The Best Pensioner Mobile Plans: Save Cash Without a Seniors Card Discount


senior on his mobile phone

The mobile phone is pretty much an essential thing to have around these days. A mobile gives you a backup phone in case your home phone has an outage, a means of family and friends reaching you by text message, and can be an invaluable thing to have around whenever you’re out and about.

What are the best Senior-friendly Mobile Plans for you?

There are so many choices there in the mobile market these days it’s overwhelming, but if you’re a budget-conscious senior looking for a mobile plan that suits your lifestyle and budget, there are some real bargains to be found.

Perhaps surprisingly, there’s very little in the way of Senior Card discounts on mobile plans for Pensioners – even Telstra restricts their discounts to home phone services (where you can have things like line rental or bill fees waived). One of the only mobile providers to offer a specific Seniors Card discount is Vodafone, who offer 10% off on select mobile plans, but thanks to all the competition in the market there’s a wealth of choice no matter what your needs are.

Let’s take a look at the different uses that seniors may have for a mobile phone service – and find the best deals for each one.

  • Southern Phone Mobile
  • Moose Mobile
  • Telstra Mobile

What are the best mobile plans if you want to make lots of calls?

Maybe you’ve decided to ditch the home phone, or maybe you’d just like to be able to sit outside enjoying life and be able to make phone calls whenever you want without being tied to the phone cord.

When it comes to SIM only plans with unlimited calls at great prices, much-respected company Southern Phone has long been the champion in the field – and for $12.99 per month you can get their cheapest unlimited plan, which offers unlimited calls to anywhere in Australia, as well as unlimited text messages – all backed up by the reliable Optus 3G/4G Plus network. The plan comes with 2.5GB of data – just enough for casual use like email and web browsing if you’re using a smartphone. For only $12.99 with no lock-in contract, Southern Phone’s X Small plan is a must-have. Right now, it’s also offered for only $10 per month just as long as you don’t cancel or change your plan.

What are the best plans if you want unlimited calls AND use lots of data?

If you’ve embraced the smartphone to the point where, like millions, you do everything from web browsing to music and video streaming to photo uploading via your device, you’re probably looking for a plan with a nice large data allowance – but with unlimited calls as well, of course! Perhaps you also want to use your phone as a portable wireless modem for your computer, too.

Competition in this field has really heated up in recent times, and one of the most eager competitors has been Moose Mobile, whose SIM-only plans really kick into a high-data mode when you look above the entry level. For $23.80 per month, you can get 20GB of data – more than enough for most people – or for $46.80 you can have a whopping 60GB. If you don’t mind signing up for 12 months, you can even increase the 60GB allowance to 70GB for $44 monthly fee!

However, if you’re only after unlimited calls and texts, Moose offers Moose 15.80, which includes 6GB data and with no lock-in contract. The data allowance included is generous enough for your day-to-day internet browsing. Two of Moose’s no lock-in contract plans are also offered with 35% off for 12 months: Moose 15.80 at $9.80/month and Moose 23.80 at $16.80/month.

Seniors Plans with Moose Mobile

Get the best value with Moose Mobile’s award-winning plans that are as budget-friendly as they come. Save on already super cheap pricing with up to $7/mth off for 12 months!

What are the Cheapest Mobile Plans for Seniors and Pensioners?

If you’re wanting a mobile to keep around in case of emergencies, you’re not going to need to worry too much about the amount of included calls on a plan. But you’re also not going to want to be spending money every month paying for a service that mostly just sits there unused. 

That’s where Telstra’s prepaid 12-month expiry plans come in – and they’re almost unique in their combination of low price and long expiry. For $70 you can get the Prepaid Mobile Casual plan, which gives you $70 of credit that lasts for a full year. That’s right – if you’re just having that phone around for receiving calls – or even to make the occasional short call – you can keep that phone active for the equivalent of less than $2 per week!

For seniors who only want data on their devices for video calling with loved ones abroad, Telstra also offers data-only plans from only $15/month.

What plans include a new Phone?

Here’s a tip: buy your phone outright. A wander into any of the mobile companies’ shops will reveal a huge range of phones you can buy to suit your budget – obviously smartphones are more of a price investment, but prepaid mobile phone plans are so good these days (and so much more flexible) that it’s far better to be in charge of your own phone and be able to take it where you want. And if you’re not going to be web browsing and video streaming, get a phone that’s just a phone – they’re incredibly cheap (even your local supermarket sells them) and reliable, and the battery on them can last for days before needing a charge.

One thing’s for sure – if you’re looking for great value in a mobile phone service, no matter what your intended usage or even your entertainment needs, there’s never been a better time for a Pensioner to grab a bargain than now!