Two possible options for the cheapest Mobile Phone Plans for the low user are:

Vodafone 365 day Prepaid

$20 will keep your phone active for a full 12 months, and allow you to use that $20 in calls and texts
Calls cost: 39c per 30 seconds + 35c flagfall
Text cost: 28c each

TPG Budget Prepaid:

Cost is $1 per month plus:
Calls cost: 9.9¢ per minute with a 10¢ flagfall
Texts cost: 9.9¢ each.

So how does this really compare ?

Both plans will allow you to receive unlimited calls and texts, the only difference being in the calls and texts that you make:

Assume you send 71 texts in a 12 month period,

• Vodafone = 71 x 0.28 = $19.88
• TPG = 12 months x $1 + 71 x .099= $19.03

Very little difference on texts alone.

Lets look at calls, instead of texts, assuming you don’t send texts, and just do the odd call out.

• Vodafone 17 x 1 minute calls = $19.21
• TPG 17 x 1 minute calls = $3.39 +12 x $1 (monthly fee) = $15.39
• TPG 40 x 1 minute calls = $7.96 +12 x $1 (monthly fee) = $19.96

TPG wins on this one.

Lets look at half and half, 35 texts and the rest as calls

• Vodafone 35 x 0.28 = $9.80 in texts and 9 x 1 minute calls = $10.17 a total of $19.97
• TPG 35 x 0.099 = $3.47 in texts and 9 x 1 minute calls = $1.79 a total of $5.26 + 12 x $1 = $17.26 total

Well, that decides one thing…. I am switching my Vodafone 365 day plan to TPG tomorrow, unless of course I have missed something.  I will find out, I suppose… TPG do have a $20 one off charge for the SIM

One final thing, assume that we don’t make any calls or texts:

• Vodafone cost is $20 for the year
• TPG cost is $12 for the year

I am looking at more plan options and will calculate total prices for each plan in the table below, for the following call patterns.

a) No calls or Text, just receiving
b) 72 texts per year
c) 36 texts and 9 x 1 minute calls
d) 18 x 1 minute calls

Notes:

• Vodafone 365 (Vodafone) have a $20 minimum recharge with a 365 day life.
• TPG Budget (Optus) have a minimum charge of $1 per month, ie $12 per year. They do have a $20 one off charge for the SIM, this is NOT counted above as it should be spread over the life of the plan.
• Lebara (Vodafone) have a $10 minimum recharge voucher with a life of 90 days, therefore a minimum annual cost of $40.
• Amaysim (Optus) appear to have a $15 minimum recharge voucher with a life of 90 days, therefore a minimum annual cost of $60.

But what happens if you go over that quoted usage ?
Lets see what some figures come up with, when using monthly usage numbers rather than annual…

a) No calls or Text, just receiving
b) 40 texts per month
c) 20 texts and 10 1 minute calls per month
d) 20 1 minute calls per month

PRICES QUOTED ARE STILL PER YEAR

Note:
Before relying on any information from third party websites such as this one, please check the current rates on the providers official websites, for their current figures, and confirm their current rates suit your requirements.