What Is A Prepaid Mobile Plan?

A prepaid mobile plan is a mobile plan you pay for before you use it. You buy a set amount of data, calls and text upfront, use it over a set period, then recharge when you're ready to keep going. There's no bill at the end of the renewal period and no lock-in contract, so you're only ever spending what you've already chosen to.

Unlike a traditional postpaid plan, where you use your service first and get billed at the end of the renewal period, a prepaid plan keeps you in control of your usage from the outset. In this guide, we'll break down how it all works, so you can choose the mobile plan that's best for you.

Explore our range of prepaid plans today.

How a prepaid plan works

In practice, it's simple. You purchase an amaysim prepaid SIM card or eSIM, activate it and add it to your existing compatible unlocked phone and choose a specific recharge amount.

If you happen to use up your allowances early, these will simply pause until you top up or recharge.

A prepaid recharge winds down in one of two ways: you use up your allowances, or the recharge period expires, whichever happens first. Either way, you just recharge to pick up where you left off. As you're paying up front, there's no credit check to sign up and nothing to cancel if you ever decide to stop.

Staying connected is easy with auto-renew. Keep auto-renew on to have your plan renew automatically on its expiry date with your saved details, which gives you uninterrupted service and convenience without any lock-in commitment. And if you hit your data limit early, there are no fees. Just top up in the my amaysim app, or draw on any available data banking with saved data from previous recharges.

Types of prepaid plans

Just as one mobile phone device doesn't suit all, amaysim's prepaid plans come in a range of options to suit how you actually use your phone (compatible device required):

28-day recharges. This is a popular choice for consistent, everyday use. After 28 days on a standard mobile SIM plan, you get a fresh helping of data, talk and text with each recharge.
Long expiry plans. These plans let you pay once and keep your plan active for 6 to 12 months. Because you pay just once or twice a year, these plans suit anyone who'd rather not recharge every 28 days. This can work out better value over the plan period.
Data-only plans. Not everyone needs talk and text. A data-only plan gives you internet access without standard talk and text. This is handy for a compatible tablet, portable Wi-Fi device, or phone, if you get by on data and apps alone or for a second service.

What's included in a prepaid plan

So what actually comes with a prepaid plan? Inclusions vary from plan to plan, but most bundle together a few key things:

Data. Your gigabyte allowance for streaming, browsing and staying online. The right amount comes down to your daily habits.
Calls and text. Most amaysim mobile plans come with unlimited standard national talk and text, plus standard international talk and text to selected countries. Data-only plans contain data alone, with no calls or text.
Data banking (or 'rollover'). On eligible plans, the data you don't use doesn't have to disappear at the end of your recharge. With data banking you can save your unused data for the future. Each time you renew your eligible plan, any unused data will automatically rollover into your data bank. Sometimes you can retain your banked data when you change plans, see amaysim.com.au/features/data-banking for details.
Coverage. A great plan is only useful if it connects. amaysim runs on the Optus network, with 5G available in select areas on a compatible device, plan and SIM (see amaysim.com.au/about/coverage for coverage).
eSIM access. Did you know you no longer have to go in-store to get set up? An eSIM gives you the flexibility of setting up your new prepaid plan from home, on a compatible device.

The pros and cons of prepaid

The upsides are hard to argue with. You can only use what you've paid for, so there's no bill shock and no mystery fees. There's no lock-in contract and no credit check, which means you can change plans or switch providers whenever you like. With auto-recharge, you get uninterrupted service without any lock-in commitment.

For most people, a prepaid plan now does everything a postpaid plan does, with greater control over your spending and usage, and none of the lock-in. It isn't a compromise or a niche choice, it's simply how a huge number of Australians pay for their mobile, from the lightest users to the heaviest. If you want to stay on top of what you spend and keep the freedom to change things whenever you like, a prepaid plan is for you.

A prepaid plan is less of a fit if you specifically want a brand-new phone bundled into a long term contract and paid off over the duration of your plan. If that sounds like you, a postpaid plan might suit better. Although amaysim does offer devices (see our selection of phones), you buy them outright rather than paying them off over the duration of a plan. It can work out cheaper overall, but with a higher upfront cost.

Refer to our guide to prepaid vs postpaid plans to compare the two in more depth.

How to get started

Take the first step towards ease of use and control over your budget with a straightforward amaysim prepaid plan, with these easy steps:

Order your new prepaid SIM card online or at select retail stores. Browse our range to find your ideal prepaid phone plan.
Insert the physical SIM into your phone or download an eSIM on a compatible device to get started.
Activate your service online on our website or via the my amaysim app and start using your new mobile plan.

Want to keep your current number? You can bring it across when you activate, so switching to prepaid doesn't mean starting over.

View our wide range of prepaid mobile phone plans and get connected today!