The best 365-day prepaid phone plans are going to be those that offer the most appropriate amount of data for your needs for a price that fits in with your budget.
However, the price factor can throw up some issues, in the fact we see prices for 365 day prepaid phone plans fluctuate on a regular basis. So, what might seem like a great plan one week, might not be the next.
Remember of course, that 365 day prepaid phone plans only require one payment every 365 days, so don't be put off immediately by the initial high cost. When you split it over the course of 12 months, you may find these long-expiry prepaid plans work out to be more affordable than traditional prepaid phone plans, which operate on a monthly basis.
365-day mobile plans have an annual allowance of inclusions. This mainly relates to the data included with the plan, as the majority will come with unlimited talk minutes and texts by default. You’ll therefore want to be aware of how much data you may use on a monthly basis to ensure you don’t exceed the annual allowance.
According to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Internet Activity Report, published in December 2023 with data correct as of June 2023, Australians downloaded an average of 15.9GB of data per month on postpaid plans and 7.5GB on prepaid plans. Because, in our opinion, 365-day long expiry SIM plans are an almost-hybrid of the two, we've factored both figures into our top picks below.
Long-expiry phone plans can often work out to be better value on a data-per-dollar basis compared to monthly postpaid plans. They also have the added benefit of being set and forget. You just pay once per year and don’t have to think about it again for another 12 months.
Best 365 day long-expiry prepaid plans
Is a long-expiry mobile plan right for me?
Reasons to get one...
- Very much a 'set and forget' plan. Pay once each year
- Large amount of data included will suit most customers
- If you use a lot of data one month, you're unlikely need to worry about going over your total allowance
365-day long expiry prepaid mobile plans are a great option for customers who don't want to worry about monthly bills and who use an average amount of data each month. You only need to pay once each year for the plan, so once it's paid, you don't need to think about it for another 12 months. This could have its advantages when it comes to monthly budgeting.
365-day prepaid mobile plans also usually come with a large amount of data included, at least enough to cover the monthly average of Australian users. If you do stick to the average usage, a 365-day prepaid mobile plan can work out cheaper per month compared to a postpaid mobile plan.
Reasons to not get one...
- Upfront cost can be expensive
- May need to ration data to ensure you don't reach annual allowance
One of the main downsides to a 365-day long-expiry prepaid phone plan is that if you do reach your annual data allowance before the 12 months is up, you will need to recharge your service to be able to continue using it. Some mobile carriers may let you continue using your plan, but data will either then be charged at a rate per megabyte, or your download speed will be severely hampered. Because these long-expiry mobile plans have an expensive upfront cost, you may find you're unable to pay at the time of recharge.
