RESIDENTIAL Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, all end-users by default have been automatically opted-in for this filter.
To opt-out of the blocking action, you must send an SMS message “FILTER OFF” to the number 0438214682
There is a risk that non-scam messages will be blocked and also that scam messages may not be correctly blocked. Please note that our upstream provider accept no liability where an SMS message that is a scam is not blocked.
Telstra’s SMS Filter capability:
i. May inspect the content and metadata of SMS messages which are intended to be received by the end user, including text, time, sender, number of messages sent, and recipient (“SMS content”);
ii. May use the SMS content to detect if an SMS message is scam; and
iii. Where an SMS message is identified as scam, may block that message before it reaches the intended recipient’s mobile phone (and any blocked messages will not be retrievable).
The filter involves network systems scanning the SMS messages and if and when a message is identified as being a scam, the message will then be blocked by the network. The result is that the message would not be sent to the you and would not be retrievable.
In effort to combat the rising number of scams targeted at consumers via SMS, Telstra have turned on a brand-new feature to find and block SMS scam messages with suspicious links as they travel across the Telstra Mobile Network, to stop many of them before they reach your mobile device.
This involves deploying capabilities to detect and block SMS messages identified as scam and stopping
the message before they reach the end user. This will reduce the volume of scam messages that are sent to those on the Telstra Mobile Network using SMS.
Yes, you can opt-out of this filter any time. To opt-out of the blocking action, the you must send an SMS message “FILTER OFF” to the number 0438 214 682
Short Messaging Service (SMS) technology is being used by criminal actors to deliver attempts to scam Australians. This filter is in place to protect you from scam messages with the use of capabilities that will block scam messages before it reaches you.
If an SMS has been blocked, this means that the intended recipient will not receive the SMS and the blocked message cannot be retrieved.
The purpose of this initiative is to reduce the volume of scam messages that are sent to end users on the Telstra Mobile Network using SMS. It is not guaranteed to stop all scam messages.
There could be a few reasons why your Referral Credit has not arrived. Some possibilities could be:
- Your friend did not complete their sign up.
- Your mobile number was not entered at checkout to make you eligible for Referral Credit.
- Your friend has not received/paid their first monthly bill.
Check with your friend first, and provided they have done all of the above, you can contact us to look into the problem.
We’re available on 1300 232 888 Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm; and Saturday to Sunday 9am to 7pm AET.
You will not receive the Referral Credit if your friend cancels their mobile plan before they pay their first bill.
When your friend signs up to a Pennytel mobile plan, they must enter your mobile number in the “Referee mobile number” field during checkout. Once your mobile number has been validated, a success message will appear and a Referral Credit will be applied.
There could be a few reasons why this might happen, depending on whether you were the referrer or the referred person.
- If you did not enter a valid mobile number during your order, then the person who referred you will not receive their credit.
- If you used a promotional code or took up a special offer when you placed your order, you will not receive a Referral Credit when you activate your SIM, we will however still apply a credit to your friends Account when you pay your first bill.
- If you referred someone to Pennytel and they activated their SIM card but have not yet paid their bill, you will not receive your credit until that has happened.
Your friend will receive their Referral Credit immediately at checkout if your mobile number has been validated in the “Referee mobile number” field.
If you have referred someone to Pennytel, you will receive your Referral Credit after your friend has signed up and paid their first monthly bill. Your Referral Credit will show on your next bill.
If you have joined Pennytel and were referred by your friend, you’ll receive your Referral Credit when you activate your service and it will show on your first bill. Your friend will receive their credit once you have paid that bill.
If your referral was successful, you will see an applied Referral Credit on your bill. If you have provided a valid email address on your Account, we’ll send you an email notification to let you know when the credit is applied to your Account and it will show on the next bill you receive from us.
Simple - you just have to be a Pennytel customer.
You can refer friends and family up to 20 times per year.
No. Unfortunately, self-referrals on to the same Pennytel account are not available at this time. For a referral to be successful, your friend or family member must create a separate Pennytel account upon sign up.
You’ll be able to keep saved messages indefinitely.
Played messages are held for 7 days.
Unplayed messages are held for 14 days.
Up to 40 messages can be stored in your voicemail storage. Each message can be up to 60 seconds for each end user.
To access your voicemail remotely, perform the following steps:
- Dial the MSN and wait for diversion to voicemail
- While the greeting is being played, press the 'hash' key (#)
- Enter the PIN number set up for the service and press the 'hash' key (#) again
After completing these steps, you will have access to the voicemail box as if dialling to the voicemail shortcode from your handset.
- Dial 101 from your handset, then
- To manage your greetings - press 2
- To setup your all call greetings - press 1
- To record your name - press 2
- To return to previous menu - press *
- Help administering your mailbox - press 0
- Dial 101 from your handset, then
- To change mailbox settings - press 3
- To setup login options (setup voicemail pin) - press 1
- To change notifications settings (to enable or disable SMS notifcations) - press 3
- To return to previous menu - press *
- Help administering your mailbox - press 0
- Dial 101 from your handset
- Enter your 6 digit PIN and press # key
- Record your name and press # key
- If you wish to listen to your recording - press 1
- If you wish to re-record your name - press 2
- If you are ok with your recording - press # to save
- Record all call gretting and press # key
- If you wish to listen to your recording - press 1
- If you wish to re-record your name - press 2
- If you are ok with your recording - press # to save
The voicemail short code number is: Dial 101
The process to transfer your number will begin when you activate your SIM card. Transferring a mobile number will usually complete within 3 hours, however it could sometimes take up to 2 business days.
The porting hours are set by industry standard and apply to all mobile providers.
Monday to Friday - 8am to 8pm
Saturday - 10am to 6pm
Please note that usually a number transfer will not complete outside of the porting hours or during a National Public holiday.
As transferring a number is out of our control, we cannot guarantee how long it will take, so make sure you are ready and have your Pennytel SIM card handy when activating your SIM card.
Once you have received your new SIM card, you’ll need to activate it. This is quick and easy process that you can complete online at any time. Alternatively you can call us on 1300 232 888, we’re available 8am – 8pm AET weekdays and 9am – 7pm AET weekends.
To activate online:
- Visit activate.pennytel.com.au
- Enter your mobile number
- Enter your date of birth
Activating a new number usually takes around 30 minutes. If you are transferring your number to Pennytel, we recommend that you do not change over your SIM card until the transfer has completed and your service is active with Pennytel. You will know that your number transfer has completed when your old SIM card stops working.
If you are transferring your existing mobile number it may take up to 24 hours for your service to activate.
All SIM cards come triple punched with these sizes available: Standard SIM, Micro SIM and Nano SIM.
Depending on which phone you use you will need to choose between either of these 3 sizes. If you are unsure, remove your old SIM card and compare it to the SIM card provided to determine the right size. This will make it easier to recognise and ensure you pop out the right SIM size for your phone.
Generally, popular phones for these are:
Micro SIM: iPhone 4, 4S, Samsung Galaxy S3, S5
Nano SIM: iPhone 6, 6S, 6+, 7 and above. Samsung Galaxy S6, S7, S8, S8+
Whilst we are not affiliated with this site, https://www.gsmarena.com/, they are currently the best source to provide information on your mobile phone device.
When you have identified the right SIM size for your phone, gently with 2 fingers pop out the right size for you. If you need assistance, ask a family member or friend.
This is dependent on which phone you currently use. Different phone devices have different methods of inserting SIM cards, if you are unsure, you can refer back to your phone manual or alternatively visit your phone manufacturer’s site for more information. Another useful resource would be to ask a family or friend to better assist you.
Please note that with iPhones, you would require a pin of sort to open the SIM card holder to remove and replace the SIM (this should have been provided on purchase of your phone).
If your SIM card is faulty and not working as it should, call our friendly Support Team on 1300 232 888, they will help assist you in troubleshooting and resolving the problem.
You can contact our Support Team on 1300 232 888. We're available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm; and Saturday to Sunday 9am to 7pm AET.
If you require a SIM card replacement, you will need to call our friendly Support Team on 1300 232 888 to order your new SIM. Once you have received the SIM card in the mail, you will need to ring us back to have this activated. SIM card activations can take anywhere between 15 minutes to 4 hours.
You can contact our Support Team on 1300 232 888. We're available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm; and Saturday to Sunday 9am to 7pm AET.
You can cancel your order as long as you do this prior to receiving or activating your SIM. If you wish to cancel your service after you have activated the SIM you will not receive any credits and there are no termination fees.
To cancel your Pennytel order or return your unwanted SIM card, please contact our Accounts team on 1300 232 888.
Your new Pennytel SIM card will be posted using Australia Post standard delivery.
It will take within 1-2 business days to process your order before being shipped. Please allow around 5 business days' time from dispatch to receive your SIM. If you live somewhere more remote, sometimes Australia Post can take longer to reach you, so please allow an extra couple of business days.
Note: We do not offer International or Express postage options.
Order status
Once you have submitted your order, you will receive a confirmation email indicating the status of your order.
Your SIM card will be shipped to the delivery address you specify during sign-up. You can choose to have your SIM card shipped to your home address, or an alternative address if you prefer.
Lost or damaged SIM cards
If you have not received your SIM after 10 business days, or have any questions about your order, please call our friendly support team on 1300 232 888. We're available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm; and Saturday to Sunday 9am to 7pm AET.
To check your location please use the interactive map available on our coverage page.
Pennytel can provide 3G and 4G mobile services. Visit our coverage and network page for more detailed technical information about our mobile product.
If you are concerned about coverage, we recommend that you choose our smallest plan for one month, and trial our services in your area. Plans are available month-to-month, with no contract and no cancellation fees. So it’s easy to return to your former provider if you are unsatisfied.
Telstra recently announced the 3G network will be shut down in June 2024. Customers impacted by this change will be notified of network changes ahead of time.
Yes, you can use your Pennytel mobile service in over 50 countries when you purchase our $10 Roaming Day Pack.
For more information, see our Roaming page.
If you are worried about roaming charges or you think you will be using your mobile service a lot whilst overseas, we recommend that you purchase a pre-paid SIM card from a local provider in your destination country. Make sure to turn your phone off before swapping to a local SIM card. Alternatively, you can use communication apps such as Skype or Facebook via your hotel WiFi.
Helpful tip - If you would like to call home from overseas, remember to include the country code before entering the phone number. For example, 0422 222 222 will be +61422 222 222
You may have been charged for a Roaming Day Pack if you have:
- made or received a call
- sent an SMS
- used data
Check your usage
Login to your Account to check your usage and see what actions were taken to apply a Roaming Day Pack.
To avoid roaming charges, make sure roaming is disabled on your Account, as well as, the Location Services feature on your phone. Also, make sure to turn your phone off before swapping to a local SIM card.
I'm still not sure why I've been charged
That's okay! Please call our friendly team on 1300 232 888.
Our business hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm AET; and Saturday to Sunday 9am to 7pm AET.
If you run out of data and need a bit extra to tide you over, you can add a 1GB data top-up. You can add this top-up yourself at any time.
- Login to your Pennytel Account online or via the Mobile app.
- Select ‘Buy more data’
- Select ‘Confirm’
Please note that you can only buy one 1GB data top-up at a time. Every time you buy an extra 1GB data top-up, any previous data top-up you have added will be forfeited. So be careful to only add a data top-up when you need it and have exhausted all your data.
You can check your data balance at any time. Login to your Pennytel Account online or via the Mobile app. You will see your balance displayed in a handy circle, with the amount of remaining data shown in the middle. You’ll also see the number of days left in your current billing period, your data quota renews on each new billing period.
Or simply call “*159#” to see your remaining data in the current billing cycle.
See also:
Pennytel provides tools and processes to help you avoid bill shock and manage expenditure.
- Access near real-time usage information on service usage via your Account or, where available, mobile app. See How do I check my data usage FAQ.
- We’ll send you usage notifications by SMS when you reach 50%, 85% and 100% of your mobile data inclusion, or whenever you add a 1GB data pack.
- Roaming charges can add up. To help you understand the likely costs, we make international mobile roaming charges publicly available on our website. This information can be accessed prior to you activating mobile roaming.
- You have the option to choose plans that come with one or more ‘unlimited’ inclusions, and therefore cannot incur excess charges. This will vary by plan and service. Please refer to the Critical Information Summary for your service to confirm the relevant charges and inclusions.
- International calling can become quite expensive, so our approach is to place a reasonable default limit on the number of international call attempts that can be made from your account. This limit can be increased by contacting our customer support team. Obviously, this does not apply to plans that include international calling.
- If you are struggling to pay your bill, you are welcome to seek assistance within the terms of our Financial Hardship Policy. Typically, we will work with you to agree on a payment plan.
Everyone's data usage is different, so it's important you choose a mobile plan that has the right amount of data for your needs. The following are general estimates of usage for typical day to day phone activities.
| Activity | Typical data size |
| Emails sent and received | 0.5MB per email |
| Web browsing | 1.5MB per page |
| Video streaming | 9.5MB per minute |
| HD movies | 3.75GB per movie |
| Music streaming | 2.5MB per minute |
| App/game download | 35MB per item |
1MB = 1,024KB
1GB = 1,024MB
Pennytel offers mobile plans starting from 1GB up to 100GB data. If you need more data you can always change or upgrade your plan with no extra charges.
No. Pennytel plans are month-to-month. You can cancel, downgrade or upgrade from one month to the next. This keeps things simple and fair, don't you agree?
You're able to bring your own mobile or tablet. So you aren't locked-in to buying a new mobile on a contract.
If you'd like to move to another mobile provider, you can either tell us you'd like to cancel - or - simply migrate your phone number to a new provider. (You can take your mobile number with you).
Extra Small, Small and Medium Plans
The international calling feature is initially disabled. Customers can enable this feature from their online Account or by calling our Customer Service team on 1300 232 888.
Once enabled, international calls are charged ‘per minute’ based on the destination. You are able to call international fixed lines, mobiles and payphones in most global locations.
See our international call rates here.
Large Plus and Extra Large Plus Plans
Customers on the Large Plus or Extra Large Plus Plans have unlimited international calls and text to 15 countries.
The international calling feature is already enabled when you sign up to these plans.
Unlimited international calls and text are available in:
- China
- Hong Kong
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- India
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- Greece
- Germany
- South Korea
- United Kingdom
- United States
Countries not included will be charged PAYG rates.
Extra Small, Small, Medium and Large Plans
Standard calls in Australia include
- Landlines
- Australian mobiles
- 13/1300/1800
- Voicemail
Standard calls and SMS/MMS do not include
- Call forwarding
- Directory assistance
- Time and weather services
- Satellite numbers
- Video MMS
These services will be charged at PAYG rates.
Calls to some SENSIS numbers (1234, 12455 and 12456) and premium numbers (i.e 1900) are not supported. As of 9th Oct 2020, International Directory Assistance (1225) is no longer supported.
Unlimited standard SMS/MMS available in Australia to Australian mobiles.
Large Plus and Extra Large Plus Plans
Standard calls in Australia include
- Landlines
- Australian mobiles
- 13/1300/1800
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail
Standard calls and SMS/MMS do not include
- Directory assistance
- Time and weather services
- Satellite numbers
- Video MMS
These services will be charged at PAYG rates.
Calls to some SENSIS numbers (1234, 12455 and 12456) and premium numbers (i.e 1900) are not supported. As of 9th Oct 2020, International Directory Assistance (1225) is no longer supported.
Unlimited standard SMS/MMS available in Australia to Australian mobiles.
Data inclusions vary based on your chosen plan. (All plans come with unlimited standard Australian calls, SMS and MMS). The larger your plan, the more data is included: from 1GB up to 100GB. It's enough for regular people and regular use - checking email, browsing Facebook and watching cat videos.
If you think you'll go over your monthly allowance, you can choose to add 1GB of extra data, for a small additional charge. We call this a ‘Bolt On’ data pack. The Bolt On data expires at the end of your billing period.
Back to Plans, rates & inclusions FAQs
Note: All data inclusions are for use in Australia and won't work overseas. Download and upload speedswill vary based on coverage area. The data inclusions expire at the end of your monthly billing period.
The following types of usage are not included in our plans and will be charged at pay-as-you-go (PAYG) rates. Please note that these rates are subject to change without notice.
- Calls/SMS/MMS to international numbers
- Call forwarding
- Directory assistance
- Time and weather services (1194, 1196)
- Telstra and Optus mobile satellite number
- Video MMS
If you wish to cancel, you’re free to do so at any time. You have two options:
- Transfer your number to a new service provider. You don’t have to contact us if you are transferring your services as this will be managed by your new service provider.
- Inform us you wish to cancel your service. You can do this by contacting our Accounts team on 1300 232 888 or submitting a Help Ticket via your Pennytel Account.
If you cancel your service you will lose your mobile number so we strongly advise you to reconsider this option if you want to keep the same mobile number.
Please note the minimum term of our plans is one calendar month. If you cancel or transfer your service to another service provider you will not receive a refund for any amounts that you have paid.
Need a little extra data? You can upgrade (or downgrade) your plan at any time. Simply give us a call on 1300 232 888, or log in to your Pennytel Account:
- Login to your Account
- Click on ‘Change Plan’
- Select your new plan
- Select ‘Confirm’
Prefer to chat? Give us a call on 1300 232 888 and we will be happy to help you to change your plan.
Please note that your plan change will take effect on your next billing cycle. i.e If your billing cycle is the 15th of each month and you request a plan change the 5th of the month, you will need to wait until the 15th until your plan changes to your new plan.
We bill you once per calendar month. Your billing cycle will be set the day you activate your SIM card and we will charge you for your mobile service that same day of the month every month.
This means that if you activate a service with us on days 1-28 in a given month, we will bill you on that same date each commencing month. Where your service is activated on days 29-31, we will bill you monthly on the 28th day commencing the following month. For example, if you activate your service on the 30th January, we will bill you on the 28th of each month thereafter. If you activate on days 29-31, a pro rata credit will be applied to your account for the days not used.
Login to your Pennytel Account and click on “My profile” and then scroll down to the section called “Authorised representative”.
Please note that the Authorise Representative you appoint will have access to your personal information and will be able to manage your service on your behalf.
You will need to fill in our Change of Ownership form and send it to our customer support team at support@pennytel.com.au to process the change.
Just click on “Forgot password” on the main account login screen and follow the steps to reset your password.
- Visit www.pennytel.com.au and the click on “Login”.
- Type your mobile number or account number
- Type your password
- Click “Login”.
Login to your Pennytel account and click “My Profile”. You will be able to update your contact information, security questions and add authorised representatives to your account.
Login to your Pennytel Account through the Pennytel website and manage your services online, alternatively, you can download the mobile app.
Logging to your Account through the website will give you full access to do the following:
- View your balance, billing cycle information and detailed usage
- Change your plan
- Buy more data
- Update your contact information, password and secret question
- View your bills
- Update your payment details and how you like to receive your bills
- View your orders
- Send us a Help Ticket
- Add an Authorised Representative to act on your behalf
The Pennytel mobile app will give you access to less features, and is great if you just need to do the following:
- View your balance and billing cycle information
- Buy more data
- Update your contact information
- View your bills
- Change how you like to receive your bills
Pennytel takes account security very seriously. We recommend that you take advantage of free account security tools where possible. We also have strict policies and processes to prevent unauthorised account access and minimise the impact of fraudulent service usage.
- Access to your Account is protected by a unique password, known only to you.
- We recommend that you routinely review the strength of your password. This can be done with a free password strength grader like: https://howsecureismypassword.net/
- When you make changes to your account over the phone, our staff may ask for your account identification number and security question.
- Only the Account Holder – or a designated Authorised Representative – can order new services and make changes to your account.
Minors (under the age of 18) cannot order a mobile service.
A minor cannot legally have ownership of an account or phone number. If you wish to provide your children with a phone number, please use your own details and date of birth until your child is 18 years old where we can then process a change of ownership and they can manage their own account.
Yes, if you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can contact us by using the National Relay Service.
It is important to protect your personal details.
Do not provide them to anyone who asks for that information unless you are completely certain about who is contacting you. When you get scam calls, hang up and if needed, call the organisation back using a number on their website or in a public directory.
Visit the Scamwatch website for further information about how to recognise, avoid and report scams.
If you need a little extra time to pay your bill, or if you are experiencing financial hardship. Please refer to our financial hardship process to find out more.
Online: Login to your Pennytel Account.
If there is an outstanding balance on your account, the amount that is overdue will be shown in the top right corner.
Automatic payments
If you have chosen to pay your bill with a Credit Card or Direct Debit, the amount due on your bills will be debited automatically every month on your due date.
Manual payments
If you have chosen to pay your bill by BPAY or another payment method, you will need to ensure that payment reaches us by the due date shown on your bill.
If your account is overdue or you want to make a one off payment to your account, you can login to your Pennytel Account to do this.
We accept the following payment methods:
- Credit Card (Visa, Master Card and Amex)
- Direct Debit via an Australian Bank
- BPAY
- Post Billpay (pay in person at any Post Office)
- Centrepay
Fees
If you do not provide an email address, you will receive paper bills which cost $2.50 per bill posted to you.
We don’t charge fees for all payment methods.
You can change or update your payment method whenever you like.
You may cancel Direct Debit arrangements at any given time by providing us with a written or verbal notice.
Please allow for 10 business days’ notice to defer a payment, stop a payment, suspend future payment or alter the Direct Debit nominated account details.
Also, note that 3 business days’ may be required for the Direct Debit authorisation to be cancelled.
If a Direct Debit has been dishonoured by your Financial Institution, you may incur a $2.50 dishonour fee imposed by us.
Australia Post Billpay is a convenient billing method if you want to pay your Pennytel bill in person at any Post Office. You can pay your bill by cash, cheque or EFTPOS.
If you want to pay by credit card, you can do this online through our secure portal or give us a call to process a payment.
What to expect?
You will need to either select to receive your bills by post, or print your bill at home as you will need to take your bill with you to any Post Office. There will be no fee for each Pennytel bill payment made at Australia Post.
How much can I pay?
You are permitted to make payment of any amount for future or outstanding bills. Please note there is a minimum payment of $5 per transaction.
Centrepay is a voluntary payment method that allows you to use your Centrelink account to make automated payments.
If you would like to set up a regular fund transfer, please contact Centrepay directly with the details that are printed on your bill. They will make regular payments into your account on your behalf.
Please note: If you have usage based charges (eg. Data top-up) you will still need to check your bill as you may have additional charges that are not covered by your Centrelink payment. In this instance, you will need to arrange to make any additional payment to cover the extra amounts.
For more information about this payment method, visit their site.
Quote the following Reference number when setting up Centrepay:
Pennytel Reference Number: 555125508s
Your first bill will likely be due before your Centrepay payment reaches us. You will need to make a one-off payment on this bill to ensure that payment reaches us by the due date shown on your bill.
You can login to your Pennytel Account and click on “Usage details” for your service to see details about your calls, SMS and data usage for the current billing cycle or previous billing cycle. You can also click on “custom dates” to find usage within a specific time range.
