September 12, 2013 
YOURLifeChoices member Jacqui’s plan is ceasing in the next two weeks and she needs help finding a pensioner friendly prepaid mobile plan.
Q. Hello,
I’m desperate to find another mobile phone company which offers me a prepaid mobile service, especially for someone on a budget as I’ve just received advice from ‘ONE Seniors’ that they’re no longer able to continue the supply of their prepaid mobile services.
The prepaid plan which I’m currently with will cease to operate in the next two weeks. The plan features:
- 3 hours of talk time
- 200 SMS’s
- 1GB data
- Unlimited Facebook
- Expiry period of 90 days.
This plan was perfect for me. I’m doing it really tough financially and I barely have enough money to survive each fortnight.
I’ve done some basic research on the net, but up to now everything I’ve seen has an expiry period of 30 days.
Would your team know of any alternatives similar to the one above?
A. Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for your question. There are several smaller providers which offer services similar to what you currently receive. I have outlined two providers below which I believe fit your needs.
Amaysim
Having established a reputable name in the Australian market over the past five years, Amaysim’s services are powered by the Optus 3G network. The two major upsides of the Amaysim prepaid system is that the credit has a 90-day expiry period and you receive unlimited social networking (Facebook and Twitter). The rates seem fairly reasonable at 12 cents per minute standard calls and 12 cents per SMS. The only issue you may have is when it comes to mobile data, as their data packs all come with a 30-day expiry period, excluding the 10GB pack which lasts a full year ($99.90).
You can find out more at www.amaysim.com.au.
Dodo
Slightly less expensive call-rate wise than Amaysim, Dodo gives you the option of 60, 90, 180 or 360 day expiry on credit depending on the prepaid option you take. Standard calls cost 11 cents per minute with no flagfall Australia-wide, while sending an SMS will cost 11 cents. The only downside of Dodo is that they are not data friendly. If you are looking for a no-frills plan on a phone with no internet access, then this is a very solid option.
You can find out more at www.dodo.com.
Are you on a prepaid plan? Who do you use and how do they measure up? Do you know of a plan which may suit Jacqui?
