Tom's Guide Verdict
Kogan Mobile provides Aussies with competitively priced prepaid plans that deliver big value thanks to generous data limits. Operating primarily on the Vodafone 4G network (with some customers eligible for a 5G trial), Kogan Mobile doesn't quite have the reach of Telstra or Optus resellers, though customers in metropolitan areas shouldn't have any coverage issues. We also like that Kogan Mobile offers data rollover on its monthly plans and the ability to earn Qantas points.
Pros
- +
Good monthly and yearly plan options
- +
Generous data allowances
- +
Data rollover on monthly plans
Cons
- -
Limited customer support
- -
Weak coverage outside of major cities
- -
5G access only in trial phase
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Having started out as an online retailer, Kogan.com has rapidly expanded over the years, and now has its fingers in many pies. Its portfolio includes Kogan Internet, Kogan Insurance, Kogan Travel, Kogan Money, Kogan Cars... even Kogan Energy, among others.
Kogan Mobile is one such service, delivering a range of monthly and 365-day SIM-only plans which offer big data at reasonable prices. You even have the option of paying for long-expiry plans up front or splitting it into monthly instalments.
As a mobile virtual network operator (or MVNO) selling access to the Vodafone network, Kogan Mobile doesn't quite have the reach of similar resellers which offer Telstra or Optus network access, though it still covers roughly 96% of the Australian population.
In terms of inclusions, Kogan Mobile provides data rollover on monthly plans (so long as you've recharged before your prepaid period is up) and the ability to earn one Qantas Point for every AU$2 spent on its services, which is a nice perk.
While Kogan Mobile does offer a 5G trial to new customers on its Large monthly plan, all of the telco's other plans are currently limited to Vodafone's 4G network — however, it's worth noting that those plans aren't speed capped.
Kogan Mobile plans and pricing
- Monthly and 365-day prepaid plans
- Generous data allowances
Kogan Mobile's prepaid plans are split into two categories: Monthly and 365 days. Monthly options start at AU$15 for the Small plan, which provides 10GB of data (AU$1.50 per GB). That's followed by a Medium plan which costs AU$25 for 40GB of data (AU$0.62 per GB), and a Large plan priced at AU$40 and comes with 80GB of data to play with (AU$0.50 per GB).
All of Kogan Mobile's prepaid monthly plans offer rollover data up to 200GB, so long as you recharge before your expiry period or have auto-renewal switched on.
As you might expect, Kogan Mobile's 365-day plans allow you to purchase a year's worth of access up front, with each plan coming with a set amount of data that will have to last you the entire expiry period. However, these plans do offer an interesting twist, in that you have the option of splitting up the data in your chosen 365-day plan over 12 months. That means if you buy Kogan Mobile's Large 300GB plan, you can choose to split the data into monthly 25GB chunks at the time of purchase.
On the surface, splitting up a yearly plan may seem pointless, given how affordable Kogan Mobile's standard monthly plans already are. That said, doing so allows you to keep costs down in the long run. For instance, the Small 365-day plan, which costs AU$120 for 120GB (AU$1 per GB), ends up being AU$10p/m for 10GB of monthly data, making it a great low-cost option.
You can browse a full list of Kogan Mobile's prepaid plans below.
Kogan Mobile coverage
- Full access to Vodafone's 4G network
- 5G trial for new customers on Large monthly plans
Kogan Mobile is a value-minded provider, and for that reason 5G access isn't at the top of its list of priorities. Most customers should only expect access to Vodafone's 4G mobile network, although new customers on the Large monthly plan are eligible for a 5G trial at no extra cost.
Unlike most other MVNOs, Kogan Mobile's plans are not speed capped, but are subject to whatever Vodafone's 4G network can achieve in your area. That said, it's stated on the Kogan Mobile website that "Vodafone reserves the right to limit speeds to 12Mbps" in some unspecified circumstances.
In terms of coverage, Vodafone's 4G network is able to reach 96% of the Australian population, putting it in third place after Telstra, which reaches 99.6% of Aussies, and Optus, which covers 98.5% of the populace.
Despite the Vodafone network's smaller reach, most Kogan Mobile customers should still receive decent coverage within metropolitan areas — those in Australia's more remote regions, however, may experience poor service.
Kogan Mobile plans: Extras, perks and offers
- Data rollover on monthly plans
- Earn a Qantas point for every AU$2 spent
Like most value-minded carriers, Kogan Mobile's extras and perks aren't the flashiest around, though they do provide a decent amount of additional value — especially when you consider how affordable these plans are.
Impressively, each of Kogan Mobile's monthly prepaid plans offer up to 200GB of rollover data, though you'll have to recharge before the end of your expiry period or have auto-renewal set up on your account.
You also get unlimited standard talk and text across the board, though you will have to buy one of three 30-day International Calls add-on packs to phone overseas numbers. Each pack comes with 250 minutes of standard international calls, with the only difference between the number of countries you have access to. Pricing starts at AU$5 for 10 selected countries, followed by AU$10 for 15 selected countries, and AU$20 for 20 selected countries.
Additionally, customers have the opportunity to earn 1 Qantas point for every AU$2 spent on Kogan Mobile services.
Kogan Mobile plans: customer service and community reviews
- Call centre location not disclosed
- Mixed reviews from customers
For issues regarding Kogan Mobile's service, the telco will first point customers to its to the Kogan Mobile Help Centre, providing answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
In the likely event that you don't resolve your issue there, you can try the Kogan Mobile Customer Care team by calling 12612 from your Kogan Mobile phone or 1300 056 426 from any other phone.
In terms of online customer reviews, Kogan Mobile is a mixed bag, with some users complaining of long wait times on support calls and unresolved issues, while others seem perfectly satisfied with the service. It's worth noting that Kogan Mobile has a score of 2 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot, and 3.6 stars out of 5 on ProductReview.
Kogan Mobile plans: Bottom line
Kogan Mobile is a no-frills provider offering affordable prepaid plans that come with stacks of data. For the most part, the service operates on Vodafone's 4G network, which is fine for those in metropolitan areas but not ideal for customers in Australia's more rural regions.
In terms of perks and extras, Kogan Mobile offers some nice inclusions for the price, including data rollover and the ability to earn Qantas points. Those looking for value should definitely consider Kogan Mobile, because its plans are very reasonably priced — especially its 365-day offerings.
