In our opinion, pretty much whatever your spend level, if you’re shopping around for an Australian SIM only plan, there might ba better option than Vaya.
Alternatives to Vaya
For each usage type, below, we offer you details of the Vaya plan, the plan which, in our opinion, is better value and our reasoning for the statements we’ve made. If you :
- Make one call per day : Remember, with this plan, you can still receive as many calls per day as you like, for free. For those who make around one standard 2 minute call per month and don’t use much data, we recommend Amaysim’s PAYG plan. One ( standard 2 minute ) call per day will add up to $7.20 per month.
Why is this better value than Vaya ? Vaya’s cheapest plan starts at $16 per month.
CHOOSE AMAYSIM PAYG- Spend about $20 per month : We recommend Amaysim’s $19.90 plan. You’ll be able to make 3 or 4 calls per day – which is approximately average usage. You will also get 500 MB of 3G data to use each month. Amaysim’s SIMs are delivered free of charge. If you live in certain Australian metro areas, they’ll have your new SIM to you within If you decide you want to change plans, you can move up or down without charge.
Why is this better value than Vaya ? Vaya typically charge $20 for delivery of the SIM ( with Amaysim it’s free. ) Vaya also charge $11 to move up or down plans. Finally, Vaya will NOT get you your SIM within 3 hours of your request !
CHOOSE AMAYSIM FLEXI $19.90- Want an Unlimited plan : Yatango’s $43.90 plan uses the same Optus 4G network that Vaya use. Just to be clear, I mean Yatango use the entire, whole, completely identical network that Vaya use. Yatango’s unlimited plan with 3GB of 4G data is better value ( cheaper ) than Vaya’s equivalent. Additionally, Yatango offer a complete range of Unlimited plans with multiple data options.
Why is this better value than Vaya ? Vaya charge per MB for data. Yatango charge per kB. This seemingly small difference can have a huge effect on your usage. Per MB charging can double your monthly data usage on your phone. Vaya don’t offer a range of data options below 3G for their unlimited plan. Finally, Yatango offer a slew of value add features including a free monthly review of the plan you’re on to see if it’s right for you and a recommendation if you should move.
CHOOSE YATANGO UNLIMITED $43.90- Need a 4G plan : For those who have one of the latest 4G phones such as asn iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or Samagung Galaxy S4 or S5, we would recommend Yatango over Vaya. Yatango have a plan configurator which gives you any and all permutations of voice, SMS and data on the Optus 4G network which gives you complete control over the plan you choose. Yatango use the Optus 4G network which is just the same as Vaya.
Why is this better value than Vaya ? Vaya charge per MB for their data inclusion, have some odd charges around delivery ( $20 ) and moving plans ( $11 each time. ) Their customer service can also be slow. We have more details on the pros and cons of Vaya, below with some alternatives for you to consider.
SHOW ME YATANGO’S 4G RANGEOne in six Australians are choosing smaller phone companies like Vaya, Amaysim or Yatango
2014 research by Canstar shows that around one in 6 Australians are choosing mobile virtual mobile operators like Amaysim. Vaya or Yatango for their price plan needs. The typical customer choosing this sort of smaller phone company is highly engaged with their phone, uses a modern ‘smartphone’ and wants the best deal without being tied in to contracts with one of the major phone companies.
Mobile virtual mobile operators are wireless companies that don’t own their own network, but rent it from Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone. In other words, they are resellers. What this means to you is that you get better value plans at a reduced price and still get to use the main networks. In the case of Vaya, Amaysim and Yatango they all use the Optus network.
There are a number of places to get a SIM Only deal
SIM Only is now the fastest growing element of the Australian market for phone services. In the last year alone the proportion of people taking out SIM Only plans has doubled. For some phone companies, SIM Only now represents 40% of their sales.
If you’re in the market for a SIM Only service and you have usage which is anywhere near the Australian norm, and considering Vaya, be aware that the Vaya service has ( in our opinion ) a number of good and a number of bad points. We’ve included a list of the good things about below and a couple of negative aspects of the plans to look out for. This way, you know what you’re getting in to and can form a reasonable view of whether this is the right plan for you.
Vaya Plans
Some things that are great about Vaya’s price plans
- Vaya use the Optus network
Optus covers 98.5% of the Australian population with their network. If you choose Vaya, you’ll be getting the benefit of all that network for much, much less than you’d pay if you went to Optus direct. Vaya are an MVNO – that’s a Mobile Virtual Network Operator. - Vaya’s service includes 4G data
Unlike some other Optus MVNOs ( for example, Amaysim ), Vaya offer 4G data speeds within their plans. If you have a 4G phone, this could be a useful feature. - Vaya’s plans are SIM Only plans
SIM Only is not just a significant and increasing proportion of Australian sales, it I often the most sensible way to go about getting your phone. If you already have a phone you love, keeping it and moving to a SIM Only arrangement gets you fantastic rates for the calls you make. - No contracts
With Vaya, you get a level of flexibility. Agreements on the plans we’ve shown on this page are month to month. That means that if you see a better deal with another phone company, you can quickly take it up. The Australian market for phone services is incredibly competitive. - Vaya is an Australian company
As usual, customer service will be delivered from overseas but when you buy with Vaya, you’re buying Australian. - On site chat
We always try to anticipate and answer any questions you might have in our articles. However, Vaya’s online chat facility is a great way to get any piece of information which is specific to you, answered. - You can keep your number
As always, whatever phone company you go to, you will be able to keep your existing phone number. Transfers can be almost immediate or take up to 3 days in our experience.
What’s not so good about Vaya
They charge for delivery : Delivery of a SIM is essentially free to phone companies. Most SIMs are dispatched in an envelope and sent through the Australian Post. Vaya often charge $20 per SIM for delivery which can make their plans far less appealing than they might seem on the surface.
Per MB charging : Newer phone companies are aware of the benefits of offering good data rates to their customers. Vaya charge per MB. Yatango, for example charge per kB. If all you do is open a 5 kB email on your phone, Vaya will knock 1MB ( 200 times the documents’ size ) from your allowance. Yatango will knock 5 Kb ( what was actually used, to the nearest kB ) off your allowance. In practical use this can have a reasonably substantial effect. We’ve had comments from visitors to the whatphone site that their data usage was double with Vaya what it had been elsewhere.
Delivery can take up to 3 days : These days, next day delivery for SIM Only services is standard in the industry. Some companies can get you your SIM to any metro area in 3 hours. This is a small irritation, not a giant black mark but we still believe Vaya can do better.
Unusual fees for normal stuff : Vaya have some unusual cost structures. It’ll costs you $11 to move plan, $10 to cover a late payment fee, $20 for replacement SIM provision – they also have relatively high international rates on the core plans. You’ll probably be used, as we are, to not paying fees this high for other phone companies. As always, we advise people to read the CIS – the Critical Information Summary which comes with Vaya’s plans so you’re sufficiently well informed and can.
Customer Service can be slow : We keep a Vaya SIM to ensure we’re aware of the quality of the service they offer. We much prefer to interact with Vaya online, through their online portal which has a lot of useful and relevant support information. Unfortunately, when we have called them, it’s occasionally been slow to get a response and there have been some language difficulties.
Summary – there are plans we prefer to Vaya
Got a 3G phone and want access to the Optus network ?
For people who talk a lot, we recommend Amaysim’s $44.90 plan. The key advantage over the equivalent Vaya plan is data inclusion. For an approximately $45.00 spend, with Amaysim, you’ll get 5 GB of data. With Vaya, you’ll get only 3GB. And remember, Vaya charge by the MB which means you could use twice as much as if you choose a plan with per kB charging.
CHOOSE AMAYSIM UNLIMITEDFor people who rarely call others : We recommend Amaysim’s PAYG plan. If you only make 1 call per day, you’ll get incredible value. This plan costs only $7.20 a month with one call per day.Vayas entry level plan is more than twice this much.
If you have an average usage level : We recommend Amaysim’s $19.90 plan. You’ll be able to make 3 or 4 calls per day and you’ll get 500 MB of 3G data on the Optus network.
Got a 4G phone and want access to the Optus network ?
For people who talk a lot, we recommend Yatango $34.90. You’ll get unlimited talk and text to Australian numbers and 2GB of 4G data. That’s more value than the Vaya equivalent plan has and Yatango use exactly the same network but charge in per kB chunks.
If you have any other type of 4G plan need, we recommend that you use the Yatango configurator.