How I saved $540 on my mobile phone bill
Mobile phone customers are being urged to take their time before rushing to sign up a new device because there are ways they can save themselves hundreds of dollars a year.
Saver HQ
Don't miss out on the headlines from Saver HQ. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Mobile phone customers are being urged to pause before rushing up to sign a new contract as deals become cheaper than ever.
Tech giant Apple this month rolled out its new iPhone 12 device and no doubt many consumers will be eager to get their hands on the newest release.
But product specialist Noa Yap, 26, from Manly in Sydney, who owns his iPhone device outright, recently switched from a Vodafone plan paying $70 per month for 100GB and unlimited calls and texts, to a much cheaper deal with smaller carrier Boost.
“I don’t use that much data at all and I’ve paid my phone off, I was just too lazy to change plans,” he says.
“I’m now on a deal $300 a year with 240GB for the whole year, so I’m saving about $540 a year.”
Yap says he plans to tuck away the additional savings and use it at a later date to spend on travel.
Telco comparison website WhistleOut’s spokesman Kenny McGilvary says despite the rollout of the new iPhone, customers shouldn’t be sucked into getting the latest device.
“With 2020 giving many people more cause for financial concern than before, we would suggest thinking twice before rushing out to buy the latest iPhone or other flagship device,” he says.
“Users may well find better value from holding onto their existing phones and getting a great value SIM-only plan to go with it, rather than paying top dollar for the newest handsets.”
Instead he says customers should consider “no frills plans”.
“Focusing on offering large data allocations for lower prices, all smaller carriers use one of the big three mobile networks so users don’t have to worry about reception issues,” McGilvary says.
“Switching to a smaller carrier is simple, just find the new plan you want and order the SIM online over the phone or in store.”
According to WhistleOut’s database the best no contract 20GB deals start at $19.95 – a honeymoon offer by Spintel for six months before reverting to $24.95.
This is followed by Moose Mobile at $21.80 per month.
Customers are able to port their existing number across to their new carrier.
Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton said switching telcos can take just a matter of minutes once the customer has the new SIM to enter into their device.
“Most people are lazy when it comes to switching and they aren’t looking for deals,” he says.
“If they start looking around they can save themselves tremendous amounts of money.”
Boost has about 600,000 customers nationally.
Adderton says customers should consider MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) who piggyback off the big three networks but usually offer more competitive deals.
“They offer the exact same service but a better value choice,” he says.
“You’re going on one of the three big networks but you are getting better value, the days of sticking with the big three are changing.”
Adderton says you can BYO device when moving to a new telco or otherwise some smaller providers do offer deals with handsets attached.
BREAKOUT
WHICH CARRIERS USE WHICH NETWORK?
TELSTRA
• ALDImobile
• Belong
• Boost Mobile
• Lycamobile
• Mate Communicate
• nuMobile
• Pennytel
• Southern Phone
• TeleChoice
• Think Mobile
• Woolworths Mobile
OPTUS
• Acurus
• amaysim
• Bendigo Telco
• BTB
• Commander
• Circles.Life
• Exetel
• Jeenee Mobile
• iPrimus
• Kore Wireless
• Moose Mobile
• Southern Phone
• SpinTel
• Vaya
• Yomojo
• 2SG
VODAFONE
• AAPT
• Go Talk
• Hello Mobile
• iiNet
• Internode
• Kogan Mobile
• Lebara Mobile
• Pivotel
• Think Mobile
• TPG
• Transact
• Westnet
Originally published as How I saved $540 on my mobile phone bill