Optus prepaid: the plans, how to recharge, and roaming add ons for travel

What Optus prepaid plans were listed on 10 November 2026?

Optus sells its prepaid plans as Optus Flex Plus. Each recharge includes unlimited standard national talk and text, rollover of up to 200GB when you recharge before expiry, and uncapped 4G and standard 5G speeds, with no lock-in contract or credit check. Most plans give boosted data on activation and the next two recharges, then drop to an ongoing allowance.

The sale: Optus's prepaid pages marked the $44, $54 and $395 offers as a SIM sale ending 6 December 2026, for new services. The $44 and $54 offers were online only. Optus says the savings are based on its prior price.

AutoRecharge adds extras: unlimited data at weekends on any 28-day Flex Plus plan, a $5 eGift card with every recharge on the $40 plan and $10 on the $50 plan, and bonus data on the $15, $200 and $395 plans. Optus was also running a prize promotion for recharges of $40 or more, ending 26 April 2027. Every plan except the $15 one includes international call minutes and texts; the $15 plan includes standard international texts.

This is desk research from Optus's own pages. We have not bought or tested an Optus prepaid service.

How do you recharge Optus prepaid?

Optus points prepaid customers to two routes: recharge online on the Optus site, or in the My Optus app, which also shows your balance and data. Setting up AutoRecharge saves you remembering, and on most plans it is the only way to get the weekend unlimited data. Two add-ons can be bought on top of a recharge: an Unlimited Data Day at $6 for 24 hours, and International Talk at $5 for 28 days with up to 300 minutes to 50 destinations.

How do you get an Optus prepaid SIM card or eSIM?

An Optus SIM card for prepaid comes as an eSIM or a physical SIM, or you can connect an eSIM you already have. Each plan in the table above has its own Optus prepaid SIM to buy online, in eSIM or physical form; you then activate online and the recharge starts. Optus says an eSIM activates digitally with no wait for delivery. You can pause, change or cancel in the My Optus app. If you are visiting Australia rather than living here, our Optus guide covers the network and its other SIM options.

Does Optus prepaid work overseas?

Yes, with an International Roaming Add On bought on top of an active recharge. Optus says you need an active standard recharge unless you are on Optus Flex Plus Traveller.

All four work in Optus's Zone 1 destinations only. Optus says it roams in more than 150 destinations and that you can add roaming at any time while in a Zone 1 destination, through the My Optus app, which needs Wi-Fi or data. The Zone 1 list on the page we read was split into alphabetical tabs, and we read only the first; it included Austria, Canada, China, Cambodia, Croatia, Denmark and Brazil. Check your destination on Optus's list before you rely on it.

Post-paid Optus customers have different roaming options; our Optus roaming guide covers those and prepaid side by side.

When is a travel eSIM cheaper than Optus prepaid roaming?

The $5 one-day add on is good value for a stopover or a single day across a border. For a longer trip, compare the $25 14-day add on (5GB) and the $45 28-day add on (10GB) with our verified travel eSIM prices, read on each seller's site in August 2026:

Japan

Airalo 10GB over 15 days, US$17.50; Nomad 10GB over 30 days, US$16

United States

Airalo 10GB over 15 days, US$22; Saily 10GB over 30 days, US$22.99

Thailand

Airalo 10GB over 15 days, US$10.50; Nomad 10GB over 30 days, US$10

New Zealand

Nomad 10GB over 30 days, US$18

Against $45 for 10GB on Optus, every one of these is cheaper even allowing for the exchange rate. Optus wins on calls, since its add ons include up to 100 minutes on your own number, and on long expiry: the $75 add on lasts 186 days. See our USA guide and the cheapest eSIM table.

If you run a travel eSIM for data, keep your Optus line on for calls and texts and switch its data roaming off. Our data roaming guide shows how.