Telstra Plus – Everything you need to know about Telstra’s Loyalty Program


telstra plus

Almost every communications company will go to great lengths to try and get you to become a customer – you’ve probably seen many tempting offers from Telstra and others for plans with great prices and tempting freebies for new customers only.

But increasingly, as well as attracting new customers, companies are keen to hang onto the ones they’ve got. After all, some of their most dependable income stems from their loyal customers, so it makes sense to keep them happy to make sure they’re not tempted by an offer to switch to a new provider.

What is Telstra Plus?

Telstra has long had a basic loyalty program operating quietly in the background. Known as “Telstra Thanks”, it offered things like discounted movie tickets, priority ticket sales for concerts and even regular free rentals on the former Bigpond Movies.

But while those little perks were appreciated by many customers, Telstra Thanks didn’t do anything to reward those who spend more with the company. That’s all changed with the new loyalty scheme – Telstra Plus.

What makes Telstra Plus different?

The main difference with Telstra Plus is that it’s structured more like a credit card rewards program than a simple perks offering like Telstra Thanks. At the moment, joining Telstra Plus is open to anyone with a personal Telstra service – mobile phone, home phone, broadband or any combination of those; customers with eligible business service can also join.

You can sign up for Telstra Plus simply by logging into your Telstra account on Telstra’s website or using the Telstra 24×7 app on your phone or tablet. Follow the prompts to enrol your account in Telstra Plus, and from that moment on you’ll be earning rewards points on every dollar you spend on a Telstra product.

And that’s where the big difference comes in – because depending on how much you spend over the course of a year of your membership, you can be promoted to higher membership tiers – Silver and Gold – which come with some very desirable extra rewards.

How do you earn Telstra Plus points?

You’ll get 10 points added to your account for every dollar you spend with Telstra on eligible services. That means whenever you pay your monthly bill for Telstra services, pay for a mobile phone or other device in monthly instalments, or pay for a Telstra mobile service, you’ll get points equivalent to 10 times the dollar amount you spent – so, for example, paying a $95 mobile bill will get you 950 points.

There are a few exceptions – the main one being that outright purchases don’t give you points. So if you decide to pay for your next mobile phone outright instead of getting one as part of a plan, the money you spend on that phone won’t generate any Telstra Plus points.

How to earn Telstra Plus Bonus Points

Accumulating more points is even more easy with Telstra’s ongoing offers. When you sign up for select services, you’re rewarded with bonus points. Currently, getting a Telstra TV on a monthly repayment plan also qualifies for an extra 20,000 points. Need a Foxtel package? Add it to your Telstra broadband plan to get another 20,000 points.

Latest Telstra Plus offers

Aside from the membership tier benefits you can get with Telstra Plus, there are other special offers that’ll give you bigger savings. Check out some of them below.

Kayo Sports Telstra Plus offer

Sports fans can take advantage of Telstra’s latest sports streaming deal via Telstra Plus. If you’re a Gold Telstra Plus member, you can get Kayo Basic for only $12.50/month for 12 months, while Silver Telstra Plus members can enjoy Kayo Basic for $17.50/month for 12 months.

To sign up for the Kayo Premium plan (originally $35/month), Gold Telstra Plus members can sign up for only $20/month for 12 months, and Silver Telstra Plus members only need to pay $25/month for 12 months. Kayo One customers need to upgrade to Kayo Basic to avail the Kayo Telstra offer. 

BINGE Telstra Plus offer

Telstra Plus Gold members also get a BINGE Standard plan for only $5 per month for 12 months. Originally priced at $16, you’ll save as much as $132 for a year when you redeem the offer via Telstra Plus. Find out more about the BINGE and Telstra offer here.

Membership tiers and their benefits

Telstra Plus has four membership tiers – Member, Silver, Gold and Business. As you might expect, the tier you’re on is based on how much you spend over the course of each year of your membership. All new members are automatically on the Member tier, with Silver status awarded to those who spend between $1500 and $2999 in a year – about $125 to $250 a month.

If you’re on a generous mobile plan and are paying your phone off in monthly instalments, you’ll almost certainly qualify for Silver. For those spending above $3000 in a year – or $250/month and up – Gold status is awarded.

The Business membership tier, on the other hand, is a new addition. Members get the same benefits such as the discounted movie and sports tickets, as well as tickets to events. Focusing on the business side of things, this also includes extensive tech support to help manage your business.

Member Tier benefits

Everyone on the Member tier gets access to a terrific set of perks that include discounted movie tickets – $11.50 for kids’ tickets, $13.50 for adults, $15.50 for 3D and $16.50 for Vmax tickets. You can also upgrade your medium Candy Bar Combo to a large for free. There’s discounted sports tickets (AFL, NRL, Netball and A-League) as well as special pre-sales on selected events.

For music fans, priority pre-sale concert tickets are on offer to a huge range of upcoming concerts by major international acts and Australia’s hottest artists, while fans of the fine arts can get exclusive pre-sale tickets and special prices for shows, performances and art galleries.

There are also chances to win specially designed experiences that money can’t buy – these are always something really special, with entry into a draw offered from time to time.

Silver Tier benefits

For those that qualify for the Silver tier, all the Member benefits are there as well as a few very special perks, such as 25% off selected TV shows and movies on Telstra TV Box Office, and VIP service via My Telstra app.

Gold Tier benefits

The top Telstra Plus tier offers everything in the lower tiers but takes the top benefits up a notch. Gold members get 50% off selected Telstra TV Box Office shows and movies, and VIP service via My Telstra app.

Business Tier Benefits

Initially available to personal consumers only, Telstra Plus is now available to small business owners with the addition of the Business tier. Eligible business owners now get the same opportunities to earn points on every dollar they spend. Accumulated points can also be used for discounted tickets to movies, sporting events, concerts and more.

Moreover, Business tier customers are also provided VIP support with three months of free Telstra Business Tech Services, plus personalised technical support online and over the phone.

What can you spend points on?

Of course, there’s no point in having points without things to spend them on, and the Telstra Plus rewards store covers a huge range of very desirable devices – smart watches, tablets, phones, broadband devices, headphones and more, with products from Apple, Google and Samsung featuring heavily.

Combined with the perks you get from membership, such as free, exclusive access to livestream music sets courtesy of Telstra Plus Front Room, the range of high-quality points rewards makes Telstra Plus well worth signing up for.

Perks for all Telstra customers

Regardless of which Telstra Plus membership tier you’re on, you still get access to the perks that come included with your Telstra plan as well. When it comes to extra perks on mobile and broadband, Telstra has long had some of the most generous in the business, with all mobile and internet plans including:

Free Sports Streaming

Year-long access to live streaming and the official app for AFLW, with all streaming data-free – watch as much as you like without affecting your monthly data allowance. Plus stream match replays on demand and data-free via AFL and NRL Official Apps.

Important note: Telstra has retired Live Pass from the AFL and NRL Official Apps. While live streaming is no longer an option, you can still watch match replays, live scores, highlights, stats, and many other features.

Easy Bundling

Have your mobile phone, tablet, home phone and broadband services bundled together on the one easy bill, saving time and money. Even better, you can add streaming services like Kayo, BINGE, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ to your Telstra account too, all counting towards your monthly Telstra Plus points. Members also adding Telstra TV on a monthly repayment get 20,000 additional points.

Free Wi-Fi Access

Free access to over one million Telstra Air wi-fi hotspots throughout Australia from your mobile, as well as over 19 million Fon wi-fi hotspots around the world.

Important note: Telstra postpaid mobile is becoming upfront. As a result, some features included in the previous traditional plans, such as as free access to Telstra Air will no longer be available.

Free TV streaming

For broadband customers, a 2-month Standard subscription to BINGE is included, as well as a month of access to Foxtel Now (all channel packs) also free and 3 months of free Apple TV+ subscription.

Seniors, pensioners and students save money

senior using tablet

One very real advantage of being a Telstra Plus member is the amount of money you can save, no matter which tier you’re on. The $13.50 movie tickets that are available to all Telstra Plus members are cheaper than discounts offered by cinemas for students and seniors, for example, and on the higher tiers the inclusion of VIP service via My Telstra app.

Because Telstra Plus is a completely free bonus with no membership fees, it’s worth signing up for it as soon as possible when you have a Telstra plan or bundle, to make sure you’re maximising the extra value you receive.

Is Telstra Plus worth it?

If you’re already a Telstra customer – or are about to sign up for one or more of their services – you should get yourself signed up for Telstra Plus as soon as possible. With some very useful perks on offer for every single member, valuable freebies for higher membership tiers and loyalty rewards that are actually useful, it’s a great way to make the most of the money you spend with Telstra. And one more nice thing about Telstra Plus: there’s no membership fee of any kind. If you like the idea of being rewarded for being a loyal customer, it’s very much worth it.