Share data and save with Telstra Bundle Plans
Telstra now allows customers to add up to 5 Bundle Plans to one account. Telstra’s Bundle plans offer customers a way to share data across multiple SIMs while managing their plans on a single account. Telstra’s Bundle Plans also provide savings on both mobile and data plans.
Not everyone can take advantage of the Bundle plans, though. Telstra is only making the new offer available to select customers.
If you’re interested in adding up to five Bundle Plans to your account, this post will tell you all about it. Read on to find out.
Advantages of Telstra Bundle Plans
Bundle and family plans come with similar advantages across all telcos. Like most, Telstra’s Bundle Plans have the following advantages over regular plans:
- One account
You can add up to 5 Bundle Plans on one bill, allowing you to manage different plans easily. This is great for families. - Share data
Another great perk for families is that Telstra Bundle Plans allow customers to share data. - “Ultimate” speed
Bundle plans include 5G access, and Telstra promises “ultimate” speeds – essentially the fastest speeds available with no caps. - Savings
You save money when you sign up for a Bundle plan instead of just an Upfront plan alone. For instance, the Mobile Bundle Plan costs $11 less than Telstra’s Basic Upfront plan, and the Data-Only Bundle Plan costs 50 percent less than Telstra’s smallest data-only plan.
Remember, however, that you must purchase a Telstra Essential or Premium Upfront plan to use Bundles, so be sure to add those additional costs before considering any savings.
Telstra’s Mobile Bundle Plan includes 15GB of data and costs $47 per month, while the Data-only Bundle Plan includes 10GB of data and costs $10 per month.
How to get a Telstra Bundle Plan
Telstra’s Bundle Plans are only available to eligible customers. Here’s how to sign up for up to 5 Bundle Plans on one Telstra account:
- Buy Telstra’s Essential or Premium Upfront Plan
You must be on either a Telstra Essential Upfront Plan or Premium Upfront Plan to add a Bundle Plan. - Choose your Bundle Plan(s)
After purchasing your Essential or Premium Upfront Plan, choose your mobile or data-only Bundle plan(s). - Add your Bundle Plan to your account
Add up to 5 of your Bundle plan(s) to your account.
Similar plans from rival networks
As always, shopping around is a great way to find the best SIM-only plan for you. Thankfully, Telstra isn’t the only telco allowing customers to bundle plans on a single account and share data. Here’s a look at other telcos offering similar plans:
- Optus
Optus allows customers to group as many eligible mobile and mobile broadband plans under one account and pool all the data available across all plans for sharing. Unlike Telstra’s Bundle Plans, Optus doesn’t limit how many eligible plans you add to one account. Optus customers can either share data across different devices or family members. - Vodafone
Vodafone allows customers to group up to 10 Red, SIM Only, Data, Tablet or Mobile Broadband Plans under one account, and pool all available data to share.
What stands out is that, unlike Telstra, neither Optus nor Vodafone require you to purchase a separate bundle plan to group different SIM plans under one account. Instead, those telcos allow you to select eligible plans and add them to your account to pool all available data.
Final words
On the face of it, the ability to share data within a group seems like an appealing idea. Some people use more data than others in a family (the kids typically use more), so it balances out in most cases. There is, however, some clever economics likely applied by phone companies, which lies in the customer’s behaviour when they start using a bundle plan:
When an individual has their own data allowance, they know how much they have and use it. They are entirely responsible for what they use. When the data allocation is shared, on the other hand, there is a much more fundamental sense of “I’m only responsible for a bit of the data I use.” Under these circumstances, where behaviour is hidden, and there is a perception of a large pool of data being available, people tend to use a lot more.
A cynic might suggest that this is why phone companies introduce these plans, and they might be right.
The way to combat this aspect of human greed on a bundle plan is to monitor who uses what if you hit the ceiling of your pooled data allocation.