There are 6.2 million Australians over the age of 14 that have a prepaid service on their main mobile phone, and supermarkets are their number one channel for recharging, ahead of going online or making a call.
The latest telecommunications data from Roy Morgan Research shows 26 per cent of prepaid mobile customers last recharged at a supermarket, ahead of 18 per cent recharging via the internet, 13 per cent via a phone, 11 per cent at a retail store, eight per cent at the service provider’s store, six per cent via app and three per cent via SMS.
Overall, 44 per cent of prepaid mobile owners reported going into a bricks-and-mortar channel for their last recharge, 37 per cent used the internet, phone, app or SMS, and five per cent have an auto-recharge set up for their prepaid mobile phone credit.
Roy Morgan Research General Manager – Media Tim Martin says there are some stark differences in how customers of different providers prefer to recharge.
“Vodafone’s prepaid customers are the most likely to recharge at the provider’s own shopfront or at a supermarket, while Optus’s are the most likely to buy credit at a retail store,” he said. “Telstra’s prepaid customers are also more likely than average to recharge via these traditional channels or by phone call or SMS, and Virgin’s are almost 50 per cent more likely than average to use the internet. Customers with Amaysim or Boost are each around five times more likely than average to have an auto-recharge set up, and a huge 34 per cent of prepaid customers with ALDI recharge via app – a rate around six times the norm.”
