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Optus Mobile Plans
Love the English Premier League or having multiple plans to choose from? Optus packs its roster with plenty of added value.
Optus Mobile Plans
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Optus has a wide range of plans, especially when it comes to prepaid options. A common household name for mobiles and broadband alike, Optus packs data in with a couple of extra juicy features on its mobile plans.
Highlights:
- Potential 5G access on SIM only plans if you have a compatible device
- Exclusive access to the English Premier League (EPL) via Optus Sport
- $5 unlimited data add-on gives you full-speed unlimited data for a day
What kind of Optus mobile plan are you looking for?
Compare Optus SIM only plans here
You can get up to 500GB of data on a monthly postpaid plan from Optus, with its options listed in the table below. If you want a new phone along with the plan, see the next section.
Compare Optus prepaid plans below
Optus has prepaid plans that range in expiry from just five days to a full year, so you can find one that suits you.
Compare Optus phone plans here
This table has the latest phone models to go with Optus's SIM only plans. The tabs let you switch between the iPhone 11 and Samsung Galaxy S20. Or, you can pick whatever model you want by hitting "filter results" and selecting the model you're after in our gallery.
Everything you need to know about Optus mobile phone plans
As one of the big three mobile carriers in Australia, Optus has a full range of plans on offer. You can buy prepaid, postpaid or get a new handset on a contract.
Optus prepaid plans
Optus has five separate prepaid plan types available: Epic Data, Epic Value, Daily Plus, Optus Flex and Long Expiry.
Epic Data are regular plans with high monthly data inclusions. Epic Value focuses on longer expiry periods but not very high data inclusions. On Daily Plus, you'll get charged only on days you use your phone, whereas Long Expiry are pay as you go (PAYG) plans where you get a certain amount of credit and are charged for phone calls, texts and data as you use them.
Finally, Optus Flex gives you unlimited talk and text, plus data and an expiry period matching how much you pay from a few preset values. For example, $7 gets you 7GB that lasts 7 days.
For a quick rundown of the different prepaid plan types, click on the different tabs below.
Here's Optus's Epic Data prepaid range:
- $10 Epic Data. 5GB for $10 with 5-day expiry. Includes 100 minutes of standard talk and text.
- $20 Epic Data. 12GB for $20 with 10-day expiry. Includes 200 minutes of standard talk and text.
- $30 Epic Data. 10GB for $30 with 28-day expiry, plus 25GB bonus on first 3 recharges. Includes unlimited talk and text.
- $40 Epic Data. 20GB for $40 with 28-day expiry, plus 25GB bonus on first 3 recharges. Includes unlimited talk and text.
- $50 Epic Data. 30GB for $50 with 28-day expiry, plus 25GB bonus on first 3 recharges. Includes unlimited talk and text.
These prepaid plans are designed for people who use their phone regularly. They all include up to 200GB data rollover between recharges and 10GB of bonus streaming data for use with Netflix, Stan and ABC Kids.
Optus's Epic Value prepaid plans come in six versions:
- $10 Epic Value. 500MB of data with 21-day expiry.
- $15 Epic Value. 500MB of data with 28-day expiry.
- $30 Epic Value. 2GB of data with 42-day expiry.
- $40 Epic Value. 10GB of data with 42-day expiry.
- $50 Epic Value. 15GB of data with 42-day expiry.
- $180 Epic Value. 60GB of data with 365-day expiry.
These plans can be useful if you want a longer expiry on your prepaid plan but aren't too fussed about big data inclusions. They have 50GB data rollover between recharges.
Optus's Daily Plus range essentially work as PAYG plans:
- $10 Daily Plus. $10 MyCredit with 30-day expiry.
- $20 Daily Plus. $20 MyCredit with 30-day expiry.
- $30 Daily Plus. $30 MyCredit with 186-day expiry.
- $60 Daily Plus. $60 MyCredit with 186-day expiry.
Every day you use your phone to make a call, send a text or use any amount of data, you'll have $2 subtracted from your MyCredit, after which you can place as many calls and texts as you want. Data use beyond 500MB will incur an additional $2 cost for 500MB blocks, up to $4 extra (1GB) per day.
These are your options for signing up to Optus Flex:
- $1 Optus Flex. 1GB of data with a 1 day expiry period. Includes unlimited standard talk and text. Add 300 minutes of international calls to 50 destinations for an extra $0.50.
- $7 Optus Flex. 7GB of data with a 7 day expiry period. Includes unlimited standard talk and text. Add 300 minutes of international calls to 50 destinations for an extra $1.
- $30 Optus Flex. 30GB of data with a 30 day expiry period. Includes unlimited standard talk and text. Add 300 minutes of international calls to 50 destinations for an extra $5.
These plans suit people who don't necessarily operate inside the regular 30 day cycle. The $30 Flex plan in particular outshines most of Optus' other offerings, since it provides only 5 fewer GB than the $30 Epic Data option, but that 30GB of data persists past 3 recharges.
All Flex plans have a 200GB data rollover so long as you recharge before expiry.
If you're happy to pay for your usage upfront and don't need a huge amount of data, check out Optus's Long Expiry range:
- $10 Long Expiry. $10 MyCredit with 45-day expiry.
- $20 Long Expiry. $20 MyCredit with 90-day expiry.
- $30 Long Expiry. $30 MyCredit with 186-day expiry.
- $40 Long Expiry. $40 MyCredit with 186-day expiry.
- $50 Long Expiry. $50 MyCredit with 186-day expiry.
- $60 Long Expiry. $60 MyCredit with 365-day expiry.
All Long Expiry PAYG plans have the same rates: 25c/min for calls, 25c/SMS sent and 7c/MB of data.
We strongly recommend not getting a Long Expiry plan if you plan to use mobile data. You'll be paying about $70 for each 1GB of data you use, compared to the $2 to $1.50 you'd pay on the Epic Data plans. The upside is your credit won't expire if you don't use it much.
Optus SIM only plans
Optus Choice SIM only plans are what you'd call "regular" phone plans, with data and calls for normal use. All plans come with no excess data charges, which means you can go past your monthly data allowance and not get charged an extra fee. Instead, your mobile download speed gets slowed down to 1.5Mbps.
- Small Optus Choice. 20GB for $45 per month.
- Medium Optus Choice. 80GB for $55 per month. Includes unlimited calls and text to 35 countries.
- Large Optus Choice. 200GB for $65 per month. Includes unlimited calls and text to 35 countries.
- Extra Large Optus Choice. 240GB for $85 per month. Includes unlimited calls and text to 35 countries.
Each of these plans offers data sharing between plans on the same account, plus potential 5G access if you have a compatible device and live in an area that's covered.
Optus phone plans
Buying a phone on a plan from Optus lets you choose between any of its Optus Choice plans or its Optus One option. These are the same plans as what you would get buying them on their own.
Your monthly bill will include the regular price of the plan plus the monthly repayment cost of the handset. The size of these repayments will depend on whether you've signed up to a 12-, 24- or 36-month contract, with longer contracts meaning smaller instalments.
Optus mobile review
Optus is Australia's second largest telecommunications company and gained the nation's second general carrier licence in 1991 after Telstra. Its network reaches more than 98% of the Australian population.
You'll find Optus's prices are slightly more competitive than Telstra's, but otherwise there's not a huge amount separating the two companies, apart from Telstra's more extensive regional network coverage. Here are the main features you'll find on Optus's plans:
There are more features beyond the ones listed above, including:
- Data sharing. Plans on the same account can freely share data.
- Bonus streaming data. Epic Data prepaid plans come with 10GB of streaming data to be used with Netflix, Stan or ABC Kids.
- Prepaid add-ons. Optus has a range of different add-ons you can stick on your prepaid plan for an extra monthly fee. These include international talk credit, Optus Sport and data roaming.
- Coverage commitment. This will let you return a new phone you got on a 24-month repayment contract if the service you're getting is not what Optus promised. You have to return the device within 14 days. Though it's still a feature, it's highly restrictive and not useful for most customers.
- International inclusions. Most Optus postpaid plans include unlimited standard calls and texts to 35 destinations.
- Data rollover. Epic Value and Epic Data prepaid plans include data rollover, where unused data will persist between recharges. A maximum of 200GB applies for Epic Data and 50GB for Epic Value.
As a major mobile phone provider, Optus has many extra features available. While they aren't too impressive for the most part, Optus Sport can be a great inclusion for fans of the EPL and the Unlimited Data Day is the only offer of its kind.
Here's a summary of what's available from Optus:
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Automatic prepaid recharge |  |
| Excess usage warning | |
| Entertainment extras | |
| Data-free media streaming |  |
| Roll-over data | |
| Data sharing | |
| International calls/texts | |
| International roaming | |
| Rewards program | |
| Student/pensioner discounts | |
Is Optus better than Telstra? We ask our utilities expert and writer, Sam Baran.
When you put Optus next to Telstra, the plans are about the same, but Optus is a little cheaper. Telstra does have better extras if you're not a die-hard EPL fan, though, so it could still be worth it to go with it and pay more for the football if you're interested. Telstra also has slightly more coverage in rural and regional areas, which matters to some customers.
Compared to smaller MVNOs, Optus is certainly more expensive, although its prepaid plans aren't too bad for the first few recharges. If you want a provider with higher value on its plans, try ALDI mobile for prepaid or Circles.Life for a SIM only option.
How does Optus compare?
For a thorough breakdown of how Optus mobile plans compare to its competitors, check out our more detailed guides on Optus's plans below.
Here's a quick summary of Optus's plans, with the main pros and cons weighed up:
Pros
- Optus Sport gives exclusive access to the EPL.
- Extensive network reaching over 98% of the population.
- Data pooling between plans on the same account.
- Potential 5G access for customers on a SIM only plan with a suitable device.
Cons
- High pricing compared to smaller MVNOs on almost all plans.
- 28-day recharge period, meaning 1 extra recharge per year compared to 30-day expiry on prepaid plans.
- Several extras are of very limited use for most customers.
Optus international roaming
The roaming options available to you depend on whether you have a prepaid or SIM only plan.
For SIM only plans, the old Optus travel packs have been replaced with roaming passes, where you pay $10 for 1GB of data or 24 hours of use, whichever comes first. During this period, you get unlimited calls and texts, available in 90 or so countries. It auto-refreshes if you continue roaming after 1GB or 24 hours.
For Optus prepaid plans, you can choose from add-ons that let you make calls, send texts and use data overseas for an additional cost.
Optus plans for seniors
While Optus no longer offers specific plans or discounts for seniors, it does have a couple of different long expiry plans that might be suitable. You can either get Daily Plus plans, where you're only charged per day you use your phone or Long Expiry options where you buy PAYG credit.
You can check out our guide on the best mobile phone plans for seniors for more options. We update our selection of best plans at the start of each month.
FAQ about Optus mobile plans
What is the cheapest Optus mobile plan?
Technically, Optus's cheapest plan is its $10 Epic Data prepaid option, which provides 5GB of data with a 5-day expiry period.
The cheapest ongoing SIM only plan you can get from Optus is 10GB of data for $39 per month.
Can I buy extra data on Optus?
If your plan isn't providing quite enough data monthly, you can purchase a Data Add-on for your SIM-only plan. The options are:
- $5 per month for 2GB
- $10 per month for 10GB
- $20 per month for 30GB
You can also get an Unlimited Data Day for $5 with access to unlimited full-speed data for 24 hours, purchasable whenever you want.
Can I buy a phone outright from Optus?
Yes, you can buy a device outright from Optus without also purchasing a plan, if you want. It will be covered by the manufacturer's warranty, but you won't be able to return or exchange the device if you change your mind.
Can I get Optus Insurance Device Protect for my phone?
Yes, you can buy a device outright from Optus without also purchasing a plan, if you want. It will be covered by the manufacturer's warranty, but you won't be able to return or exchange the device if you change your mind.
How much does it cost to unlock a phone from Optus?
If you buy a prepaid phone from Optus, it may be network locked, meaning it won't work with a non-Optus SIM. The cost to unlock it works as follows:
- Nothing if you've recharged your phone to a minimum accumulated total of $80, no matter how long you've had it.
- $25 if you've had it more than 6 months.
- $80 if you've had it less than 6 months.
Check out our guide for more on unlocking your phone from a network.
How do I upgrade my phone on Optus?
Optus has a "new phone trade-up" scheme where you can trade in an eligible device, pay the one-off fee of $149 for phones and get a new device on a 24- or 36-month payment plan. The advantage is that you can trade in a phone that's in the last 12 months of its 24-month (or longer) contract without having to pay the rest of the fee for the device.
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