Signing up to a long-expiry mobile plan is the phone money-saving equivalent to shopping in bulk or switching to an annual streaming subscription.

While it may be eye-watering to see a lump sum disappear in one hit, keep in mind it comes but once a year and takes the sting out of regular monthly payments.

Plus a long-expiry plan is often cheaper when you compare its monthly breakdown to the alternative.

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Below we have rounded up our top and most popular picks for affordable long expiry phone plans across a wide selection of telcos and suitable for a range of budgets.

Our top pick for 365-day prepaid mobile plan

At the time of writing, Kogan’s long-expiry plan is our top pick. It’s the most affordable 365-day long expiry prepaid plan in our database and its current offer includes 200GB of data for $139. This works out to be just $11.50 per month. But hurry, this deal ends June 1, 2025.

365-day prepaid mobile plans $150 and under

For just $150 a year, or $12.50 per month, you can get a surprisingly decent amount of bang for your buck. Telcos like Kogan Mobile, Coles Mobile and Lebara all have 365-plans with at least 140GB of data and some even include a few perks, like bonus standard minutes to overseas destinations.

365-day prepaid mobile plans $200 and under

Above we have outlined our most popular 365-day prepaid plans priced at $200 or less.

Obviously the more you’re willing to spend, the more telcos you’ll unlock and the more perks you will receive. A $200 bill sounds like a lot, but in reality it works out to be just $16.67 per month. This either sits on par or works out to be cheaper than some prepaid monthly SIM plan options, making it a very affordable phone plan.

As an example, Lyca mobile’s Large - Long Expiry Plan is currently offering 600GB of data at speeds of 100Mbps for just $180 per year, or $15 per month.

By paying just $0.05 more per month, you get 120GB of more data over the course of a year than Yomojo’s $14.95 per month Unlimited Voice & SMS + 40GB prepaid SIM.

365-day prepaid mobile plans $300 and under

For those willing to spend around $300 per year, or $25 per month, on a 365-day prepaid plan, you’ll gain access to telcos like everyday mobile by Woolworths, OnePass Mobile, amaysim and Boost Mobile.

Each one comes with its own unique perks, for example, when you sign up to selected plans with Everyday Mobile you’ll receive a 10% discount off a Woolworths shop once per month. Above you’ll find a list of our most popular 365-day prepaid plans priced at $300 or less.

180-day prepaid mobile plans

Perhaps you’re not comfortable with committing to any telco for an entire year, and that’s ok. Because you can still save money with a slightly less daunting 180-day prepaid mobile plan to get the best of both worlds.

The Big Three — Telstra, Optus and Vodafone — all offer 180-day prepaid plans, as do some smaller telcos, like amaysim and Lyca mobile. Prices range between $75 to $180 and last anywhere from five to just over six months. Again you’ll need to track your data usage closely to avoid having to pay for extra data.

Christie Graham is Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s mobile and internet comparison site.