Coles and Woolies have one of the biggest rivalries around, but how do these Australian supermarkets compare when it comes to mobile plans? Let’s settle the score.
Woolworths mobile plans
Woolworths Mobile currently fields a roster of four postpaid SIM-only mobile plans, which range from $25 per month to $59 per month. You can find the full list in the widget below.
Regardless of which postpaid plan takes your fancy, you’ll get access to most of the same provider-specific perks and coverage via the Telstra network. You don’t get access to the full network though, which is only available to Boost Mobile and Telstra’s customers.
The other high-profile perk that Woolies Mobile offers is the ability to save 10% on your next shopping trip to the supermarket. The only catch here is that you can only utilise this perk once per month and that your potential savings are capped at $50.
Woolworths Mobile’s postpaid and prepaid plans also come with a 500GB data bank, which is always handy for those unexpected moments when your home internet connection falls through.
The other thing worth considering is that Woolworths Mobile is one of the rare MVNO providers in Australia that lets you pair its cheap SIM-only plans with a handset. The range of devices on offer here isn’t huge (and it doesn’t include any iPhones), but if you’re considering upgrading to a Samsung Galaxy S23 anytime soon then doing so via something like the Woolworths Mobile $25 Mobile Phone Plan is an option worth considering.
This plan comes with all the perks above, plus 22GB of monthly data and unlimited local calls and texts. Paid out over 36 months, you’re looking at $25 in plan fees and $40 in handset fees each month.
Coles mobile plans
The first thing you ought to know about Coles Mobile is that both of its SIM-only mobile plans come with a few extra gigabytes per dollar than their Woolies Mobile counterparts. Check out the widget below for the full list.
Both plans come with a 500GB databank, local calls and texts plus unlimited calls and texts to 22 international destinations.
Like Woolies Mobile, Coles Mobile customers also get the opportunity to save money on their weekly grocery shop. For the first six months, you’re signed up to Coles Mobile, you’ll get a gift card each month that knocks 10% off the cost of your next shop.
This perk is similar to the shopping discount offered by Woolworths Mobile. However, it’s not quite as generous. It’s capped at $30 and it only lasts for that honeymoon period rather than in perpetuity.
If the thing that’s drawing you to either of Australia’s big supermarket-backed mobile providers is the potential to save on groceries, Woolworths Mobile has a clear advantage. Coles Mobile also lags slightly behind when it comes to coverage. Its mobile offering is powered by the Optus network, which has a slightly smaller footprint than that of Telstra. Coles
Mobile customers also don’t get access to the Optus 5G network, whereas Woolworths Mobile customers do with select postpaid plans.
Coles vs Woolworths Mobile
While it’s silly to pretend that Australia’s big two supermarkets have more apart than they do in common, the best arguments for each side over the other come down to a mix of personal preference and specific circumstances.
Do you mostly shop at Coles? Then the value of a Woolies gift card each month quickly isn’t, even if it is technically better value than the six gift cards that signing up and sticking with Coles Mobile gets you. Likewise, if you don’t live in an area with Telstra 5G service or you’re looking at one of the cheaper plans on the Woolworths Mobile roster, then it doesn’t make much sense to factor that into your decision.
If you’re not swayed by perks or the promise of Telstra 5G, then a pure dollars to gigabytes basis will see Coles Mobile come out ahead. For instance, Coles Mobile’s $35 Mobile Plan comes out just ahead of its Woolworths counterpart with 45GB of monthly data.
For those who fancy the idea of picking up a new phone on a plan or are itching to make the most of the potential savings, then Woolworths Mobile is likely going to be a more natural fit. Regardless of whether you do opt to pair one of Woolies’ mobile plans with a new handset or not, our pick of the lot remains the same.
The Woolworths Mobile $35 SIM Only Plan comes with 42GB of data, unlimited calls and texts within Australia, a 500GB data bank, calls and texts to 22 international destinations and access to Telstra’s 5G network until the end of July. The one catch worth noting with that last one is that your speeds will be capped at 100Mbps, so don’t expect your smartphone to replace your NBN connection anytime soon.
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