Finding the best 365-day prepaid mobile plans
Our team of mobile plan experts have compared 44 365-day mobile plans from 17 mobile providers in Australia. We've curated 8 top picks based on price, network and expert analysis. Not all long expiry plans will suit your needs so make sure you compare your options before choosing the right one for you.
Why you can trust our research
44 365-day plans analysed
180+ hours of research
Top pick: Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $150
Catch Connect 365 Day Plan 120GB
Calls & Text
data
per 365 days
for the first 365 days then 120GB for $150.
Pros & cons:
- This plan is the equivalent of 10GB for $9.08 per month which is a decent amount of data at a low price.
- You can have your SIM delivered to you for free.
- No lock-in contract so switching plans will be easy.
- If you're after extra inclusions to go with your plan, then it might be best to check other providers as Catch is thin on bonus features.
Mobile network: Optus 4G network
Total cost over first 12 months: $109
Why we chose it
We looked at prepaid mobile plans on Finder with a plan length of 365-days or 12 months that cost under $150, including any promotional discounts. We then gave each plan a value score by weighting different factors including cost per data over 12 months (including promotional offers), network coverage, international call inclusions, data rollover and Wi-Fi calling. Our top pick was chosen based on the plan with the highest value score from a Finder partner.
Top pick: Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $200
Kogan Medium 365 Days
Pros & cons:
- You’re essentially paying $15 a month for just over 16GB of data.
- Option to earn 1 Qantas Point for every $2 you spend on your mobile bill.
- Kogan won the Best Long Expiry Prepaid Mobile Provider category in the 2024 Finder Product Awards.
- Kogan runs on the Vodafone 3G/4G network so make sure that coverage works for you if you're signing up to a yearly plan.
Mobile network: Vodafone 4G network
Total cost over first 12 months: $180
Why we chose it
We looked at prepaid mobile plans on Finder with a plan length of 365-days or 12 months that cost under $200, including any promotional discounts. We then gave each plan a value score by weighting different factors including cost per data over 12 months (including promotional offers), network coverage, international call inclusions, data rollover and Wi-Fi calling. Our top pick was chosen as the plan with the highest value score from a Finder partner.
Top pick: Best 186-day prepaid mobile plan under $180
Optus Flex Plus $160 186 days
Calls & Text
data
per 186 days
for the first 3 recharges then 80GB for $160. T&Cs apply.
Pros & cons:
- You're basically getting 20GB of data for just over $26 per month for the first 3 recharges.
- You can rollover up to 200GB of data as long as you renew the plan before it expires.
- You have the freedom to customise your plan with add-ons such as international roaming and additional data packs.
- The data allowance drops to 80GB after the first 3 recharges.
Mobile network: Optus 4G/5G network
Total cost over first 12 months: $320
Why we chose it
We looked at prepaid mobile plans on Finder with a plan length of 186-days or 6 months that cost under $180, including any promotional discounts. We then gave each plan a value score by weighting different factors including cost per data over 6 months (including promotional offers), network coverage, international call inclusions, data rollover and Wi-Fi calling. Our top pick was chosen as the plan with the highest value score from a Finder partner.
Top pick: Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan with international calls
Boost $230 SIM
Calls & Text
data
per 12 months
for the first 12 months then 160GB for $230.
Pros & cons:
- Unlimited international calls to 20 selected destinations including India, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, USA and Brazil.
- 1200 minutes to 30 selected destinations such as Argentina, South Africa, Denmark, UAE, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Plus, 1200 texts to any country in the world.
- You’re essentially paying $19 per month for 14GB which is pretty good value, especially since you get access to the full Telstra network.
- The data allowance will revert to 160GB on the next recharge.
- Download speeds are capped at 150Mbps but this should be fast enough browsing, streaming, gaming and more.
Mobile network: Telstra 4G/5G network
Total cost over first 12 months: $230
Why we chose it
We looked at prepaid mobile plans on Finder with a plan length of 365-days or 12 months that cost under $250 and come with international calls included. We then gave each plan a value score by weighting different factors including cost per data over 12 months (including promotional offers), network coverage, international call inclusions, data rollover and Wi-Fi calling. Our top pick was chosen based on the plan with the highest value score from a Finder partner.
Top pick: Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan on the Telstra network
Boost $230 SIM
Calls & Text
data
per 12 months
for the first 12 months then 160GB for $230.
Pros & cons:
- It's the only other mobile provider to run on the full Telstra network besides Telstra itself - this will make a difference if you live or are visiting regional and rural areas of Australia.
- Plenty of international inclusions including unlimited calls to 20 countries, 1200 minutes of standard calls to 30 selected countries and 1200 standard texts to any country.
- International roaming pack available to purchase for use in selected destinations.
- Data drops down to 160GB per recharge after your first 365 days.
- Download speeds are capped at 150Mbps on the 4G and 5G network - this is still pretty fast so it shouldn't impact your day-to-day online activities.
Mobile network: Telstra 4G/5G network
Total cost over first 12 months: $230
Why we chose it
We looked at prepaid mobile plans on Finder with a plan length of 365-days or 12 months that cost under $250 and run on the full and wholesale Telstra networks. We then gave each plan a value score by weighting different factors including cost per data over 12 months (including promotional offers), network coverage, international calls, data rollover and Wi-Fi calling. Our top pick was the plan with the highest value score from a Finder partner.
Top pick: Best Telstra 365-day prepaid mobile plan
Telstra $320 SIM Kit
Calls & Text
data
per 12 months
for the first 12 months then 165GB for $320.
Pros & cons:
- You'll get 6000 international minutes to Zone 1 destinations and 800 minutes to Zone 2 and 100 minutes to Zone 3 destinations.
- You can quickly sign up via an eSIM if you have a compatible handset.
- Data drops down to 165GB per recharge after your first 365 days.
- Not the best value plan - if you'd still like access to the full Telstra network, consider Boost Mobile as an alternative.
Mobile network: Telstra 4G/5G network
Total cost over first 12 months: $320
Why we chose it
Telstra only offers a singular 365-day prepaid mobile plan, so this plan wins by default.
We recommend comparing plans from other providers to get the best deal, rather than looking at provider-specific plans.
Top pick: Best Optus 365-day prepaid mobile plan
Optus Flex Plus $320 365 days
Calls & Text
data
per 365 days
for the first 365 days then 180GB for $320.
Pros & cons:
- You're essentially getting just over 21GB of data for around $27 a month. This can be decent value for people who do require a higher data allowance.
- You can rollover up to 200GB of unused data if you recharge before your plan expires.
- Customise your plan with add-ons including international roaming, additional data packs, access to Optus Sport and more.
- The price is a bit more on the expensive side given you're getting very limited features.
- The download speeds of this plan are capped at 150Mbps for 4G and 5G but it is still sufficient for most of your online activities.
Mobile network: Optus 4G/5G network
Total cost over first 12 months: $320
Why we chose it
Optus only sells one 365-day prepaid mobile plan, so this plan wins by default.
We always recommend comparing plans from other providers to get the best deal, rather than looking at provider-specific plans.
Top pick: Best Vodafone 365-day prepaid mobile plan
Vodafone $250 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack
Calls & Text
data. Slowed down to 1.5Mbps after full speed data used up
per 365 days
for the first 365 days then 150GB for $250.
Pros & cons:
- Sign up online and get a whopping 240GB of data on your first recharge instead of 150GB.
- Get an additional $5 off each recharge when you opt-in to Automatic Recharge.
- Includes 50 standard international texts to any country.
- No excess data charges if you go over the data allowance, instead your download speed will get slowed down to 1.5Mbps.
- Data goes back to 150GB after your first 365 days.
- No international calls included, unlike other providers.
Mobile network: Vodafone 4G/5G network
Total cost over first 12 months: $250
Why we chose it
To choose the best Vodafone 365-day plan, we looked at prepaid mobile plans from Vodafone that offer data over 365 days. Since there was only one plan, it was the natural winner for this category.
2024 Finder Awards for the best long expiry prepaid mobile plan
As part of the 2024 Finder Awards, we selected the Best Long Expiry Prepaid Mobile Plan based on price and data. The winner and finalists were chosen based on their cost per day, daily cost per gigabyte, network coverage and any applicable download speed caps.
Best Long Expiry Prepaid Mobile Plan
- Winner: Kogan Mobile
- Highly commended: Everyday Mobile (previously known as Woolworths Mobile)
- Highly commended: Catch connect
How do long expiry mobile plans work?
There are 2 main types of long expiry mobile plans:
- Prepaid: These expiry periods normally last between 90 and 365 days. You will need to pay the full cost upfront when you sign up. These will typically be cheaper than monthly mobile plans offering the same amount of data.
- Pay as you go (PAYG): These types of long expiry plans can be quite cheap, around $5 to $50 for the whole year. However, they tend to not come with any data at all. Instead, you get mobile credit that you can use to make calls, send texts and get online. Be careful though as the rates you get charged for making calls and using data tend to be quite expensive, and may eat up your credit pretty quickly.
How do I find the best long expiry plan?
Apart from the cost of the plan itself and your willingness to pay it upfront, you should consider some other key features before committing to a long expiry plan:
Think about how long you're willing to commit for, whether that's for 90, 180 or 365 days. The longer you commit for, the fewer times in the year you'll need to worry about recharging. Just keep in mind if you choose to leave before your expiry period ends, you'll lose the money you paid upfront.
Choose a data limit suited to your needs. When in doubt, add a couple of extra GB on to how much data you think you'll use. You don't want to get stuck with not enough data after committing to a plan long term. Also keep in mind that some plans allocate monthly data limits.
Compare to find the best long expiry mobile plan
You'll find mobile plans with expiry periods between 90 and 365 days in the comparison table below.
I used to be lazy and just top up my phone each month. I then realised that the monthly cost for a 365 day plan worked out to be far cheaper and I wouldn't exceed the data limit. The savings was $16 per month less than what I was paying, which meant I was able to reduce my phone bill by $192 a year.— Aaron McAllister, Utilities publisher
How we researched the best 365-day prepaid mobile plans
- We looked at prepaid plans in our database designed for personal use, with a plan length of 12 months and 360-365 days.
- Other selection criteria to narrow down our shortlist included looking at active Finder partners across the categories which allowed for this.
- Promotional discounts were also taken into account during scoring.
Best 365-day plan categories
Each month, we select the best 365-day prepaid mobile plans across 9 categories.
- Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $100: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans equal to or under $100.
- Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $150: Based on our internal value scoring system limiting results to plans equal to or under $150.
- Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $200: Based on our internal value scoring system limiting results to plans equal to or under $200.
- Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan with international calls: Based on our internal value scoring system limiting results to plans equal to or under $250 and include international calls.
- Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan on the Telstra network: Based on our internal value scoring system limiting results to plans equal to or under $250 on the Telstra network.
- Best Telstra 365-day prepaid mobile plan: Based on Telstra's current lineup of 365-day prepaid mobile plans, its single offering defaults as the winner.
- Best Optus 365-day prepaid mobile plan: Based on Optus' current lineup of 365-day prepaid mobile plans, its single offering defaults as the winner.
- Best Vodafone 365-day prepaid mobile plan: Based on Vodafone's current lineup of 365-day prepaid mobile plans, we limited results to those that offer data. Its single offering defaults as the winner.
How does Finder's value scoring system work?
For certain categories, we use a value scoring system to choose the best 365-day plan by scoring the following factors:
- Cost per gigabyte. This is calculated by taking the price of the plan over 12 months divided by the amount of data (GB). The price includes any promotional offers that are valid for 2 or more weeks from when we selected the plan.
- Network coverage. We awarded scores depending on how wide the network coverage is across Australia.
- Data rollover. We weight providers that offer data rollover higher than those that don't have this feature.
- International calls. We weight providers that offer data rollover higher than those that don't have this feature. This includes those that offer unlimited calls or credit/minutes for international purposes.
- Wi-Fi calling. We weight providers that offer Wi-Fi calling higher than those that don't have this feature.
We then assign a weight to each of the factors in order to calculate a value score. Price and data are given the highest weighting.
Is a 365-day prepaid mobile plan right for me?
Among other factors, it'll largely depend on if you're comfortable paying a large cost upfront and whether the features on the plan will suit you for whatever expiry period you sign up for.
Pros
- Total yearly costs usually work out cheaper compared to a month-to-month plan.
- No need to worry about paying for recharges to top up your plan or paying monthly phone bills.
- Most plans let you use your data freely throughout the year so you can use less one month and more on another, and it'll even out.
Cons
- You'll usually need to pay a decent amount of money upfront ($100+).
- There's no option of a refund in case you're not happy with your service.
- You'll need to recharge early if you aren't careful about your data usage.
Which mobile providers offer long expiry plans?
Not all mobile providers in Australia offer long expiry prepaid mobile plans. Here's a breakdown of some popular ones and what they offer:
ALDImobile
ALDImobile runs on the Telstra wholesale network and offers a PAYG long expiry plan that lasts the full year. It's just $5 to sign up and that's also how much credit you'll have in the first instance. After that you can buy blocks of credit to top up.
Coles Mobile
Coles Mobile runs on the Optus network and offers good bang for buck on its 365-day plans with a range of low, medium and high data limits to choose from. You also get unlimited international calls and texts to selected destinations and data rollover up to 50GB.
Optus
Optus has a couple of 365-day plans suited to moderate data users. You get up to 200GB of data rollover and the option to add on 300 minutes for $5 per 28 days for 50 destinations.
Kogan Mobile
Kogan Mobile runs on the Vodafone network and has a good range of 365-day plans to meet your data needs. These vary from small to extra large plans that are generally good value for money. You also get Wi-Fi calling and the option for an instant eSIM setup if you have a compatible smartphone.
Telstra
Telstra has the largest 4G and 5G network coverage in Australia and it's available to access on both its 6-month and 12-month long expiry plans. This can come in handy if you live in rural or regional Australia. You also get a limited amount of free international minutes.
Everyday Mobile (formerly Woolworths Mobile)
Everyday Mobile runs on the Telstra wholesale network and offers both 180- and 365-day prepaid mobile plans for light to moderate data users. You also get 10% off your monthly Woolworths grocery shop (up to $50), the option to get an eSIM and data rollover when you recharge the same plan before it expires.
Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile is the only smaller provider to offer access to the full Telstra 4G and 5G network. Boost offers 12-month long expiry plans for moderate data users. In return you also get unlimited international minutes to 20 selected countries and 1,200 minutes to 30 other countries.
Vodafone
Vodafone's long expiry prepaid plans last 180–365 days with a decent amount of data allocation for light to moderate users. You can also bank up to 200GB of data for future use and make 50 standard international texts for free. Vodafone also offers PAYG long expiry plans. These come with no set data allocation, but with credit to use for calls, texts and data as you need it.
amaysim
amaysim runs on the Optus 4G network and it also won the 2022 Finder Retail Award for Best Rated Mobile Plan Provider. You have the option to sign up to a 6- or 12-month long expiry plan that is well suited to both light to moderate data users. You can also conveniently add on any of its 4 international roaming packs when you travel to one of 90+ countries on its list.
Frequently asked questions
Why compare mobile phone plans with Finder?
We know our stuff. We pour over hundreds of mobile plans every month. It's exhausting. But worth it.
You can rely on us. We're constantly updating and fact-checking our data on dozens of Aussie telcos.
We're here to help. We've helped millions of Aussies find better mobile phone plan. And we'll keep doing it.
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Ask a question
I am an older lady with not a lot of understanding re my mobile phone. I am with Optus pre paid. But it keeps running out of money. I usually pay $30 at a time. It doesn’t seem to last out the month. I rarely use my phone. It’s more for an emergency, when I’m away from home, as I can’t get coverage at home. Which plan would suit me best?
Hi Roslyn, I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your mobile plan. You can take a look at our guide to cheap plans under $20 https://www.finder.com.au/mobile-plans/cheap-mobile-plans or if you’re after better coverage at home you can also check out these plans from Telstra MVNOs https://www.finder.com.au/best-mvno-plans-on-the-telstra-network or prepaid plans from Telstra itself https://www.finder.com.au/mobile-plans/telstra-mobile.
I’m looking for a long term data only plan, preferably 5 years if possible. Data usage is low, just monitoring power at a site with no internet access.
Hi Dean,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
Currently, long expiry prepaid plans are up to 365 days which is for a year. Kindly contact your chosen provider if they may provide a modified mobile plan for your needs.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni
I intend to buy a prepaid mobile plan for 365 days. My present plan will end on 25/04/2019. Can I buy now and activate the SIM card nearer to the end date of my present plan?
Hi John,
Thank you for reaching out to Finder.
There are SIM providers that may allow you to buy a SIM now and then activate on a later time. You may need to check this with the specific SIM provider whom you are considering to buy a prepaid SIM so you can be advised accordingly. This is normally applicable if you are to get a new mobile number. If you intend to port your number, you need to let the incoming provider know that you are planning to move your number and check their porting time frame so you can consider and check your options.
Hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
Mai
Hello, great article, but it seems as though none of the pre-paid plans listed allow calls to be received when roaming internationally? What prepaid long expiry plans allow you to receive calls internationally?
Hi Matt,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Our company finder.com.au is a financial comparison website and general information service designed to help consumers to make a better decision. Please note we do not represent any company we feature on our pages.
On this article, you may need to contact the providers to inquiry if they have an offer to receive a call from overseas.
Cheers,
Harold
Can these SIM cards be used in a Telstra mobile phone?
Hi Aldimobile,
Thank you for your enquiry.
You can use any of the SIM cards featured on this page if you have an unlocked mobile phone, however, you can only use a Telstra SIM card on a Telstra locked phone. You can get in touch with Telstra for assistance in unlocking your Telstra locked phone.
Cheers,
Jason