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Optus business mobile plans review

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Optus has dedicated business mobile solutions for up to 300 plans , but the main focus of this page is plans reviews for smaller businesses. Enterprise customers with more than 300 employees in need of phone plans can alternatively contact Optus Enterprise for support . While Optus tailors mobile plan solutions for between one and five employees or six to 300 staff, smaller businesses can take advantage of the value and savings found in Optus mobile plans built for everyday users.

Optus may not have as wide-reaching network as Telstra (for 4G and, particularly, 5G ), but it’s still got coverage in most parts of Australia. Basically, if you business operates in any populous part of Australia, you shouldn’t have any issues with an Optus mobile plan. Optus has good dollar-to-data value on its plans, with plenty of data and decent inclusions. It’s a shame there aren’t cheaper SIM Only plans and 1.5Mbps post-max-speed throttling isn’t ideal, but there aren’t any excess data charges.

Optus business mobile value for money

We advise small businesses to use SIM Only plans over Prepaid plans , unless you use a phone more reactively and don’t have on-the-go data needs. If that’s you, long-expiry Prepaid plans are worth considering to help keep costs down.

Note that all Optus SIM Only plans include access to the Optus 5G network (where available). Similarly, Optus SIM Only plans let users share data on eligible plans under a single account, which is a good choice for small business users. Optus SIM Only plans start with the $49 Optus Choice Plus Plan, which comes with 30GB of data.

There’s money to be saved if you go with an Optus MVNO or Vodafone MVNO , but you’ll have to pay closer to this particular Optus plan price if you want partial Telstra 5G or Vodafone 5G access. Below are some of the most popular SIM Only plans from our database with at least 30GB of data.

The dollar-to-data value increases dramatically with the next Optus plan. For not a lot more per month, the $59 Optus Choice Plus Plan comes with 100GB of data, plus unlimited calls and text messages (no MMS) to 35 selected dialling destinations.

That 70GB jump in data thins out the SIM Only competition. There are other competing telcos on the Optus, Telstra wholesale and Vodafone network with better pricing and/or more data, but international call inclusions and data sharing are rarer perks. For comparison, below is a daily updating list of SIM Only plans from our database with at least 100GB of monthly data.

The next cheapest plan is the $69 Optus Choice Plan, which has 220GB of data and the same international inclusions. Again, Optus continues the trend of paying not a lot more for a whole lot of data.

Competition is a lot thinner when you start dealing with 200GB of data. There are alternatives on the Optus 5G and Vodafone 5G network at this price point, which are worth considering if you need more than 200GB of data. Below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only plans from our database with at least 200GB of data.

The penultimate SIM Only plan is the $89 Optus Choice Plus Plan, which ordinarily comes with 360GB of data for use on the Optus 5G network. Optus is currently running a promotion that bumps that figure up to 500GB, so the amount of bulk value here blows away most of the competition.

There’s only one other plan in our comparison engine that competes with 400GB+ of data, and that’s the $85 SIM Only Ultra+ Plan from Vodafone, which comes with unlimited max-speed data on the Vodafone 5G network. Check out these two plans side-by-side below.

If you’d prefer a dedicated Optus business plan, consider Optus Business Mobile Plus . This plan structure supports between one and 10 SIMs. There’s a 10% discount for two sims, 20% for three, 26% discount for four to seven SIMs, and a 30% discount for eight to 10. The plan starts at $55 for 80GB of data, and every SIM added boosts the shareable data pool by 80GB. Like personal Optus SIM Only plans, Optus Business Mobile Plus plans come with Optus 5G access, no excess data charges (1.5Mbps throttling after data cap) as well as unlimited calls and SMS to 35 selected destinations.

Optus business mobile features and perks

All Optus SIM Only and Prepaid plans come with unlimited calls and text messages (SMS and MMS) to Australian numbers. For Optus Prepaid monthly plans, you can roll over up to 200GB of data and up to 84 days if you recharge early. Not every Optus Prepaid plan includes Optus 5G network access, but all Optus SIM Only plans do. Optus SIM Only plans also include data sharing under a single account for eligible plans.

Except for the cheapest Optus SIM Only plan, all other options come with unlimited calls and SMS to 35 selected dialling destinations, which includes:

• China (mainland)
• New Zealand
• South Korea
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

There aren’t any excess data charges for Optus SIM Only plans, but the trade-off is a sluggish 1.5Mbps connection speed for the duration of your billing month.

Optus is one of three main telecommunications providers in Australia, which offers mobile and broadband internet services. Its mobile network has the second largest reach (behind Telstra but ahead of Vodafone) and supports 5G, 4G and 3G cellular connectivity.

Optus business mobile support

We understand that one person’s support experience with a telco may differ from another’s, which is why we look to quantitative support pathways. Optus offers a wide range of support via telephone, online chat, social media, self-paced online support, as well as brick-and-mortar stores for in-person support.

Optus also has dedicated business support options for authorised representatives. Chat with Optus business support via online messaging service or call them on 133 343, Monday to Friday 8:00am to 7:00pm AEST or Sat and Sunday 8:00am to 6:00pm.

How to sign up for an Optus business mobile plan

From the list of Optus plans below, pick the plan that’s best for your business needs, then click on the ‘Go’ button. You’ll be taken to the corresponding Optus mobile plans page. Have a read over the inclusions and confirm the plan you’d like, then follow the sign-up steps. Alternatively, call Optus business mobile on 1300 106 481 for sales support.

Optus business mobile plans

Below is a list of all Optus SIM Only mobile plans (sorted by popularity).

How we review mobile providers

Whether we’re evaluating personal or business mobile plans from telcos, we follow the same approach. It starts with dollar-to-data value for money. Telcos that receive high scores tend to offer more gigabytes than the cost of a plan.

Still, network coverage is also a key consideration, which is why the Telstra and Telstra wholesale networks rank favourably with us as they’re the largest. Optus and Vodafone aren’t too far behind, admittedly, but the Telstra 5G network has a clear lead over Optus which, in turn, is ahead of Vodafone.

We like to see mobile plans with meaningful inclusions, be they access to additional services or more practical features like data sharing and no excess data charges. In terms of support, we tally the number of support pathways a telco offers and use that as a guide to how much a telco has invested in helping customers with issues. For personal mobile plans, we may also take publicly available customer reviews into account.

Optus business mobile FAQs

Optus Sport used to be included with Optus SIM Only plans, but now it’s a separate subscription. Sign up for Optus Sport via the Optus SubHub for $6.99 per month.

It really depends on what you’re after. Telstra business mobile plans may offer faster speeds via the widespread Telstra 5G network. Optus business mobile plans have better dollar-to-data value, but the Optus 5G network isn’t as far-reaching as Telstra’s.

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Disclaimer: The information featured in this article is based on our best estimates of pricing, package details, contract stipulations, and service available at the time of writing. This is not a guarantee. All information is subject to change. Pricing will vary based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the customer’s location, package chosen, added features and equipment, the purchaser’s credit score, etc. For the most accurate information, please ask your customer service representative. Clarify all fees and contract details before signing a contract or finalizing your purchase. Each individual's unique needs should be considered when deciding on chosen products.

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In this guide

What is a business phone plan?

Is it worth getting a business mobile plan, how do i compare business phone plans, what is the best business mobile plan in australia, telstra business mobile plans, optus business mobile plans, vodafone business phone plans.

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Business phone plans are designed for businesses to give to their employees, so they can keep in touch with clients and co-workers.

If you're running a business with multiple employees that need work numbers, it makes sense to look at getting a business mobile plan to make it easier for organisational or tax purposes.

They have different inclusions to personal mobile plans because people tend to use their phones differently for business than they would for recreation.

Business plans are also designed for lots of employees to share inclusions.

They also often have better access to support , because the consequences of a business phone being down are much harsher than that of a personal phone.

• Keep in mind: SME's and larger enterprises reap the most rewards with a business mobile plan. Business phone plans won't really benefit sole traders (depending on how you handle tax).

Depending on the size of your business, a mobile plan specifically designed for work may or may not benefit your organisation.

• Designed specifically for business. Many also allow you to tailor the plans specifically to suit your business needs. For example, if you need international call inclusions to keep in touch with international clients, or have multiple employees who can share a data pool.
• Lots of options available. Businesses come in so many different flavours – a cheese factory and game development studio would have vastly different calling and data needs, so providers have plenty of options to make sure you get the right plan.
• Extra value. Because most businesses are signing up for a bunch of mobile plans at once, providers will often kick in extra perks like international call inclusions, or discounts.
• Cost and contracts. These plans tend to be more expensive than regular mobile plans and often have long contracts. Think carefully about whether a business plan or a regular account with multiple personal plans is better for you.

Note for sole traders:

You don't need to have a business phone plan to be able to claim your phone on tax . You can claim the portion you use for business on a regular, personal phone plan. This will be the most cost-effective choice for most sole traders who only have 1 phone.

There are a lot of options in the business mobile world, and your needs will be different from other businesses. Here are some things to consider besides the cost of your plan.

Business support

This is the main thing business plans offer over personal ones. If this is something that's important to you, make sure you're being offered tech support and personalised service in the way you prefer.

Network coverage

Telstra covers the most places in Australia, so if your business will take your employees out into rural and regional areas, a plan on the Telstra network may be worth the extra dollars it costs.

Flexibility

What you need this quarter might not be the same as what you need next quarter. In many businesses, being able to reduce costs quickly can be vital. While all providers will let you add plans and upgrade to more expensive ones with more inclusions, make sure the one you choose will also let you move down to a cheaper plan and even remove plans in case of tough times.

Do you already have devices you can give to your employees? The major providers will often have device bundles available to sign up to which can be convenient, but could you get a better discount on bulk phones elsewhere?

How much data do you really need? Consider whether a large data pool shared amongst employees is a good option, or if you'd rather each employee has their own set amount of data each month.

As each business is so wildly different from the next, it's impossible to pick a mobile plan that will best suit every business.

Many businesses may prefer to sign up to a larger, more established provider, but that's not to say you won't get excellent service and cheaper prices from smaller providers too.

We've broken down the main offerings from the 3 largest business mobile providers in Australia to give you a taste of what's on offer.

Telstra's business phone plans operate in the same sizes as its general consumer plans, with Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large plans. All include:

• Data, from 40GB–180GB
• Data sharing between plans on the 1 account
• Unlimited standard national calls and texts
• Medium and above plans include the 5G network
• No excess data charges in Australia
• The option to add a phone to each plan for an added monthly cost spread over 24–36 months
• Good to know: To get the right mix of plans for your business, Telstra encourages you to book an appointment with one of the company's dedicated small business experts.

You can see Telstra's business plans here

• Compare Clear

Optus offers a huge range of plans to suit every kind of business with 1–300 plans able to be put on the same account and share data.

• Good to know: Companies that require 10+ SIMs are encouraged to talk to an account manager to tailor data allowances, monthly rates and device inclusions to suit their business.

Here are the details of the plans available to every business without negotiation:

• Plans start from $50 month-to-month or $47.50 on a 24-month plan or $45 on a 36-month plan – prices get cheaper the more SIMs you're after
• 50GB of data, which accumulates and pools with other phones on the same account
• Unlimited standard talk and text
• Unlimited international talk and text to selected countries
• Multiple service discount for total number of Business Mobile Plus services on the 1 plan, starting at 10% for 2, and up to 34% for 12+
• Option to add $10 roaming packs for business trips

For businesses that need 6+ plans with devices, there are Tech Fund plans. These plans include:

• Device credits from $300–$1,800, depending on the plan and length of contract
• Up to 10GB of included international roaming data each month
• Data ranging from 6GB–200GB (which is pooled)
• The option to blend different plans on the 1 account (such as cheaper plans with no roaming for local sales reps, and plans with 10GB roaming inclusions for regional managers)

You can see Optus business plans here

Vodafone offers the most affordable plans of the big 3 telcos, along with including some added features.

• Good to know: If your employees need to travel overseas, the $5 a day roaming add on will allow them to keep the same number without breaking the budget.

Vodafone has 3 types of business plans:

• Team plans. These allow data sharing between employees, and you can add a phone onto the individual plans. This is for when you have fewer than 10 services on the 1 account.
• SIM only Business Flex mobile plans. Best for teams of 10+, which includes the use of a personal account manager.
• Tech Fund Business Flex plans. These include credit towards buying handsets, as well as the use of a personal account manager.

You can see Vodafone's business plans here

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Best Optus mobile plans (August 2023)

We give our independent recommendations on the best phone plans across the network

1. Best Telstra mobile plans 2. Best Vodafone mobile plans

Optus is the second-largest telco in Australia, and it sits between Telstra and Vodafone in terms of cost. Optus strikes a nice balance between data, cost and coverage, and we’re hoping it stays that way. Its main competitor Telstra increased the cost of its mobile plans in July 2023, so we’ll be watching closely to see if Optus decides to follow suit.

While we wait to see if Optus hikes its prices for the second year in a row, the telco has been busy cutting a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite business. It’s revealed that it’s partnering with Starlink to bring mobile coverage to Australia’s mobile black spots, and it intends to reach nearly 100% of the country. The service is expected to launch in late 2024, so we’ve got a while yet before you can get better signal in remote parts of Australia.

If you’re considering signing up or upgrading your phone with Optus, we’ve laid out the best Optus mobile plans to suit different needs on this page, so no matter what you need, we’ve got you covered. Click the links below to skip ahead to our plan recommendations:

Jump to: •  Best SIM-only option – AU$49p/m for Optus Small plan •  Best overall phone + plan combos – AU$107.29p/m for iPhone 14 | AU$105.19p/m for Samsung Galaxy S23 •  Best cheap phone + plan combos – AU$78.94p/m for iPhone SE | AU$80.20p/m for Google Pixel 7a •  Best premium phone + plan combos – AU$121.87p/m for iPhone 14 Pro | AU$130.18p/m for Samsung S23 Ultra

Noteworthy Optus deals

We’re running through our picks for the best Optus phone plans below, but before we get to that, the telco has a few sweet deals you should know about:

• Get a free Galaxy Watch 5 Pro when you buy any Samsung Galaxy S23 phone + stay connected to an Optus mobile plan and watch plan
• Save AU$360 on the Samsung Galaxy A54 when you stay connected to Optus over 24 or 36 months

Best Optus mobile plans: our picks

Best sim-only option.

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Optus Small plan | 30GB data | AU$49p/m

If you already have a phone, and you’re not keen on starting up a new phone contract, then a SIM-only plan is a great alternative. The Small plan from Optus comes with 30GB of data, unlimited talk and text to standard numbers in Australia and 5G network access. When you hit your data cap, you can still browse without facing any excess data charges, your speed will just slow to 1.5Mbps instead. You can also cancel anytime without facing a fee.

Total minimum cost is AU$49

Best overall phone + plan combos

Best overall iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone 14 (128GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$107.29p/m

We should note that Vodafone’s iPhone 14 plans are cheaper, but if you want to go with Optus, we’d recommend the AU$49 Small plan . It’ll set you up with 30GB of data, and access to Optus’ 5G network is included as standard. All told, you’ll pay AU$107.29 a month for this Apple flagship with Optus.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,574.96

Best overall Android + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy S23 (128GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$105.19p/m

The Samsung Galaxy S23 gives you lots of power at a reasonable price, and if you sign up with Optus, we think the AU$49 Small plan will suit most users. It comes with 30GB of data and 5G access, and with phone repayments thrown in, your monthly bill will be AU$105.19. If you sign up before July 26 you’ll be eligible to receive a bonus Galaxy Watch 5, but you’ll need to stay connected to a watch plan for 24 months.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,524.56

Best cheap phone + plan combos

Best cheap iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone SE 2022 (64GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$78.94p/m

If you’re keen on Apple’s most affordable handset, we recommend pairing it with Optus’ cheapest plan, the AU$49 Small plan on a 24-month contract. It gets you 30GB of data each month, and if you keep your phone connected to Wi-Fi networks throughout the day, we think that’s enough data for most people. It’ll set you back AU$78.94 each billing.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$1,894.56

Best cheap Android phone + plan combo: our pick

Google Pixel 7a (128GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$80.20p/m

The Google Pixel 7a is a good choice if you want an affordable phone with clever photo-taking abilities. The Pixel 7a will set you back AU$749, and if you want a cheap plan from Optus to go with it, we suggest pairing it with the AU$49 Small plan . That’ll get you 30GB of data each month, and on a 24-month contract, you’ll pay AU$80.20 each billing.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$1,924.80

Best premium phone + plan combos

Best premium iPhone + plan combo: our pick

iPhone 14 Pro (128GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$121.87p/m

The iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max are Apple’s most premium devices, and the one you choose will mostly come down to size and price. We’re going with the 14 Pro here, and pairing it with Optus’ AU$49 Small plan on a 24-month contract. That’ll set you up with 30GB of data, unlimited talk and text to standard numbers and access to an expanding 5G network.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$2,924.88

Best premium Android + plan combo: our pick

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (256GB) | 30GB data | 24 months | AU$130.18p/m

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best of the best from Samsung. We recommend pairing it with the provider’s AU$49 Small plan to set yourself up with 30GB of data each month and 5G network access. If you pick up this device from Optus before July 26, you’ll be eligible for a free Galaxy Watch 5, but you’ll need to stay connected to an Optus watch plan for 24 months.

Total cost over 24 months is AU$3,124.32

• Looking for something cheaper, or have your own phone? Check out the best-value SIM-only plans

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Jasmine Gearie is an ecommerce editor at TechRadar Australia, with a primary focus on helping readers cut through the jargon to find the best mobile and internet plans for their needs. She crunches the numbers to maintain dedicated guides to the latest phones, NBN and broadband plans of all types, and covers the important telco industry news. She also hunts down tech deals on laptops, phones, gaming consoles and more, so readers know where to buy the products they want for the cheapest prices.

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Business vs personal mobile plans

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Building a modern workplace for a remote workforce

Sweating in spring office air isn't helping, five minimum features needed in your choice of a business laptop, venom blackbook zero 15 phantom, do business plans offer any benefits for small businesses we compare mobile plans from major providers..

Have you ever wondered how ‘business’ mobile plans differ from ‘personal’ plans? 

Well, quite often for small businesses, the only significant difference is the name, according to our research.

We compared a number of business plans with equivalent consumer plans, and found some curious anomalies. In a couple of cases, for example, the fine print for ‘business’ mobile plans indicated they could only be used for personal use.

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At Optus, its $40 consumer plan provides unlimited standard national calls, unlimited SMS and MMS within Australia and to certain countries, and up to 300 voice minutes to those selected countries. Plus 7GB of data. 

And the $40 business plan? As far as we can see, the inclusions and terms are pretty much the same. The consumer plan rules out ‘non-ordinary’ or ‘commercial purpose use’ but bizarrely the critical information summary for the business plan makes the same exclusion.

So we turned to the Optus Fair Go policy for clarification.

“If you are a residential customer our services are for your personal use only,” the policy said.

“If you are a business customer, including a small to medium business customer, our services are for your use in the ordinary course of business.

“You may not use the service in a manner which is ‘unreasonable’ or ‘unacceptable’.”

That seems to mean that you aren't allowed to make or take business calls on a personal plan, or personal calls (“should I buy some milk on the way home?”) on a business plan.

An Optus spokesperson explained: “Our consumer plans are designed for personal use while our business plans are for use in the ordinary course of business plus some personal use where needed.

“We understand there will be certain circumstances where a customer needs to use their service outside its primary intended purpose. In these cases, we offer a level of flexibility for customers to make a judgement on what is reasonable and acceptable use of their service based on their contract.”

So the good news is that the way most of us use one plan for business and personal purposes is acceptable, providing the selected plan reflects the main use.

It might not be obvious from the everyday use of the terms, but Optus (and probably other carriers) distinguishes between ‘business’ and ‘commercial’ use. The company confirmed that ‘commercial use' refers to levels of voice or data use normally seen only in call centres, or to mobile data used to access enterprise-style services rather than those associated with micro to medium businesses.

And although the inclusions and price may be the same for consumer and business plans, “Our SMB plans offer a number of benefits for business customers including billing made out to your registered ABN for tax purposes, access to business specialists in over 120 of our retail stores, premium support from our dedicated SMB team when you bundle two or more services, and invitations to exclusive business events,” said the Optus spokesperson.

The Optus Fair Go policy does goes on to give several examples of unreasonable use, most of which seem quite reasonable, such as not allowing automatic diallers, resale and bulk messaging. But the prohibition on using a ‘mobile voice’ SIM card in a non ‘mobile voice’ device seems odd. What difference does it make to the carrier whether you tether a tablet to the phone or temporarily move the SIM from a phone to a tablet?

The reason, according to the Optus spokesperson, is that requiring separate SIMs “allows us to optimise their service for the device, the network and billing purposes”. Optus does allow data pooling between plans, but you’re up for at least $10 a month per additional device, though that does include 1GB of shareable data.

Over at Vodafone, it’s pretty much the same situation when it comes to distinctions between personal and business customers.

The $60 personal plan provides unlimited standard national calls, unlimited standard national and overseas SMSes, 120 standard international minutes to selected countries and 6GB of data (a special offer running at the time of writing boosts that to 12GB).

The $60 business plan has the same inclusions.

But the personal plan is for “personal use by approved customers only” while the business plan is for “personal use by approved customers with an ABN/ACN only”.

We asked Vodafone to explain how a business plan can be for personal use only, but received no reply more than a week later. The only interpretations we can suggest are either that it essentially the same as Optus's business/commercial dichotomy but using different words, or that you can’t use that plan on a phone that’s used by more than one person (for example, the phone carried by whichever member of a team is on call over a particular weekend).

Telstra's personal and business plans are slightly different. For example, $50 a month gets personal customers ‘$1000 worth of calls’, unlimited SMS and 2.5GB of data, while business customers pay $55 for ‘$1200 worth of calls’, unlimited SMS and 5GB of data.

Bear in mind Telstra’s call values are calculated on what we consider to be an inflated tariff of $1 per minute. By comparison, even a $19 Virgin Mobile prepaid recharge can have a rate as low as 15c per minute.

A Telstra spokesperson* said that customers must have an ACN or ABN to qualify for a business plan, but business customers can opt for consumer plans if they consider the price and inclusions are a better fit.

"For example, we provide our small business customers with more voice value, because we know they make calls more frequently than our consumer customers," the spokesperson said, adding that the business plans also allow for free calls between mobiles on the same account.

Other benefits of the Go Business Mobile plans include a free data SIM for use with a tablet or dongle, with both devices sharing the same pot of data, and the ability to put cloud services such as Office 365, Symantec Endpoint Protection and Deputy rostering and workforce management onto the same bill.

Data sharing across multiple services is available on Telstra's consumer and business plans.

Mobile virtual network operators – the companies that provide mobile services based on third-party networks such as Telstra, Optus or Vodafone – generally make a clear distinction between personal and business usage.

For example, the conditions for amaysim's Unlimited plans flatly state they are “available to individual customers only (not companies or businesses), who use their mobile phone for personal use only. If we determine that you are using Unlimited 3GB other than for personal use or if we determine that you are using the Plan in a way that does or may, in our opinion, adversely affect the network, we reserve the right (at our option) to transfer you to the amaysim As You Go Plan, or to immediately suspend or cancel your access to the Service”.

We asked amaysim what it considers ‘personal use’ to be, and its compliance and service operations manager Chad Heininger responded: “We see personal use as individuals using their amaysim service primarily for private use in a way not connected with carrying out a business activity. As per our Fair Go Policy, our customers are unable to use our service for ‘business purposes’ as this falls outside of personal use. We aren’t specific about what constitutes as business use, because we trust our customers to use their judgment and play by the rules. For example, we would not expect our customers to use our service to support a large business or organisation as this clearly would be for ‘business purposes’. We also expect our customers to use our service in a reasonable and acceptable manner.”

It sounds to us that there's a certain amount of wriggle room – if your small-business ‘business use’ is similar to that of a personal customer in terms of the number of calls and texts, how would Amaysim tell the difference, and why would it be bothered? That said, we're not encouraging anyone to breach the T&Cs.

While large organisations can receive volume pricing, the benefits of business plans for small businesses are hard to quantify. In fact, the differences between many personal and business plans in terms of inclusions and costs are so insignificant that we can’t help feeling that the distinction is mostly arbitrary.

However, that also means there’s rarely any downside to opting for a business plan rather than the corresponding personal version.

So if a phone is going to be used primarily for business purposes, you might as well opt for a business plan and be fully compliant with the plan’s terms and conditions. It’s likely to cost much the same – and it reduces the admittedly slight risk that your service will be terminated because you went outside the T&Cs. 

* Note: This article was updated on 21 April 2016 due to Telstra responding to our request for more information after the article's publication.

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