a wider range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Prepaid Plans Under $40
Here is a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database for $40 or less, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our tool for mobile phone plan comparison to see a wider range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Original reporting by Dean Heckscher
Image Source: patarapong saraboon/Shutterstock
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