For an always up to date list of the cheapest mobile plans in New Zealand check out MoneyHub.
Up until 2 Degrees Mobile entered the market mobile plans between the then Telecom (now Spark) & Vodafone where some of the most expensive in the world. When they entered the market I gladly switched to them, and got to keep my data when they at the time where the only telco’s with “roll over data”.
I happily stayed with them until I was enticed to switch to Spark simply because they bundled Spotify Premium with my monthly prepay pack of $19. I suffered through no data roll over simply for uninterrupted all I could listen music. Well unfortunately the good times can’t last forever and Spark decided to cut my plan come the 15th of April.
So in the time I’ve been on Spark the landscape has changed in mobile. Spark finally offer roll over data combos. Skinny is battling with the likes of 2Degrees, and we now have the MVNO of Warehouse Mobile.
Before I committed to changing I decided to survey the landscape and work out what is the cheapest mobile plan/combo I could buy. I’ve learnt first hand I can get away with about 250mb of data a month as that was usually all I used for the last 6 months or more and I barely use more than 10 minutes of call time each month. That’s right I’m probably a telco’s worst customer ever. My data and minute usage is so low due to the fact I’m rarely without Wi-Fi and I’m not a social media user anymore.
In the end I went with Warehouse Mobile and a combination of minutes and data packs for a total of $8 a month. I have plenty of minutes (200) and enough data (500MB) to get through the month. As a bonus because they are on the 2Degrees network you get Wi-Fi calling on compatible phones.
| Telco | Price | Days | Minutes | Texts | Data | Rollover | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Degrees - $9 Carryover Combo | $9 | 1 Month | 50 minutes to NZ & Aus | Unlimited to NZ & Aus | 250MB | Yes - Minutes & Data | Data hour Wi-Fi Calling |
| Skinny - $9 Plan | $9 | 28 days | 100 minutes | Unlimited to NZ & Aus | 250MB | No | |
| Spark - $19 Prepaid Value Pack | $19 | 28 days | 200 minutes | Unlimited to NZ | 1.25GB | Yes - Minutes & Data | 1/2 Price Spotify Free 1GB Wi-Fi per day |
| Vodafone - My Flex Prepay | $13 | 28 days | 50 minutes | 50 | 250MB | No | |
| Warehouse Mobile - $12 Combo | $12 | 31 days | 200 minutes to NZ & Aus | Unlimited to NZ & Aus | 500MB | Yes - Data | Wi-Fi Calling Free calling & text for WM to WM* |
| Warehouse Mobile - Pick'n Go pack 200 mins | $4 | 31 days | 200 minutes to NZ & Aus | No | Wi-Fi Calling Free calling & text for WM to WM* | ||
| Warehouse Mobile - Pick'n Go pack 500MB | $4 | 31 days | 500MB | Yes | Free calling & text for WM to WM* | ||
| Warehouse Mobile - Pick'n Go pack 1.25GB | $8 | 31 days | 1.25GB | Yes | |||
| Kogan Mobile Small | $17.90 | 30 days | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1.5GB | No |
Last updated: 24th September 2019
An important point to watch out for is Spark, Skinny and Vodafone cheap plans are only 28 days.
* With active credit, pack or combo.