Best-rated Prepaid Mobile

Compare Mobile Prepaid Plan providers in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Skinny, Warehouse Mobile, 2degrees, One NZ and Spark were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Accessibility of the Provider, Billing, Customer Service, Network Coverage and Value for Money.

See Our Ratings Methodology

Most Satisfied Customers | Skinny

Once again the nation’s phone users have spoken, rating Skinny the No.1 choice for prepaid mobile.

How we rate prepaid mobile providers

Our review compares prepaid providers on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared prepaid providers before you sign on with one of them. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest mates which prepaid provider they think is best!


Canstar Blue surveyed 1728 Kiwis who have an account with a prepaid mobile provider and asked for their feedback on their mobile provider.

  • The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.

Respondents rate their satisfaction with their prepaid providers from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:

  • Overall Satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with a prepaid provider as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
  • Accessibility of the Provider: it’s easy to contact the provider to make a query or for help, either online, in person, in-store, or over the phone.
  • Billing: the billing provides accurate details of phone usage and costs, so it’s easy to work out if you are on the correct plan for your phone/data needs.
  • Customer Service: the customer service provided by the mobile provider is helpful, prompt and of a high standard.
  • Network Coverage: the mobile phone provider’s network offers good access to 4G signals in both urban and rural locations, and is making progress expanding its 5G coverage.
  • Value for Money: the provider’s plans offer great value for money when comparing services and extras with price.

The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.

  • Overall Satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
  • When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the Overall Satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
    • The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

  • Skinny
  • Warehouse Mobile
  • 2degrees
  • One NZ
  • Spark


Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.

Best prepaid mobile providers in New Zealand

  1. Skinny
  2. Warehouse Mobile
  3. 2degrees
  4. One NZ
  5. Spark

Skinny mobile phone

Skinny

Ratings Results

Congratulations to Skinny for once again winning Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers | Mobile Prepaid Plans Award. The award has been running since 2015, and Skinny has won it every year.

This year the telco brand achieves another great set of ratings from its customers. It earns a top 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction, and further 5 Stars for Billing and Value for Money. Notably, it’s the only prepaid mobile provider to earn 5-Stars in the value category.

Editor’s Notes

Skinny Mobile is a division of Spark that runs over Spark’s 4G and 5G networks. But instead of offering all the extras that Spark bundles with its plans, like free and half-price Spotify, Skinny just concentrates on the basics – calls, texts and data – at a reduced price.

Skinny offers the following great-value prepaid plans. It also offers similar weekly plans, although they work out slightly more expensive:

Prepaid (four-weekly)*

$9 Plan:

  • Features: 100 Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ & OZ – 250MB Data
  • Extras: N/A

$17 Plan:

  • Features: 200 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ & OZ – 1.5GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Unlimited minutes to other Skinny mobiles

$27 Plan:

  • Features: 300 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ & OZ – 3GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Unlimited minutes to other Skinny mobiles

$40 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ ­– Endless Data (speeds reduce after 5GB)
  • Extras: Hotspotting

$50 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ ­– Endless Data (speeds reduce after 15GB)
  • Extras: Hotspotting

$70 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ ­– Endless Data (speeds reduce after 40GB)
  • Extras: Hotspotting

warehouse mobile logo new

Warehouse Mobile

Ratings Results

Second in this year’s ratings, Warehouse Mobile scores a strong set of ratings from Kiwi consumers. But while it earns strong 4-Star ratings for Overall Satisfaction, Value for Money and Billing, it’s rated less highly for the personal service it provides, earning 3-Star ratings for Customer Service and Accessibility of Provider.

Editor’s Notes

Warehouse mobile offers a range of five easy-on-the-pocket prepaid mobile plans. The ability to call beyond NZ and Australia makes it a great option for those looking to stay in touch with family and friends overseas:

Prepay (four-weekly)*

$9 Combo:

  • Features: 100 Minutes & Unlimited Texts to NZ & OZ (and 13 other destinations*) – 300MB rollover Data
  • Extras: Voicemail, free calls to other Warehouse Mobile numbers

$15 Combo:

  • Features: 200 Minutes & Unlimited Texts to NZ & OZ (and 13 other destinations*) – 1.25GB rollover Data
  • Extras: Voicemail, free calls to other Warehouse Mobile numbers

$25 Combo:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ (and 13 other destinations*) – 3GB rollover Data
  • Extras: Voicemail, free calls to other Warehouse Mobile numbers

$35 Combo:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ (and 13 other destinations*) – 6GB rollover Data
  • Extras: Voicemail, free calls to other Warehouse Mobile numbers

$45 Combo:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ (and 13 other destinations*) – 15GB rollover Data
  • Extras: Voicemail, free calls to other Warehouse Mobile numbers

*Other destinations include standard landline or mobile numbers in: NZ, Australia, China, England, Scotland, Wales, the US, India, Canada, Germany, Israel, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. Exclusions apply including Alaska and Hawaii.


2degrees logo

2degrees

Ratings Results

2degrees’ customers are clearly very happy with the products and service that their prepaid provider offers, awarding the telco a mix of top 4- and 5-Star ratings. 2degrees earns its highest praise for its Customer Service and Accesibility, in addition to a consistent set of 4-Star ratings across all other categories, including Overall Satisfaction.

Editor’s Notes

2degrees offers six prepaid monthly plans, plus three two-week plans. And each comes with a great perk: a free hour of data each day to use at a time that suits your data needs:

Prepaid (calendar month)*

$10 Plan

  • Features: 100 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ – 250MB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data

$19 Plan

  • Features: 200 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ – 1.5GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data, 7.5GB of free Rollover Data on join-up

$30 Plan:

  • Features: 300 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ – 3GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data, 7.5GB of free Rollover Data on join-up

$45 Plan

  • Features: Unlimited calls & texts to NZ and OZ –8MB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data, 7.5GB of free Rollover Data on join-up

$60 Plan

  • Features: Unlimited calls & texts to NZ and OZ – 15GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data, 7.5GB of free Rollover Data on join-up

$85 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited calls & texts to NZ and OZ – Endless capped at 120GB max speed
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data, 7.5GB of free Rollover Data on join-up

Prepaid (fortnightly: 14 days)*

$10 Plan

  • Features: 100 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ – 650MB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data

$15 Plan

  • Features: 150 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ – 1.25GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data

$20 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited calls & texts to NZ and OZ – 2GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Daily free hour of data

NB: All plans offer unlimited calls to other 2degrees mobiles, hotspotting, free voicemail and are 5G ready


One NZ

Ratings Results

One of NZ’s biggest telcos, and the operator of its own network, One NZ scores a strong set of results across all categories: a clean sweep of 3-Star ratings. While not a top rating, 3 Stars still indicate that One NZ’s customers are content with their choice of telco.

Editor’s Notes

One NZ’s MyFlex prepay plans allow you to customise your text, minutes, and data allocations. The plans below are default suggestions, provided by One NZ, but they can all be customised to better suit your needs. However, note that changing the mix of text/talk and data can alter pricing.

For example, reducing the text allowance on the $15 plan to 100 texts, while increasing the data allowance to 1.25GB changes the price to $17.

Prepay (four-weekly)*

$15 Plan:

  • Features: 100 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts to NZ & OZ – 1GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Data Up (up to 100% free data if your plan renews regularly)

$20 Plan:

  • Features: 200 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts to NZ & OZ – 1.5GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Data Up

$30 Plan:

  • Features: 300 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts to NZ & OZ – 3GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Data Up

$40 Plan:

  • Features: 100 Rollover Minutes & 100 Texts to NZ & OZ – 8GB Rollover Data
  • Extras: Data Up

spark_logo

Spark

Ratings Results

Spark, too, scores a consistent set of ratings: 3 Stars across all categories. That both Spark, and One NZ, score less highly in our ratings than brands that piggy back on their networks (see below) or, in the case of Skinny, are sister brands, is indicative of consumer perceptions around the idea of value.

Because Spark is a premium brand, consumers expect it to deliver a higher level of service and product quality than a no-frills provider, which affects how they award their satisfaction ratings.

Editor’s Notes

Spark offers four prepaid plans. All come with the offer of half-price Spotify Premium, worth $7.50 per month. Socialiser data is for use on Facebook, Messenger, Twitter and Spotify apps only.

Prepay (four-weekly)*

$20 Plan:

  • Features: 200 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ – 1.25GB Rollover data
  • Extras: Hotspotting, half-price Spotify Premium, Data Stack

$30 Plan:

  • Features: 300 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ – 2GB Rollover + 2GB Socialiser Data
  • Extras: Hotspotting, half-price Spotify Premium, Data Stack

$50 Plan:

  • Features: 500 Rollover Minutes & Unlimited Texts in NZ – 4GB Rollover + 2GB Socialiser Data
  • Extras: Hotspotting, half-price Spotify Premium, Data Stack

$80 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited calls & texts to NZ and OZ – Endless capped at 40GB max speed
  • Extras: Hotspotting, half-price Spotify Premium, Data Stack

* All prices correct as of 01/06/2023. For further details, visit individual providers’ websites.

Other prepaid mobile providers

Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here’s another prepaid provider to check out before making a purchase decision.

  • Kogan mobile

Kogan Mobile

Editor’s Notes

Kogan was founded by entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan 25 years ago in Australia as an online own-brand electrical goods retailer. Since then it’s grown into a huge company, selling a wide range of products on its NZ and OZ websites.

Recently, here in Aotearoa, it snapped up home-grown retailer MightyApe.co.nz. However, despite its size, the Kogan Mobile brand is still a small player in the market. But it’s deserving of greater attention, because if you’re after a cheap, no-frills phone deal, Kogan Mobile’s pre-paid deals are some of the cheapest around.

Prepay (30-day period)

Kogan offers a discount if you pay for a 12-month plan upfront, as shown:

$15 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ – 1.5GB Data
  • $160 per year ($13.15 per 30 days)

$25 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ – 4GB Data
  • $250 per year ($20.55 per 30 days)

$35 Plan:

  • Features: Unlimited Calls & Texts to NZ & OZ – 15GB Data
  • $330 per year ($27.12 per 30 days)

Choosing the Right Prepaid Provider

As with all utilities – mobile, internet, power, electricity – they only really come in one flavour: electricity is electricity, gas is gas, and access to a mobile service is pretty much the same whatever provider you use.

The only differences come down to the price and the associated packing of the phone products, for example value-added extras and customer service.

So it’s not surprising to see that for the overwhelming majority of phone users in our survey (38%), satisfaction with their provider comes down to one thing: Value for Money.

Network Coverage is also important, rating slightly higher than Customer Service at 22%. This is interesting, because up until the roll-out of 5G, all three mobile phone networks in NZ were pretty consistent at delivering reliable coverage to around 98% of Kiwis. However, now that 5G is proliferating, big differences in ultrafast network coverage are appearing, as all three networks update to the latest 5G tech.

Here’s the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey say are the main things they consider when rating their prepaid providers.

  • Value for Money: 38%
  • Network Coverage: 22%
  • Customer Service 20%
  • Accessibility of Provider: 10%
  • Billing: 10%

What mobile networks are there in NZ?

There are three main mobile networks in the country, which were built by 2degrees, Spark and One NZ (formerly Vodafone). Although both 2degrees and Spark sold off their tower assets recently, they still use the networks they built.

In major centres, there’s very little difference between the three networks. However, in rural and remote areas coverage can vary dramatically. And then there’s 5G, which is more limited in its reach, even in major centres.

Here a rundown of the networks and which other providers use them:

Spark: used by Skinny

Network reaches 97.5% of New Zealanders (with 4G at around 97%). Spark’s network coverage map can be found here.

One NZ: used by Kogan Mobile

Network covers over 98.5% of the population (with 4G at over 96%). One NZ’s network coverage map can be found here.

2degrees: used by Warehouse Mobile

Network covers 98.5% of the places New Zealanders live and work (with 4G at over 96%). 2degrees’ network coverage map can be found here.

Related article: Which Provider Has the Best Mobile Coverage?

Prepay billing cycles

But other providers have different billing periods:

  • SparkSkinny, One NZ and Warehouse Mobile’s prepaid packs: 28 days
  • Kogan‘s packs: 30 days

If you do the math, you can see different levels of value: 28 (days) x 12 (months)= 336. But there are 365 days in a year, meaning on SparkSkinny, One NZ and Warehouse Mobile‘s prepaid plans, you’ll need to buy an extra pack to cover those missing 29 days.

However, Kogan‘s packs renew every 30 days (30 x 12 = 360) so you’re only losing five days each year.

Prepaid vs postpaid mobile plans: what’s the difference?

Prepaid

Prepaid plans are phone plans that require you to prepay for the telco service: i.e. you pay in advance for phone services to use within a set time period. Once that expiry period is over, you need to recharge your plan in order to continue your service. If you use up some of your data/text/talk allocations before the expiry period, you will need to either recharge your plan, wait until your next recharge (and not have certain services until then) or purchase an add-on for an additional cost, such as extra data, if applicable.

Postpaid

Postpaid plans differ in that you pay after using your phone plan allocations. Typically, you receive a monthly bill from your telco, usually on the same date, that you have to pay by a certain date. If you have used more than your plan’s inclusions, you might incur additional charges on your bill.

The main advantage of a postpaid plan is that you’ll never be left unable to make a call, send a text message, or use mobile data to chat online. If a prepaid plan expires, you need to spend extra money immediately to get your service back up and running. However, postpaid plans allow you to keep using your service, and simply settle the bill later.

The main disadvantage of postpaid phone plans is the potential to blow out your budget if you’re not careful. Make sure that you know exactly what you will need to pay for going over your plan’s inclusions, keep an eye on your data use, and make sure that exceeding your monthly allowance doesn’t become a habit. If it does, you could be better off upgrading your plan, rather than paying extra in excess charges.

Prepaid vs postpaid mobile plans

The safety net of being able to make calls whenever you need to means that postpaid phone plans are probably a good idea for those who use their phone a lot.

If keeping close tabs on your spending is important to you, then prepaid may be the wise alternative. But when it comes to ease of use and maximum bang for your buck, it’s hard to look past postpaid plans.

About the editor of this page

This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.

More Information

Key statistics

Always have phone within reach: 66%

Use apps to communicate with others, rather than traditional calls and texts: 64%

No longer have a landline: 55%

Access internet mainly through phone: 50%

Use phone for directions while driving: 47%

Use phone to arrange everyday finances: 46%

Listen to voice messages: 43%

Keep track of plan usage to get value for money: 29%

Regularly use a card loaded onto phone to make contactless payments: 18%

Have switched mobile providers to get better value for money: 16%

Data cap is the major consideration when choosing phone plan: 16%

Have unlimited data: 15%

However, if this isn’t an option for you to do yourself through your account, or if you have automatic recharge enabled, you’ll need to get in touch with your provider to discuss your options for switching to a different plan.

For anyone looking to switch from one prepaid telco to another telco, you’ll need to cancel your current plan and sign up to a new plan with your new provider. If you want to keep your mobile phone number, you’ll need to port your number to your new provider. While your new provider will do the work for you, you need to make sure that you sign up to your new phone plan first, and don’t cancel your current plan until your number has been ported.

If you want to switch to a prepaid plan from a postpaid plan or other plan type, you’ll need to follow the same steps as you would switching from one prepaid provider to another. Decide if you want to keep your current mobile number, and then take the necessary steps for porting your number and switching telcos.

Signing up to a prepaid plan can be super simple, especially if you’re using the new phone number provided. You can even buy a SIM card in supermarkets and simply follow the steps to activate your prepaid SIM yourself.

In the case of prepaid plans with automatic recharge, you may need to get in touch with your telco to request your plan be cancelled and the automatic recharge disabled. If you’re unsure how to go about cancelling your plan, it’s best to get in touch with your telco to learn of your options.

If you want a new phone with your prepaid plan, you’ll need to buy your phone outright, as prepaid typically doesn’t include a phone that you pay off in instalments. If you’re looking for a phone on a plan, you’ll usually need to sign up to a postpaid phone plan for this option.

The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Prepaid Mobile ratings:

  • 2022: Skinny
  • 2021: Skinny
  • 2020: Skinny
  • 2019: Skinny
  • 2018: Skinny
  • 2017: Skinny
  • 2016: Skinny
  • 2015: Skinny

Canstar Blue surveyed 5046 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who have a prepaid mobile account. In this case, 1728 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.

Latest Phone & Internet articles

What are the Changes to Xtra Mail?

What are the new costs?
Until recently, Xtra Mail was free for Spark broadband customers, and $5.95/month for everyone else. However, from May 16, the cost of Xtra Mail will be increasing.

Spark broadband, mobile or landline …

– Read more
kids on smartphones

Best Phone Plans for Kids

Getting their sticky little fingers on their first mobile phone is a right of passage for kids. For them, it’s a sign of their growing independence. And for Mum and Dad, it affords peace of …

– Read more
Top streaming shows NZ

Netflix to Neon: Top Streaming Shows in NZ

Streaming TV services have taken over. Where once Netflix stood alone, countless more have joined. Apple TV+, Disney+, Neon, Prime Video, and even TVNZ+ have all become strong competitors, fighting for a share of our …

– Read more

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Another Ultra Performance

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: quick summary
It’s not secret that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the most expensive phones on the market. So it’s safe to say that you’d expect pretty much …

– Read more

How to Watch Formula 1 in NZ

Where to watch Formula 1
There are two main options for streaming Formula 1 races, which are:

Sky Sport Now
F1 TV Pro

Sky Sport Now
Sky customers have access to all 24 races and can be watched …

– Read more