Optus offers discount to lure TPG mobile customers
Is $10 off worth switching for?
TPG recently switched its month-to-month mobile plans from Optus' network to Vodafone's. Optus is now offering a discount of $10 off each months for the first 12 month for customers who'd prefer to switch to one of its plans and stay with the Optus network.
As an ex-TPG customer, you can pay $20 a month for 1GB of data, or $35 a month for 4GB of data. Both plans include unlimited calls and texts to Australian numbers. (You'll be charged the full plan price of $30 or $45, and then given a $10 credit.)
Whether that represents better value depends on your needs. For $20 a month, TPG offers slightly more data: 1.3GB rather than 1GB. It doesn't include unlimited calls and texts, but its $400 of credit would let you send 790 texts (that's 25 a day) and 84 2-minute calls.
For $40 a month, TPG offers unlimited calls and texts, as well as 5GB of data. Optus' discounted plan is $5 cheaper, but has 1GB less data (and adding another 1GB takes the plan cost up to $45).
Bottom line? If you're using your phone more for data, the TPG Vodafone offers are arguably better value. If calls and texts matter more, or if you don't have good Vodafone reception where you live and work, switching could make sense, but it's definitely be worth comparing all your options and revisiting the decision in a year, when the discount won't apply any more.
