Finding the best 365-day prepaid mobile plans
Our team of mobile plan experts have compared 35+ 365-day mobile plans from 15+ mobile providers in Australia. We've curated 9 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
36 365-day plans analysed
180+ hours of research
Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $100: Catch
60GB
Ongoing
$99 for the first 365 days
$120 ongoing
Catch offers the cheapest 365-day deal this month, cutting its plan cost from $120 to $99 for the first 365-days. You'll get the equivalent of 5GB to use each month - perfect for those that don't need too much data.
Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $150: Catch
120GB
Ongoing
$119 for the first 365 days
$150 ongoing
Catch has the best value 365-day mobile plan for $119 and under this month, get 120GB for the first 365-days.
Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $180: Coles
140GB
Ongoing
$165 for the first 365 days
$195 ongoing
With Finder's exclusive discount with Coles you'll get this plan for only $165 instead of $195. You'll get 140GB for under $180 on your first year.
Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan under $200: Coles
210GB
Ongoing
$195 for the first 365 days
$240 ongoing
Finder's exclusive discount with Coles knocks $45 off the 365-day price so you'll get 210GB for under $200 for your first year.
Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan with international calls: amaysim
240GB
Ongoing
$300
Ongoing
amaysim' plan includes unlimited international calls to 28 and texts to 42 selected countries, which is a pretty generous inclusion for a long expiry plan.
Best 365-day prepaid mobile plan on the Telstra network: Boost Mobile
160GB
Ongoing
$230
Ongoing
Boost Mobile gets full Telstra coverage. This means its network coverage is the same as if you'd signed up with Telstra itself, unlike other mobile providers which operate on the slightly smaller wholesale network.
Best Telstra 365-day prepaid mobile plan
230GB for the first 12 months
165GB ongoing
$280 for the first 12 months
$320 ongoing
If you're settled on buying a plan from Australia's largest telco, Telstra only offers one 365-day prepaid mobile plan so really have a choice. The good news is, it comes with a bunch of features including international inclusions and data rollover.
Best Optus 365-day prepaid mobile plan: Optus
260GB for the first 365 days
180GB ongoing
$320
Ongoing
If you want more data to your plan then you can opt for this Optus plan which offers 260GB of data for $250 for the first 365-days.
Best Vodafone 365-day prepaid mobile plan
240GB for the first 365 days
150GB ongoing
$150 for the first 365 days
$250 ongoing
Vodafone has a couple of prepaid plans which last 365-days, but only one with any data included. Its $250 plan comes with 150GB, and is available to purchase online for $150 instead of its original price of $250.
Best data-only 365-day plan: Vodafone
250GB
Ongoing
$250
Ongoing
Vodafone offers the cheapest cost per gigabyte on its data-only mobile broadband plan for plans that offer at least 120GB over a year (that's equivalent to 10GB a day).
2023 Finder Awards for the best long expiry prepaid mobile plan
As part of the 2023 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: Coles Mobile
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.
- Best data only 365-day prepaid plan: Based on the cheapest cost per gigabyte for data-only SIMs that offer a minimum of 120GB over 365-days or 12 months.
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 you can trust Finder's broadband experts
We've done the work
We're reliable
We're here to help
Latest mobile news
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra plans from every major telco
Pre-order the S24 Ultra on a plan and take advantage of some stunning offers.
Read more…Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus plans from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone
Pre-orders for Samsung's newest Galaxy S24 Plus are now live.
Read more…Samsung Galaxy S24 plans in Australia
Pair your Samsung Galaxy S24 plan with bonus offers from one of the major telcos.
Read more…Best Samsung Galaxy S24 pre-order deals: Bonus gifts worth over $1000
Get the latest S24 for cheaper or get more bang for your buck with freebies when you pre-order.
Read more…Samsung Galaxy S24: Prices, specs and availability in Australia
Galaxy AI steals the show.
Read more…Samsung Galaxy S24: Release date + rumoured prices and specs
The first major phone launch of 2024 is just around the corner.
Read more…More guides on Finder
-
Pay as you go mobile plans
Pay as you go mobile plans are a great way to save money if you don't use your phone very often.
Latest mobile plan deals on Finder
Compare iPhone 15 plans
Grab the latest in the Apple iPhone lineup today.
This month’s best SIM-only mobile plans
Save money with these top no-contract deals.
Save with a prepaid mobile plan
Avoid bill shock and control your spending with the best value offers.
Unlimited data mobile plans
Never get charged for going over the limit again.
Ask an Expert
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/compare-mobile-plans-under-20 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