Finding the best mobile phone plans for seniors isn't just about tracking down special discounts. In fact, it's barely about that at all.
First, very few providers offer discounted pensioner or seniors rates, so you don't have many options in that regard. But more importantly, you can usually get a better deal by signing up to a cheaper plan from a smaller brand – no concession card needed.
We'll get to the specific senior deals soon, but as a quick example, here are some of the cheapest mobile plans in our database with at least 20GB of data:
In our database of 28 mobile providers, only Telstra and Vodafone offer specific mobile phone plans for seniors. We’ll go over the pensioner discounts from these two telcos but, in most cases, you can save more by opting for a no-contract plan from a cheaper provider, despite the lack of senior-specific discounts.
Vodafone mobile plans for seniors
If you have a seniors card, Vodafone will give you a 10% discount off your monthly plan fees with any of its postpaid mobile plans and data plans. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.
After any short-term introductory discount periods end, this brings Vodafone's cheapest SIM-only plan's standard price down to $52.20 per month for a huge 65GB of data. This is more than double what the average user in Australia goes through per month, and its dollar-to-GB ratio isn't too hot, to boot. So you're paying a high rate for a decent chunk of data you probably won't use.
Because this discount only applies to postpaid mobile phone or data-only SIM plans, you won't save 10% on handset fees if you also buy a new phone from Vodafone, nor can you get the discount with prepaid mobile plans.
Here are Vodafone's SIM-only postpaid plans (note: pricing excludes senior discounts):
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Vodafone
$45.00/mth
Min. cost $45
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Vodafone
$50.00/mth
Min. cost $50
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Vodafone
$55.00/mth
Min. cost $55
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Why it's not so cheap
While Vodafone is generally the cheapest of Australia's Big Three mobile providers, you're still paying a premium. When compared to smaller brands, Vodafone's mobile plans are more expensive and come with plenty of extras not everyone will need or care about.
After an introductory deal period of usually six or twelve months (which doesn't stack with a seniors discount), Vodafone's cheapest postpaid plan is $58 per month standard. Getting 10% off that figure would be a $5.80 per month saving, leaving you footing a $52.20 bill each month. That's about double some of the cheapest plans in our database.
One of the biggest reasons for this big price tag is is probably the amount of data. Taking another look at Vodafone's cheapest postpaid plan, it has a huge 65GB of data. That's a bit more than three times the 18.9GB of data the average postpaid plan in Australia actually uses in a month, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Basically, you're paying for a lot of data you probably won't ever use.
Vodafone does admittedly include some extra perks with its plans, such as its popular $5 per day international roaming, various international inclusions (such as unlimited international SMS on its cheapest plan), and mobile data sharing with other plans on the same account. But it's worth asking yourself if those features, or any others, are worth the higher price tag.
Telstra mobile plans for seniors
Although it's typically seen as the most expensive telco, Telstra does have a senior discount. If you have a valid Pensioner Concession Card, you could be eligible for a 10% discount on any of the telco's Upfront mobile plans, excluding the special "Upfront Mobile Access Plan". People who have a Health Care Card or Veteran Affairs Gold Card are also eligible for this discount.
These plans can be SIM only (with no contract) or paired with a mobile phone repayment plan, but the discount doesn't apply to any handset repayments
Here's a look at Telstra's postpaid plans:
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Telstra
$74.00/mth
Min. cost $24
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Telstra
$84.00/mth
Min. cost $42
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Telstra
$99.00/mth
Min. cost $49
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Why it's not so cheap
Unfortunately, a 10% discount for seniors mobile plans doesn't do much to close the gap between Telstra's pricing and the rest of the market. The telco's smallest plan is $74 per month for 50GB of data. This is comfortably more than double the data the average postpaid plan in Australia goes through in a month.
Ultimately, even with the pensioner discount, that's $66.60 per month, much of which is for data you likely won't ever need. Given you can get a plan with more than 20GB of data (close to the average Aussie usage) for closer to $25 per month from a smaller provider, most of your Telstra bill each month is paying for the privilege of being with Telstra.
So let's look at what that most-of-your-bill is getting you. There are a few niche perks like the Telstra Rewards Program, which can get you the occasional freebie tech gadget or concert ticket, but that doesn't make up for the higher price tag. We all know the real reason is network coverage.
Telstra's biggest ace up its sleeve has always been reception... but these days it actually might not be quite the kicker you'd think.
Telstra's coverage is indeed much larger than the Optus or Vodafone networks when it comes to square kilometres. But a significant portion of that extra coverage is in rural, regional, remote, and uninhabited areas. For people living in those locations, access to the full Telstra network can be a must-have.
But for the vast majority of people, the Optus and Vodafone networks have 4G and 5G coverage on par with Telstra's in the places where they live, work, and regularly travel – and the places in between. The same goes for the Telstra Wholesale network, which is what you'll get if you sign up to a smaller brand that espouses to be on the Telstra network.
The Wholesale network is closer in size to Optus and Vodafone with regards to 4G. For 5G, it's tough to compare because Telstra has stopped publishing figures – but the last time it did, that number was 75%, which is far shy of Optus and Vodafone.
So, rather than just assume Telstra has the best coverage for you, do yourself a favour and check the coverage map below to see if you'd actually benefit from paying the Telstra premium.
Boost Mobile: Telstra(ish) coverage for cheaper
While there are plenty of smaller mobile providers on the Telstra network, only Boost Mobile has access to full Telstra Prepaid coverage. Once again, this isn't quite the full Telstra network. The Telstra Prepaid network has a similarly huge 4G footprint as the full Telstra network, but is quite a bit smaller for 5G.
Boost is a Telstra-owned prepaid provider and, while its plans can be pricier than other small brands (and there are no special discounts for seniors), it's usually your cheapest option if you want the full Telstra (Prepaid) network experience without the Telstra price tag. Here's a look at Boost Mobile's plans:
Why smaller brands can be cheaper
If the reason you're looking at mobile phone plans seniors because you want to save some cash, you're usually better off just signing up to a cheaper plan from a smaller provider. Also known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), these telcos buy access to the Vodafone network, Optus network, or Telstra (Wholesale) network and resell it for cheap, usually with data amounts closer to what most people need.
Because they have lower overheads such as smaller advertising budgets, smaller staff counts, no brick-and-mortar stores, and usually don't stock handsets, MVNOs can offer similar plans as the big-brand telcos for much cheaper rates.
Some might only have 4G for their cheapest options or place speed caps on their plans, usually placing limits between 100Mbps and 250Mbps. But 4G can still be pretty fast and is all you need for phone calls and texts, and you don't need anything faster than 250Mbps or even 100Mbps for the vast majority of what you might do on a phone.
Where smaller brands sometimes fall short is customer service pathways and technical support. This is unfortunately also very difficult to gather objective data about, particularly for smaller brands. But at the very least, SIM-only and prepaid plans are almost all contract-free, so you should be able to jump ship without extra fees if you're not happy with the service.
Mobile phone plans for $20 and under
These mobile plans cost $20 or less per month. All have unlimited standard national talk and text. All have no contract and are either postpaid or prepaid SIM-only plans with billing periods between 28 days and one month.
Despite the lack of special discounts, this price range is below what you'll find from Vodafone's or Telstra's special mobile plans for seniors.
Mobile phone plans for $30 and under
These mobile plans cost between $21 and $30 per month. All have unlimited standard national talk and text. All are no-contract and are either postpaid or prepaid SIM-only plans with billing periods between 28 days and one month and no contract.
Despite the lack of special discounts, this price range is below what you'll find from Vodafone's or Telstra's special mobile plans for seniors.
Tips for picking seniors mobile plans
There are two ways to find a cheaper mobile phone plan overall: sign up to a smaller provider, and take advantage of introductory discounts.
Smaller brands have cheaper plans
If you're simply looking for a cheap mobile plan, your best option is to turn to a smaller provider. Typically referred to as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) because they don't own and operate their own mobile networks, these providers offer some of the market's best deals. They also offer plans with data allowances that are close to what the average Aussie postpaid plan goes through in a month, which is in stark contrast to plans from Vodafone, Optus, and Telstra.
You don't have to pay full price
It's common for mobile providers to offer generous discounts for the first six or so months of a new plan, after which the price goes up. These discounts are usually restricted to new customers, but there are so many options out there you're unlikely to run out any time soon.
These short-term discounts might sound like a gotcha, but they can work in your favour for a few minutes work a couple of times per year. Most mobile plans don't have lock-in contracts, so you're free to switch to another provider as your intro deal ends. This means you can bounce from provider to provider without paying a single month at full price.
Switching mobile providers is pretty easy these days, and you can save quite a bit by hopping from deal to deal. But we realise plan hopping isn't everyone's cup of tea, so our plan comparisons above let you choose whether or not to rank plans by their introductory pricing.
How much data do you need?
The best way to work out how much data you need is to simply check how much mobile data you're using each month. There should also be an app or online portal where you can check your usage. It might even be on your bill.
We recommend choosing a phone plan that's a little bit above your normal usage to avoid paying for more than you need, while keeping a bit of a buffer for special circumstances.
If you're worried about how much of a buffer, you don't need to sweat it too much. Almost all telcos let you buy add-on data packs as a one-off purchase. While not ideal, it's better than spending an extra $10 or more every single month just on the off chance you'll need that extra data.
And you shouldn't be caught off guard by overage fees or prepaid data cut-offs. Telcos are required to send you usage alert texts when you've burnt through 50%, 85%, and 100% of your data.
If some more concrete numbers would help, the most recent from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) show the average postpaid plan customer in Australia only goes through about 18.9GB of data per month. The average for prepaid plans is 9GB.
FAQs
What should I look for in a good mobile phone plan for seniors?
When choosing a good phone plan for seniors, we recommend considering a plan from a smaller provider. These are usually much cheaper, while offering good coverage and lower-data options. There's no point paying for 50GB of data or more if there are cheaper options with a more realistic amount of data for your needs.
What are my phone plan options if I’m a senior or pensioner?
Currently, there are few telcos offering senior-specific discounts on mobile phone plans. Vodafone and Telstra are the only two big names doing it, but their discounts still don't make them nearly as cheap as many plans from smaller providers.
Are there TPG mobile plans for seniors?
No, there are no TPG mobile plans for seniors in Australia. This is even though TPG and Vodafone are owned by the same company: TPG Telecom.
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Christie Graham
Digital Content Editor
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