There are so many pre-paid phone plans and packages to choose from for those who want not only cheapness but better overall value. For example a pre-paid plan with lots of talk and txt is nice but plan that includes data as well would be even better if it included a decent mobile phone! We have already being using a few over the last few months to see which was the best for April 2016.
It is also important to relies that pre-paid users are not the basic users that their where once classified as. Pre-paid users are often teenagers or sub teens with a hand me down smart phone, usually an iPhone! They don’t bill shock but a defined credit limit that teaches them budgeting and responsibility. It also allows them to switch networks easily if they get what they want. They are critical users as they really show social network trends. These however are not normal users they use internet data extensively.
Not all phone users are the same so we considered what we call the ‘normal user’ that makes a few voice calls and a few texts, some Skyping, Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram when on the go and the rest when near an accessible Wi-Fi network.
– The most important factor of pre-paid plans is to recharge on or before the expiry date, usually 28-30 days.
– Choose a plan that allows ‘rollover’ of unused credit.
– Choose a plan the allows you to use credit for extra data or calls.
– Choose a plan that allows you to use credit for App store purchases.
The best all round pre-paid plan is the the Telstra $30 Freedom Plus Plan. It features the rollover of all unused credit if you ‘recharge’, ability to get additional data and overseas packs with that credit. Unused credit can also be used in the Google store for Apps and services. The only flaw is the $700 call credit to non-Telstra numbers but unlimited to Telstra phones. Moving up to the $40 plan means even more data and unlimited national calls and some international calls.
The second best pre-paid phone plan is the Optus Ultimate $30. The significant flaw is the rollover of data only so you loose $30 if not used in that month. However the benefits are unlimited calls and txt (if you still do that) but a relatively large 3 Gigs of data per month. Moving up plans don’t really help due to the limited rollover.
Note that these phone plans in particular from Optus and Telstra are better that the post paid alternative when paying the same $30 as long as you remember to recharge.
Our recommended mobile phone for a pre-paid package will follow shortly!