Vodafone hopes to lure back Aussies with simplified new mobile plans

News
By
published

Say goodbye to lock-in contracts

Anyone looking to upgrade to a new phone can now say goodbye to two-year lock-in contracts, with Vodafone Australia today introducing its latest overhauled post-paid plans.

Effective immediately, Vodafone customers can choose to have flexible phone repayment options – they can decide to either buy the handset outright, or pay for it over a period of 12, 24 or 36 months. There are no more penalties for paying off the device early and neither is there any interest charged on the monthly repayments.

To accompany the new handset, all of Vodafone’s Red Plans are now available as either month-to-month or 12-month SIM-only plans. 

The plans, or the payment system, will clearly distinguish how much of the monthly bill will be going towards the handset repayments, and how much will be spent on mobile services, namely, text, data and calls.

“This gives people the power to create a payment structure that suits them. It also helps them easily see what they’re paying for each month, without locking them in for long periods of time,” said Ben McIntosh, Vodafone Australia's Consumer Business Unit Director.

Plan make-over

Vodafone’s new Red Plans range from between $30 and $100, offering a minimum of 1GB of data per month, to a whopping 50GB on the $100 plan. You'll get double the data if you choose a 12-month contract rather paying month-to-month.

As before, all plans include unlimited national calls and texts, but there are now international call plans on offer, as well as Qantas Frequent Flyer points on sign-up.

A 12-month SIM-only plan, however, could give customers more bang for their buck, with double the data if you also buy a handset from Vodafone, and more international minutes to selected countries.

Criticising the 'leasing' option provided by some Aussie telcos as "a waste of money" that turns "mobile phone plans into something like the Australian property market", Vodafone's aim is to make "all costs to be crystal clear, prices to be fair and payment options to suit a range of budgets and lifestyles".

If customers want to add accessories to their purchase, like Bluetooth headphones, Vodafone will include those in the 12-, 24- or 36-month instalment plans as well.

If you’d like more information, check out the new-look Red Plans over on Vodafone’s website.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.