If the time has come to organise a kids mobile plan, we've rounded up the best phone plans for kids from our database of 28 mobile providers to keep them connected at all times.
Prepaid can be great for kids phone plans
When it comes to kids phone plans, there are a few reasons you might want to opt for a prepaid plan, rather than postpaid.
- Plan cost: Prepaid plans often have cheaper per-month costs than SIM-only postpaid plans, so you can keep your bills down.
- Avoid data overage fees: If you're worried your young ones will burn through their data and leave you with a hefty bill, prepaid plans can give you some peace of mind. Once their data limit is used up, that's it, no more data until you recharge.
- Unlimited talk and text: It's exceedingly rare to find a prepaid plan that doesn't include unlimited talk and text. That means your kids' mobile plans will still provide access to calls and basic texts, even if they use up their data allowance.
Most prepaid mobile plans come with monthly recharge periods lasting between 28 and 31 days. There are also long-expiry plans, which can be a good way to save money – but they do require a more restraint to not blow through the data allowance early.
Pay As You Go (PAYG) plans are also technically prepaid plans, but they don't include unlimited talk and text. They're also very expensive (even for light usage) and should only be considered in niche cases.
Best kids mobile plan
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Kogan Mobile
Editor's Pick
Small Monthly Plan
$20
Per 1 Month Renewal
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What we love: This 28-day plan from Kogan is a great kids mobile plan that should suit their everyday needs. You'll get 15GB per month for only $20. But given this is a prepaid plan, you can switch to another cheap option in a month's time – it doesn't take too long and hopping between deals like this really is a great way to save money.
If you prefer to check out some alternatives, here are some other prepaid mobile plans for kids from our database:
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#1
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TPG
Editor's Pick
25GB Small Plan
$12.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
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#2
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iiNet
25GB Small Plan
$12.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#3
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Kogan Mobile
Editor's Pick
Small Monthly Plan
$20
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
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#4
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Lebara Mobile
$19.90 Extra Small Plan
$19.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
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#5
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Catch Connect
28 Day Plan - 15GB
$20
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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Best long-expiry mobile plan for kids
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#1
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Catch Connect
365 Day Plan - 200GB
$149
Per 365 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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#2
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Coles Mobile
Prepaid $195 for 365 Days
$149
Per 365 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
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#3
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Kogan Mobile
Small - 365 Day Flex Plan
$150
Per 365 Day Renewal
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Long-expiry prepaid plans can be a good consideration when choosing phone plans for kids. They can be a bit cheaper in the long run, and don't assume you'll have the exact same data needs every month. The downside is they require a little more restraint than monthly plans to make sure your little ones don't blow through a year's data too early. But at least you'll have a year of unlimited talk and text guaranteed.
Above we have selected the cheapest prepaid plans in our database under $150 that have expiries of at least 360 days.
"You can get a cheaper phone plan for your kids by going with a network reseller, rather than Optus, Vodafone or Telstra directly.
Most resellers have the same coverage as their parent networks, though not all offer 5G. And almost all Telstra resellers use the Telstra Wholesale network, which has a smaller 5G footprint but is almost identical for 4G."
Alex Angove-Plumb, Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut
Best Optus kids phone plans
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#1
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Optus
Optus Prepaid $35 SIM
$35
Per 28 Day Renewal
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|
#2
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Optus
Optus Prepaid $45 SIM
$45
Per 28 Day Renewal
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|
#3
|
Optus
Optus Prepaid $55 SIM
$55
Per 28 Day Renewal
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Optus is an affordable option for kids, plus there's a heap of variety to choose from. This telco offers prepaid plans with expiries as short as one day right through to year-long expiry plans.
Some Optus prepaid options also include access to the 5G network now, too – just look for Flex plans to keep your kids clued in.
Best Telstra kids phone plans
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#1
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Telstra
$39 Pre-Paid Mobile
$39
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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#2
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Telstra
$49 Pre-Paid Mobile
$49
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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#3
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Telstra
$59 Pre-Paid Mobile
$59
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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#4
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Telstra
$69 Pre-Paid Mobile
$69
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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Regardless of which provider you go with, we always recommend prepaid phone plans for kids. This is no different from Telstra.
Telstra is a great option because it has the widest coverage in Australia, so you have peace of mind that your child can reach you from more locations. Of course, if cost is your next main concern, you could also consider a Telstra MVNO that uses a similar network for a fraction of the price.
Telstra MVNOs use the Telstra Wholesale network, which has a slightly smaller 4G footprint than the full Telstra network. But it's still the second-widest 4G coverage in Australia, and can cost quite a bit less.
Best Vodafone kids phone plans
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#1
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Vodafone
$35 Prepaid Plus Recharge
$35
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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#2
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Vodafone
$45 Prepaid Plus Recharge
$45
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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|
#3
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Vodafone
$55 Prepaid Plus Recharge
$55
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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Vodafone prepaid plans tend to be no frills and that can be a blessing in disguise.
All prepaid plans from Vodafone come with unlimited talk and text and have 'endless data' capped at speeds of 1.5Mbps. So even if your little one uses up their monthly data allowance, they can still get online in an emergency.
How we choose the mobile plans for kids
Mobile phone plans are our focus at WhistleOut, so we put a lot of thought into how we pick the best plans each month.
If you're wondering what to look for when choosing the best mobile plan for kids, here are the specific factors we consider when we recommend phone plans for kids and teens:
- Prepaid plans: We know that as a parent you might be concerned about how your children will use mobile phones, and what this might end up costing you. This is why we consider prepaid mobile plans over postpaid plans because of the boundaries and peace of mind they offer. Prepaid phone plans have a hard limit on what can be spent each month, and you need to manually top-up the account with extra data, so there's no risk of bill shock.
- No-contract plans: We also recommend a no-contract plan that allows you to cap the data usage. This way you don't have to worry about bill shock since the data will be capped unless you top up.
- Unlimited talk and text: In our opinion, this is essential for kids' plans. After all, you're probably choosing to give your children mobile phones to stay in touch with them, not so they can play Minecraft on the bus.
With these considerations front and centre, our editorial team sift through the available plans looking for bargains.
Questions to ask before choosing a kids mobile plan
Before you go rushing out to buy the latest and most expensive smartphone on a top-tier plan, there are several things to consider:
What will they be using it for?
Younger children will just need a way of contacting parents in an emergency, but don't necessarily need a lot of data. Older kids who will want data to keep in touch with friends online, but might not be great at sticking within a data allowance. Prepaid plans are great for both options – they have unlimited talk and text for the little-uns, and cut off data once you reach the limit, instead of charging for excess usage.
Who will be paying for it?
Prepaid plans can help teach teens the value of money if they pay for it themselves. The biggest benefit of prepaid is no nasty bill shock at the end of the month, so it’s perfect for youngsters learning how to budget, or parents wanting to avoid bill-related heart attacks.
Can you change your mind later?
Unless you buy a new phone on a contract, most prepaid phone plans are on monthly recharges and let you leave any time you like. Switching providers is easy to do and you can always take your number with you.
What charges apply if your child exceeds their data cap?
Before you let them loose with a shiny new phone, make sure you understand what charges might be involved if they exceed their limits.
Is it safe for my kid to have their own phone?
Often the need to get your child a phone in the first place is because of safety, so they can call you in an emergency and you can have peace of mind.
Most platforms these days, including phones, have settings that allow you to limit what your child has access to. This includes parental controls on iPhone, parental controls on Samsung Galaxy and how to even find your child's phone if it or they are lost.
Our Editor's Picks awards are selected by our team of data experts. We may earn a commission if you click on one of the products listed, but a service provider isn't required to have a commercial relationship with us to be eligible for consideration. See here for more information about how we work.
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