How can I check what's included in my plan?
It’s a good idea to find out what’s included in your plan and what services you might be paying extra for.
Check your plan costs:
For example, if photo messages aren’t included in your plan you'll be charged extra for sending them. To reduce these costs, you may need to try sending fewer photo messages or get an add-on.
How can I better understand my data usage?
If your phone connects to the internet over our network, you’ll be using data.
Things like normal browsing and email only use a small amount of data, others such as watching catch-up TV or videos on YouTube can use significantly more.
You can’t go over your data allowance. We’ll text you when you’ve used 80 per cent and again when it runs out – there are no hidden charges.
If you find you’re using more data than you expected, consider if this could be due to:
- streaming videos or music from Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, etc
- running apps in the background – for example, they may use data when they check for message updates, software updates, etc
- sending messages through messaging apps (e.g. WhatsApp, iMessage)
- using sat nav on your device
- playing games online (or if the games include adverts)
- tethering your phone to a laptop, tablet or other phone
- sending emails
- allowing apps to upload content
- switching automatically to your data when a WiFi connection drops
To give you an idea of how much data you'll need, here's a rough guide:
| Activity | Estimated data consumption |
|---|---|
| Web browsing | 1MB - 4MB per minute |
| Uploading photos | 1.5MB per photo (depending on image quality) |
| 1MB - 2MB per minute | |
| Maps navigation | 100KB - 200KB per minute |
| Gaming | 1.5MB upwards per minute |
| Music streaming | 1MB - 2MB per minute (standard sound quality) |
| Podcast streaming | 60MB - 100MB per hour |
| Skype / video call | 90MB - 1.4GB per hour (depending on quality) |
| YouTube / video streaming | 2MB - 3MB per minute |
| YouTube / video streaming in HD | 4MB - 6MB per minute |
Where 1MB = 1,024KB 1GB = 1,024MB
> Find out how to track your monthly usage or text services
You can also save your data allowance by switching off mobile data.
Can I set up a Spend Cap?
Yes, with Spend Cap you can limit usage outside of your monthly allowance.
Adding a Spend Cap to your account restricts usage of services, such as roaming and photo messaging, so you can stay in control of your bill.
Plus, if you're close to reaching your cap, we'll send you a text to let you know.
> Find out how to set up and manage your Spend Cap
Need more support?
For more information and support on money and debt management here are some of the organisations we recommend: