01.Introduction
Amaysim prepaid SIM card
PRICE 15c per minute (standard calls)/12c standard SMS/5c per MB for data
CONTACT www.amaysim.com.au
Using a prepaid SIM card in your existing mobile phone can be a simple way to avoid long-term phone contracts. However, this can be expensive over time as phone companies often charge high call rates.
This is where Amaysim is different. Unlike most other SIM-only phone cards, the Amaysim SIM does not charge flag fall (often called a “connection fee”) when you make a call. It also has a straightforward pricing structure for talk, text and internet access. Calling someone, whether it be on their landline or mobile, costs 15c per minute, rather than 15c per minute and 40c flag fall. Likewise, an SMS costs 12c per text, full stop.
You can purchase a SIM card on the Amaysim website or from stores including 7-Eleven, Harvey Norman, Woolworths, Dick Smith, Coles Express, Franklins and Caltex service stations. Cards available include a version for a standard phone and a smaller “micro SIM” used in some new phones like the Apple iPhone 4. Ordering or registering the SIM online is fairly uncomplicated; you can also use the site to move your existing mobile number over to the Amaysim plan, make changes to your phone settings and top up the phone with $15, $30 or $50 in credit. You also get 90 days to use your phone credit, compared with other carriers that compel you to use your credit within one or two months.
Internet access can be purchased in $9.90 blocks for 1GB, or you can pay 5c per megabyte. Although better value internet data plans are available from competitors, the pricing is in keeping with the clear and easy-to-understand costs involved with the Amaysim.
Amaysim uses Optus’s dual band network, so you can expect about 96% coverage within Australia if your phone supports 2100/900MHz. While coverage is not as widespread as Telstra’s NextG network, especially in remote areas, it should be OK in major cities and towns.
After testing the SIM for a month, we found overall performance for the network to be consistent with another phone using an Optus SIM.
Verdict
While the Amaysim SIM may not be a premium service, any new player in the market, that help keep the major networks competitive, is to be encouraged. The plan was recently awarded number one mobile phone deal by PhoneChoice. Only time will tell if other phone networks decide to follow suit with affordable talk-and-text pricing, without locking consumers into long-term contracts.