Telstra Plus is the telco's Frequent Flyer-style reward program. You earn points based on your monthly spending and once you accumulate enough you can redeem them for a shiny new gadget or a discount off a pricier but even shinier and newer gadget.
It might sound simple but there are a lot of details you should be aware of. Here's everything you need to know about Telstra Plus.
How do I join Telstra Plus?
Telstra Plus is an opt-in program so even if you're already a Telstra customer, whether you have a mobile or NBN plan, you'll need to manually register to start earning and redeeming points. Joining is easy, you simply need to:
- Be over 18
- Have an active Telstra business or personal service. This can be a postpaid mobile plan, a prepaid mobile plan, a mobile broadband plan, or fixed-line internet plan
- Have a Telstra ID. If you don't have one, you can register for a Telstra ID here
Once you're ready, you'll need to use your Telstra ID to sign in to telstra.com/plus or the My Telstra app on iOS or Android. Click on the Join Telstra Plus button and then follow the instructions.
If you're not a Telstra customer, here's a selection of eligible Telstra NBN plans to get you started:
|
Telstra
Upfront Internet Plan Basic
$89/mth
Min. cost $89
Link not supplied
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And here's a range of eligible Telstra SIM-only plans. These can also be paired with a new handset:
|
Telstra
$65 Basic Upfront SIM Plan
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
Link not supplied
|
Use the WhistleOut search engine to compare mobile deals from 28 providers.
How do I earn Telstra Plus points?
Under Telstra Plus, customers earn 10 points per dollar when they make an eligible payment on Telstra services. This includes postpaid mobile, prepaid mobile plans, mobile broadband, and fixed-line internet. However, outright purchases, credits, refunds, and late payments are excluded from eligible spending.
Telstra also distributes bonus points as part of promotions from time to time.
It's important to note Telstra Plus points expire three years after the month you earn them. For example, if you earned 1,000 Telstra points in March 2021, you have until March 2024 to spend those points.
You can check your points balance in the My Telstra app or under My Account on the Telstra website. Points may take approximately seven business days to appear.
If you leave Telstra, all of your Telstra Plus points will expire. If you don't want those points to go to waste, you can cash them in or transfer your points to any friend or family member who has a Telstra Plus membership before leaving. You'll need to contact Telstra directly to arrange a points transfer.
How do I spend Telstra Plus points?
Telstra Plus points are spent through the Telstra rewards store. The Telstra reward store has a catalogue of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, headphones, speakers, smart home accessories and more. In most cases, you can use a combination of points and cash to get a reward, but this excludes some cheaper items.
As a rule of thumb, the redemption value of an item in points is roughly equivalent to its outright price multiplied by 360. There's some variance but essentially to be able to buy an item with points you need to be spending its outright price with Telstra each month for 36 months consecutively.
For example, if you were hoping to buy a 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max solely with points, you'd need to have 691,000 points. This would mean you'd need to spend an average of $1,919 per month with Telstra across three years. However, Telstra does run promotional offers that can undercut this equation through bonus points.
Here is a selection of the rewards currently available in the Telstra Plus store:
- iPhone 14 Pro Max 128GB: 691,000 points
- iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB: 670,000 points
- iPhone 11 Pro Max 64GB: 320,000 points
- Samsung Galaxy S23+ 256GB: 595,000 points
- Google Pixel 7 128GB: 356,000 points
- Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation): 142,000 points
- Apple AirPods with Charging Case: 75,000 points
- Samsung Galaxy Buds+: 52,500 points
- Google Nest Mini: 26,500 points
- Apple HomePod mini: 53,000 points
- Cygnett Magnetic Charging Cable: 14,000 points
- TP-Link Smart WiFi Bulbs: 8,000 points
Most items on the Telstra Plus reward store are only available outright. That means if you're using a combination of points and your own cash to redeem it, you'll pay everything upfront. However, if you're picking up a smartphone or tablet, you can pay off the remaining balance via a 12- or 24-month repayment term.
Telstra Plus rewards can only be delivered to addresses within Australia, excluding PO Boxes, Rural Mail Boxes and Locked Bags.
At present, almost every Telstra Plus reward is hardware-based but you can also put your points toward new plans and prepaid plan starter kits. The one catch with opting for a new plan is that it has to be for a new connection - you can't just use it for yourself.
Telstra Plus membership tiers and perks
In addition to the points system, Telstra Plus has a tiered membership system based on your average monthly spend on Telstra plans across a year.
All Telstra Plus members have access to discounted movie and sports tickets and pre-sale ticket access for concerts and other major events.
Telstra Plus movie tickets start at $11.50 for standard child tickets and $13.50 for standard adult tickets, $32 for Gold Class Thursday tickets, $15.50 for 3D, $16.50 for V-Max and $13.50 for Moonlight Cinema tickets. A $3 surcharge applies after 5pm on Saturdays and public holidays. If you're located in NSW, QLD, WA, SA or NT you can redeem these at any Event Cinema. For VIC and TAS residents, you can redeem this discount at Village Cinemas.
Here's how Telstra Plus' membership tiers differ:
| Provider | Average Annual Spend | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Member | $0 - $1,499 | Earn 10 points for every $1 spent. Can redeem points via the Telstra Rewards Store. |
| Silver | $1,500 - $2,999 | Earn 10 points for every $1 spent. Can redeem points via the Telstra Rewards Store. Silver service when you message via the My Telstra app. |
| Gold | $3,000+ | Earn 10 points for every $1 spent. Can redeem points via the Telstra Rewards Store. VIP tech support when you message via the My Telstra app. |
| Business | For customers with an eligible business service. Excludes Enterprise and corporate customers. | Earn 10 points for every $1 spent. Can redeem points via the Telstra Rewards Store. |
Is Telstra Plus worth it?
The value of a Telstra Plus point seems to range somewhere between 0.3 cents and 1 cent, depending on the item you're after. Based on that, we'd say Telstra Plus is not deciding factor in choosing Telstra over any other telco. There's just not enough value.
At the same time, no other provider has a similar reward scheme right now. And yet it's certainly nice to have if you were thinking about a Telstra plan anyway. A free gadget is a free gadget, even it takes you a while to earn it. You also have to remember that while there are Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) using Telstra network coverage that don't have rewards programs, the savings on these Telstra network MVNO plans can greatly outweigh the perks of Telstra Plus.
If you are weighing up Telstra against other providers, here's how Telstra's SIM-only plans compare to a few other popular providers:
|
#1
|
Moose Mobile
Moose 26.80 SIM Only
$12.40/mth
Min. cost $12.40
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Belong
40GB Mobile Plan
$35/mth
Min. cost $35
|
|
#3
|
Vodafone
$49 Small SIM Only Plan
$39/mth
Min. cost $39
|
|
#4
|
Everyday Mobile
$40 SIM Only
$40/mth
Min. cost $40
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Optus
$55 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
|
|
#6
|
Telstra
$65 Basic Upfront SIM Plan
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
Link not supplied
|
And here's how Telstra's NBN 100 plans compare to other providers with typical evening speeds of 100Mbps:
|
#1
|
Southern Phone
nbn Fast
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
NBN Unlimited Premium 100
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
|
|
#3
|
Kogan Internet
Gold Unlimited
$65.90/mth
Min. cost $65.90
|
|
#4
|
Tangerine Telecom
Speedy NBN
$65.90/mth
Min. cost $65.90
|
|
#5
|
Exetel
Family nbn100/20
$65.99/mth
Min. cost $65.99
|
|
#6
|
amaysim
Unlimited nbn Fast As
$70/mth
Min. cost $70
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Dodo
nbn100 Unlimited Plan
$73.90/mth
Min. cost $73.90
|
|
#8
|
Superloop
Family nbn100/20
$75/mth
Min. cost $75
|
|
#9
|
Vodafone
Home Fast nbn®
$79/mth
Min. cost $79
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
iiNet
nbn Home Fast Liimitless
$79.99/mth
Min. cost $79.99
|
While many competitors may not have similar rewards programs, saving money on your monthly bill is money you can use to buy the tech on offer in the Telstra Plus rewards store anyway. Check out our monthly picks for the best SIM-only plans and our monthly picks for the best NBN plans for some serious savings.
Telstra Plus alternatives
At the time of writing, there aren't too many telcos offering a similar rewards program for earning and redeeming points, like Telstra Plus. But a few do offer some enticing perks for being a loyal customer.
Kogan Mobile is one of the closest reward-offering alternatives with its Qantas points deal. Customers can earn one Frequent Flyer point for every $2 spent with Kogan Mobile.
Alternatively, Woolworths Mobile offers customers 10% off their Woolies grocery shop every month. The catch here is you have to shop in-store and the discount can only be used to a maximum of $50 off the total shop price.
Here is how Telstra, Kogan Mobile, and Woolworths Mobile SIM-only plans compare:
|
#1
|
Everyday Mobile
$40 SIM Only
$40/mth
Min. cost $40
Link not supplied
|
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#2
|
Telstra
$65 Basic Upfront SIM Plan
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
Link not supplied
|
Telstra Plus FAQs
How do you earn Telstra points?
Telstra points are earned every time a customer makes a payment to Telstra. Ten points are earned for every dollar spent.
How do I redeem my Telstra rewards?
By signing into the Telstra Rewards Store you can redeem points on tech such as new phones, smart home accessories, mobile accessories, speakers, headphones and more.
You can also redeem rewards like movie vouchers or cash-in points for special offers like annual membership subscriptions to other services.
What can I use my Telstra points for?
Telstra points can either be used to outright purchase or score a discount on items such as mobile phones, wearables, tablets, iPads, laptops, headphones, earbuds, speakers, smart home appliances and more tech products.
How many Telstra points do you earn per dollar?
Telstra customers signed up for the Telstra Plus program will receive 10 points for every dollar they spend with the telcos.
What is the point of Telstra Plus?
Telstra Plus works similarly to Woolworths' Everyday rewards and Coles' FlyBuys programs. Customers are rewarded every time they spend and encourages them to stay loyal to a particular brand.
Do Telstra points expire?
Yes. Telstra points expire three years after they have been accumulated.
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