Circles.Life's mobile plans really bring a lot of bang for buck, which is why it won Finder's Best Postpaid Mobile Provider in 2023.
Regardless of what plan you choose, Circles.Life offers competitive dollar to data plans, as well as unlimited talk & text within Australia. But it does lack in the extras that some of the bigger providers offer.
Based on our review, Circles.Life might be right for you if you have a strong appetite for data and deals:
It has one of the most affordable big data mobile plans available in the market
It offers frequent promotional discounts and bonus offers
Your plan can be managed all from its mobile app
Circles might not be right for you if you're a frequent traveller or frequently make international calls:
Its pay-as-you-go call rates for international calls and roaming are quite expensive. We wouldn't recommend using your Circles.Life plan while overseas.
Our expert says
"I made the switch from contract phone plan 18 months ago and haven't looked back. Circles had a great intro offer, but the ongoing rate is also pretty cheap. They're on the Telstra network, so I've been able to get a great mix of good service but cheap rates. I find their app really easy to use, my only con would be the voicemail setup - which I found a bit inconsistent for the first few weeks."
Circle.Life offers strong value for money across it's plans.
It's 30GB, 50GB, 100GB and 160GB plans have an average value of $0.58 per GB, which is a whole heap of value compared to our benchmark of $1 per GB.
If you don't need a lot of data, its 5GB plan is very impressive. It easily outstrips most other entry-level plans, some of which offer the same amount of data for almost double the price.
Things to watch out for:
Auto payment is enabled by default when you purchase any plan with the provider. If you prefer manual billing you'll need to disable auto payment within the Circles.Life app.
While Circles.Life offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, you aren't eligible for it if you've used more than 5GB of data already.
Coverage
Circles.Life uses the full Optus 4G network, which is the second largest network in Australia.
It covers 98.5% of the population; this means you should have good coverage in metro areas
You get the exact same coverage as you would if you signed up directly with Optus
You might feel the gap between Optus's coverage compared to Telstra's 99.5% coverage in rural and regional areas
Does Circles.Life have 5G?
No, Circles.Life does not currently offer 5G on its mobile plans in Australia. Its plans in Singapore (where the company was founded) do offer 5G so it's likely this capability will be available in Australia sometime soon.
Customer service
You can reach out to Circles.Life for support any day of the week, including weekends. All of its channels are available between 8am–8pm weekdays and 8am–5pm weekends.
There are several ways to get in touch with Circles.Life including:
Start a live chat with support via the Circles.Life app or online.
Send an email to the Circles.Life customer support team. The provider says it will reply within 1 working day
Leave a voicemail on the Circles.Life toll-free number.
In addition to live chat functinality, the Circles.Life app is the place where you can manage your plan and purchase things like extra data add-ons and international call minutes.
Good to know: Circles.Life offers a free 5-hour delivery service if you live in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth. Daily cut-off times apply.
Customer satisfaction
We compared satisfaction ratings both on Finder and other reputable sites. As of 1 September 2023, the ratings are as follows:
Finder: 2.6/5 (23 reviews)
Product Review: 2.5/5 (899 reviews)
Trustpilot: 1.7/5 (107 reviews)
While Circles.Life's app itself is highly rated, it appears based on recent reviews that customers have experienced issues when they need support outside of the app.
😁 Customers are most happy about:
Price and data
Set-up including porting numbers
Delivery
😞 Customers are least happy about:
Customer support
That the provider doesn't offer international roaming
Keep in mind: These reviews are subject to users' experiences. Your personal views on the product may differ.
Bonus features
😊 30-day satisfaction guarantee
If you aren't happy with your Circles.Life plan, you could be eligible for a full refund within the first 30 days of your plan by calling the Circles customer care team and requesting a refund.
Keep in mind: You can't get a refund if you've used more than 5GB of data. For some users this means you'll want to decide very quickly (within a couple of days) if you're happy with the service.
🧑🤝🧑 Referral discount
Refer a friend and receive a $5/month bill waiver for 6 months when they activate their SIM card. Your friend will also receive a $10/month bill credit for 6 months.
This is one of the strongest discounts on the market.
🌍 International calls
Circles offers international calls and roaming on all its plans except for the 5GB plan. Calls are at an additional cost with the minute rate depending on which country you're calling.
📱 VoLTE / VoWIFI
Cirles also offers VoLTE allowing you to make voice calls via the LTE/4G mobile network. This can help if you're looking to stay on the internet while making a phone call. VoWIFI is handy if you're stuck in a place where you can't get a strong signal but have Wi-Fi. Not every telco offers this service. You will need to have a compatitable device to access the service.
💰 Price match promise
If you can find the same offer at a cheaper price, Circles.Life will match it and give you a $25 credit. T&Cs apply.
Which rivals are giving Circles.Life a run for its money?
There's no doubt that Circles.Life is value for money when it comes to the data it offers, but there are also some other appealing options if you're not sold on it.
For even more data:
Where Circles.Life offers up to 100GB monthly, Optus runs all the way up to 500GB, with plenty of bonus features. However, Optus is a more expensive provider.
For more choices:
Moose caps out at 70GB per month. It has far more data options and price points, letting you pick what's right for you.
For better coverage:
Boost Mobile is the only small provider that utilises the full Telstra 4G network which reaches 99.5% of Australians. It also offers 5G.
Ready to sign up to Circles.Life?
Getting started with Circles.Life takes just a few minutes. Head to its website to order now and get your SIM delivered for free within 5 hours in selected capital cities (cut-offs apply).
What if I want to keep my current phone number? When you sign up on the Circles.Life website, just select the option of keeping your current mobile number. Once you've got your SIM card you can use the link that Circles emails you to start the transfer. The rest should be handled within 4 hours max.
Circles.Life uses the Optus Plus 4G network which is the second largest network in Australia. Within metropolitan areas, you should have a reliable mobile signal. Performance may not be as good in regional areas.
Circles.Life is owned by Liberty Wireless Pte Ltd. and based in Singapore.
Circles.Life runs off the Optus 4G netowrk, which is the second largest network in Australia.
Circles.Life offers postpaid plans which means you'll pay at the end of the month. If you're currently on a prepaid plan you can still port your number to a Circles.Life postpaid plan.
Cameron Micallef was an investment and utilities writer for Finder. He previously worked on titles including Smart Property Investment, nestegg and Investor Daily, reporting across superannuation, property and investments. Cameron has a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies/ Commerce from the University of Wollongong. Outside of work Cameron is passionate about all things sports and travel. See full bio
Cameron's expertise
Cameron has written 163 Finder guides across topics including:
There are just 3 mobile networks in Australia but over 50 phone companies to choose from. The choice can be overwhelming so we’ve made it easier by rounding up the 10 mobile service providers on Finder instead.
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