Why Virgin Mobile?

Virgin Mobile has built a reputation for having some of the best bang-for-buck smartphone plans around; if you want Optus network coverage with excellent prices, Virgin is a perfect choice. 

You might normally think of Virgin as a great SIM-only provider, but it also has a whole host of amazing deals for phones bought on contract, plus plenty of extra for postpaid customers.

Everything single Virgin Mobile postpaid plan now includes a "Music Bonus", which means you can stream music from Spotify, Google Play Music, and iHeart Radio without using any of your monthly data allowance. 

Most of Virgin's 12- and 24-month contracts also include an "Internationals Bonus", which gives unlimited calls to ten select countries. All Virgin Mobile postpaid plans also include somewhere between $25 and $500 per month of credit for international talk and text. 

Virgin Mobile postpaid come with Data Rollover (the chance to use your leftover data in the following month) and Data Gifting (sharing your spare data with your friends on Virgin Mobile postpaid services).

If you sign up to Virgin Mobile, you'll get perks across the Virgin family, including:

• 2 Velocity Points for every $1 spent on postpaid plans
• 10% discount on Virgin Australia flights
• Savings on Virgin Travel Insurance
• $100+ savings on Virgin Wines. plus $50 plan credit when ordering
• Lifetime annual fee of $50 on Virgin Money credit cards

Types of Virgin Mobile plans

Virgin Mobile offers three different kinds of plans: 24-month postpaid plans that include a new phone, 12-month SIM-only plans, and no-contract SIM-only plans. Virgin Mobile no longer offers prepaid plans.

Virgin has 24-month postpaid plans starting at $40 per month all the way up to $100 per month. These plans all include unlimited talk and text, but if you pay more, you'll get more data and international credit. Here's what they look like with a 64GB iPhone X.

Virgin's 12-month SIM-only plans have become known for their high data-per-dollar value. Pricing ranges from $30 per month to $60 per month. 

If you need extra flexibility Virgin Mobile's no-contract SIM-only plans are billed on a month-to-month basis with no-lock in. You will however get a little less data when compared to customers who are happy to commit to an entire 12 months. 

How to switch to Virgin Mobile

Changing your mobile phone provider can seem a little daunting. We often get asked about how long it takes, whether you can keep your number, and when exactly your number changes hands. The good news is that it is very easy to change telco in Australia, and laws exist that protect your right to switch and ensure you always keep your phone number.

Your number is held by your provider, but only as long as you allow them to. If you want to swap to Virgin Mobile, your old carrier will automatically relinquish your number and transfer it to Virgin when you activate your new service.

Here's the process:

1. Find the Virgin Mobile plan you're after and sign up online or in-store. 
2. When signing up, you'll be asked whether you want to 'port' or transfer your current number to your new account. Simply put in your number and specify your existing provider.
3. After you receive your SIM card (if you order online), you'll need to activate it. Doing this begins the process of transferring your number. If you bought a SIM in-store, this will happen as part of the initial setup.

Note that your old service will keep working until porting is completed. This typically takes somewhere between a couple of minutes and an hour or two, but there's cases where it can take a day or if not longer. You'll typically know your Virgin Mobile plan is live when your previous service stops working.

SIM cards store very little information these days, which means all of your contacts, phone numbers, emails and photos are either on your phone or in the cloud. Switching to Virgin Mobile will not delete any of your personal information from your device.

We've gone over the steps of switching providers in this video:

Virgin Mobile FAQ

What happens if I want to leave my Virgin Mobile contract early?

Virgin Mobile's early termination fees will depend on what kind of contract you're on, and how long you've been on your plan. 

If you're on a 24-month contract, you'll need to pay out any unpaid contributions toward the full price of your smartphone and the fee for your final month.

If you're on a 12-month contract, you'll pay an early termination fee equal to 25% of what your bill would be for the rest of your contract. 

If you're on a month-to-month plan, you can leave whenever you want with no extra fees. 

What happens if I go over my monthly data allowance? 

Virgin Mobile has an auto top-up feature that adds an extra 1GB for $10 when you hit your monthly limit. Auto top-up can't be disabled, but any unused data will be rolled over to your allowance for your next billing month. 

What network is Virgin Mobile powered by? 

Virgin Mobile is powered by Optus and has access to 3G and 4G services. Virgin Mobile covers 96% of Australia's population. 

What kind of SIM cards does Virgin use? 

Virgin Mobile SIM cards come in nano SIM, micro SIM, and mini SIM. 

Does Virgin Mobile have prepaid plans?

Virgin Mobile no longer offers prepaid mobile plans. 

Does Virgin Mobile still have a 2G network? 

Virgin Mobile no longer providers 2G services. You'll need a 3G or 4G smartphone to connect to Virgin Mobile. 

Does Virgin Mobile offer international roaming? 

Virgin Mobile plans include pay-as-you-go roaming; rates will vary based on your location. If you're travelling in a "zone 1" country, you're able to purchase a Roaming Data Pack. As the name suggests, you'll only get data, so talk and text will still be billed at pay as you go rates. These are Virgin Mobile's current Roaming Data Pack options: 

• $30 for 500MB
• $45 for 1GB
• $60 for 2GB
• $85 for 3GB

All of Virgin's Data Packs have a 30 day expiration. 

The following countries are part of Virgin's Zone 1: Austria, Denmark, Fiji, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States.

Want to contact Virgin Mobile?

Virgin Mobile Feature Breakdown