It wasn’t that long ago that Woolworths announced its Woolworths Mobile offering, initially through Optus, before folding that and re-branding as Woolworths Connect, using Telstra’s 3G network. Coles is evidently keen to get in on that action, with the announcement today of its Coles Prepaid service, in partnership with Optus’ 4G network.
Coles Prepaid will begin with two simple plans, $10 for 10 days, and $10 Pay As You Go.
The $10 for 10 days plan includes unlimited standard national talk and text within Australia, and 400MB of data to last you the ten days, all this on Optus’ 4G network. Averaged out to a month, this plan will cost you $30 a month for unlimited talk and text and 1.2GB of data; not a huge amount, but about on-par for the price.
For those who don’t use as much data and just want to stay in touch, the $10 Pay As You Go plan looks like a good offering from the earlier days of prepaid. For $10, you get $10 credit with $60 day expiry, including national calls at 12c per minute, 12c per SMS and MMS, and 12c per MB of data. While this is quite a good offering for those who make occasional calls and texts, it’s not a good offering for anyone wanting to use data; $10 works out to just over 83MB of data, which on 4G, you could blow with one or two app updates. Definitely an option for those looking for low-cost recharges with long expiry only.
For those looking for a bit of extra, on either offering, there are options available:
- $5 gets you 500MB of data, to use within the next 7 days, and this is available on both $10 for 10 and $10 Pay As You Go.
- $5 also gets you extra credit for use on international calls, premium services and roaming, on the $10 for 10 plan only.
Coles General Manager Non-Food, Karin Zimmerman, said Coles is delighted to partner with Optus to deliver great value for prepaid mobile customers as the category continues to grow:
“Our customers told us they’re looking for prepaid options to assist in managing tight budgets and they enjoy the simplicity and freedom of no commitments or contracts. We’re excited we can offer options on the Optus network for budget conscious shoppers such as mums managing mobile plans for the whole family. With a plan that costs as little as a dollar a day, this is another way we can help our customers control their costs week to week.”
Michele Garra, Vice President, Retail Sales, Optus, said:
“This brings together two trusted Australian brands that offer great value for prepaid mobile customers. Partnering with Coles allows Optus to extend our prepaid mobile base to more people at a fantastic price point.”
Coles Prepaid’s $10 for 10 offer, when taken on monthly value, works out to be similar value to Optus’ standard $30 Prepaid offering, with the added option to pay for it throughout the month rather than up front. While some might not consider $30 a month to be a big expense, for others it can be the difference between making ends meet, and letting something go unpaid.
For these customers, who still have a very real need to stay in touch with family, friends, employers and others, Coles Prepaid’s offering could be really fantastic news.
Is Coles Prepaid something you’d consider for your needs, your family, parents or children? Let us know in the comments.
