While Aldi is best known for their $3 bottles of shiraz and page turning catalogues, they also offer up a stellar lineup of prepaid mobile phone plans.
Take my current Aldi Mobile plan for example…
I currently get 14GB of data (with data rollover), unlimited calls and SMS’s, Telstra’s 4G network and unlimited international calling (to 15 countries). All for the snug price of $25/mo.
Oh, did I mention there are no lock in contracts either? All you need is your own phone.
So to see how you can literally save $100’s, here is my hands on Aldi Mobile review from an actual user. Lets begin!
Aldi Mobile Review Australia (From An Actual Users Perspective)
Quick Overview Of Using Aldi Mobile
After using Aldi Mobile for a couple of months, I have been pleasantly surprised with the value for money, ease of use, price and service coverage that I have received. Not to mention the constant free upgrades.
When I first signed up for example (I left Aldi mobile then came back), Aldi was using the 3G network, had 5GB data allowance and no international calls or SMS’s.
As of writing this however, I now get 14GB of data, 4G Telstra network, international calling and unlimited data rollover. Plus the price hasn’t budged 1 cent!
Overall, I have been extremely happy with Aldi Mobile and think it’s a great option for Aussies who are money conscious while still after a good product.
Strengths
- Affordable pricing
- Good data allowance
- Data rollover
- Unlimited calls & messages
- International calling (on some plans)
- Uses Telstra network
Weaknesses
- Customer support minimal
- App could do with an update
Plans & Pricing Of Aldi Mobile Plans
While I have only covered my specific Aldi Mobile prepaid plan, this is only one of many offerings that Aldi offers.
At a glimpse, Aldi Mobile has various prepaid plans from $15/mo – $55 which all have different data allowances that range from 2.5GB – 48GB.
Another plan Aldi offers is the “Family Pack” which splits the $80 plan up into 4 sim cards that can be shared with a whole family. There are also data only and 365 day PAYG plans too.
So here are some more details on each one of these Aldi Mobile prepaid plans.
Aldi Mobile Prepaid Value Packs (From $15)
As far as Aldi’s lineup of mobile deals, their value pack options are some of the best that they offer.
For all of their value pack plans, regardless of the price, they all come with unlimited standard calls, SMS & MMS within Australia.
So if you don’t plan on using any data, the Small pack is a great option. Plus it also comes with 2.5GB of data.
If users move up to any of the other plans, users will benefit from free unlimited international calls to a select list of 15 countries and a significant jump in data allowance.
While on the topic of data, each one of these plans also has unlimited data rollover which is a big bonus. Keep in mind that if you do downgrade in plans, that rollover data will be lost.
For the more data hungry, you can opt for either 26GB, 37GB or 48GB plans which max out at $55/mo and again all have unlimited calls and TXT’s.
As for the data allowances, there aren’t any catches or gimmicks. These are simply the amounts one will get.
This is a much different tactic to what Boost, Woolworths Mobile and Optus do. These providers offer an inflated data limited for the first 3-5 recharges then revert back to a smaller GB amount. Or in Woolworths case, 3GB/mo for $20/mo 😱.
To get up to date pricing on Aldi’s value packs, you can check out their website.
Aldi Mobile Family Packs ($80 For 4 Sim Cards)
Another value packed option that Aldi offers is their family 4 sim card pack that is only $80/mo.
As for the nitty gritty of this plan, it has 56GB of data included that can be divided and shared between each SIM card. So this would go 14GB’s each way split between 4 family members.
But this can be sliced and diced to whatever amounts that you please. So if you are running the account, you can slip a few extra GB your way 😉.
So if a family is on 4 phone contracts with mobile devices, this could be a massive money saver for when the rollover period ends. $80 a month sounds a lot better as opposed to $400/mo for 4 phone plans. Just BYO device.
Even though this is dubbed the “family pack”, I could see this being a great plan for those in a share house or between a group of mates.
Also with the family pack, each sim is included with an unlimited amount of calls and SMS, TXT’s for each SIM. Not too shabby!
Aldi Mobile Data Packs (From $15)
Another offering that Aldi has are their data only packs which would be good for iPads and tablet devices that aren’t connected to wi-fi.
Alternatively, the larger data packs could be used as a home wi-fi setup which can be done via a smartphones personal hotspot.
So instead of paying $90/mo for a home broadband plan. The 1 year (365GB) pack could be an ideal alternative for light w-fi users. As for the price, the largest pack costs $365 for the year.
There are also 4 other data pack offerings from $95 for 365 days, or $15, $30 and $65 which come with 3GB, 26GB and 75GB which lasts for 30 days with data rollover.
Pay As You Go (From $15 For 365 Days)
Lastly in the Aldi Mobile lineup of plans are their pay as you go plans, which are for the uber light users who use their phones sparingly.
These pay as you go plans get 365 days of credit and can be recharged in with $15 or $30 chunks.
As for the usage rates, calls are $0.12 per minute, $0.12 per SMS, $0.35 per MMS and $0.05 per MB. For a $30 recharge, this would give about 340 minutes of talk time.
So if you really don’t use your phone much, this could be a good option. But for daily calling, messaging and data usage, the prepaid packs could be better value.
The Signup Process With Aldi Mobile
When it came to ordering and signing up for my Aldi Mobile sim card, it was fairly starlight forward and fast.
Instead of buying the sim card in store, I ordered it from their website (I couldn’t help myself, I love buying things online!) which only took a couple of minutes.
As for the ordering process, I had to choose either a micro/standard or nano SIM for my iPhone. If you don’t know which one our phone uses, you can find out here.
After putting in my shipping address and paying the $5 for the SIM card. I was given a transaction ID and a notification that it can take up to 10 business day to arrive.
However my new sim card arrived within just 3 business days (I live in Melbourne).
Sim Card Activation Process For Aldi Mobile
Once my new sim card arrived, I headed over to their website to activate the sim card.
There is also the option to call Aldi up for activation, but I have heard this can be a lengthy process (around 30 minutes). So I opted for the online activation process.
As I was coming from another prepaid provider, I was transferring my number over which was pretty straight forward.
I simply opted for the “transfer an existing number” and inserted my mobile number.
From there I had to put in my personal details, drivers licence, credit card details, recharge amount and also an account password. All up, this process took about 5 minutes.
After I had done this, I was then notified that the transfer can take 12-48 hours to propagate. However, I found that if I restarted my iPhone, the transfer was done in only 3 hours!
Topping Up & Checking Credit With Aldi Mobile
When it came to topping up credit, I opted for the automatic option which debits money from my account every month.
As for checking the amount of credit and data that I have used. This can be checked online or via the Aldi iPhone or Android app.
After a quick download of the iOS app, I logged in to my Aldi Mobile account and could see a live update of how much data I had and also the data rollover.
While the mobile app isn’t the cleanest or fasted to use, it does the job ok.
Aldi Mobile Customer Service
To be honest, I haven’t actually had any experience with Aldi Mobiles customer service. So I can’t really cover this topic.
But after I did some investigating, there does seem to be a lack of customer support when compared to the larger telco providers.
While Aldi Mobile does offer a toll free number and a ticketing support system. There is unfortunately no social media or chat options available.
I also don’t think that the Aldi attendants would be of much help either 😉.
However, one thing to keep in mind that this is a prepaid plan. So it does have a no-frills customer support experience as this allows for the cheap prices.
Also if you are a confident mobile user, you shouldn’t really run into any issues. And if you’re not happy with the service, their are no contracts, so you can always jump ship if need be.
Service Coverage Of Aldi Mobile
One of the biggest advantages to using Aldi Mobile is that they use the Telstra network as the backbone of their service.
While Telstra does get some gripe from time to time, there is no denying they have the widest coverage when compared to Vodafone and Optus.
Above is the Telstra/ Aldi cellular coverage across Australian metropolitan cites and also rural towns and cites. You can also visit Aldi’s interactive map to see if your area will be covered.
Unfortunately Aldi Mobile customers won’t be able to take advantage of Telstra’s blazing fast 4GX service as this is reserved for Telstra customers only.
But in saying that, I can’t be that disappointed considering the sea of green coverage that I receive in Melbourne.
Aldi’s International Roaming Rates & Fees
While Aldi Mobile does offer international mobile roaming (many prepaid providers don’t). I really wouldn’t recommend using it.
This is mainly due to the absurd roaming charges that telco providers stick users with. As an example, Aldi’s roaming rates are around $1 per minute for making and receiving phone calls.
As for data, 1MB will cost $0.50, so a YouTube video would set you back around $50. Instead of paying these fees, I typically get a local sim card when I travel internationally which ends up being a lot cheaper.
For Aldi’s full international roaming rates, you can see their roaming page and their roaming PDF charge rates.
Do I Recommend Aldi Mobile?
In short, yes! After using Aldi mobile for several months, I have been thrilled with their overall service. I also think that Aldi Mobile is an awesome alternative to the ripoff phone contracts that costs thousands of dollars over the life time.
So if you are after a no frills prepaid experience that deliver good amounts of data, uses the Telstra network and is really affordable, you can’t go wrong. And if it doesn’t work out, no stress, theres no lock in contracts!
Hopefully this Aldi Mobile review covered all of your questions, if there is anything I have left out. Please let me know in the comment below!
A Note To Those On a Phone Plan
The next time your phone plan comes up for renewal, ask yourself if you really need that new phone on a $110 contract. Odds are, you won’t.
As smartphones are incredibly well made and seem to be lasting longer and longer. The need for a new phone every 1-2 years is no longer necessary.
I for one have been rocking my 4 year old iPhone 7 Plus which has served me incredibly well. I now only pay the $25/mo which is saving me around $700 each year if I was still on a lock in contract plan.
So ask yourself, do you really need that new phone…
Aldi Mobile Frequently Asked Questions
Aldi Mobile takes advantage of the Telstra 3G and 4G network for their cellar and prepaid plans. Unfortunately Aldi users won’t be able to use the Telstra 4G X as this is reserved for Telstra customers.
Aldi sim cards can be purchased in store or from their website. As for the price, there is an upfront cost of $5 which will then have to be topped up with a select amount of credit.
Yes you can. When activating your sim card, users can opt for “transfer my mobile number” which will allows you to keep your existing number. Just keep note that your current provider might charge an exit fee or cancellation charge.
Aldi Mobile sim cards are adaptable which means that can fit all mobile phones. These sim cad sizes include standard size, Mini SIM, Micro SIM and Nano SIM.
With Aldi Mobile, once you use your allocated amount of data, there will be no extra charges unless you decide to add on extra data. 1GB blocks cost $10 and must be added manually.
Alsi Mobile customers can recharge their account via the Aldi website or through the free iPhone or Android app.