FAQs
I’m thinking about joining Better Life Mobile
Yes. In most cases, you can keep your current mobile number.
When your Better Life Mobile SIM arrives, call us and we will help transfer your number from your old provider.
Please do not cancel your old mobile service before the transfer is complete. If your old service is cancelled first, you may lose your number.
Most number transfers are completed in less than one hour, but it can sometimes take longer if there is a technical issue or if the account details do not match.
Yes, you can use your own phone if it:
- is unlocked and can be used with another provider
- works on Australian 4G networks
- has not been blocked from using the mobile network
If you are not sure whether your phone will work, call us before you activate your SIM.
This is important because your plan starts once your SIM is activated.
Better Life Mobile uses the Telstra Wholesale Mobile Network.
This network covers major cities, many suburbs, larger regional towns, many smaller towns and many transport routes.
Coverage can still depend on your exact location, your phone, buildings, hills and other local conditions.
Before you join, please check the Coverage Map or call us and we can help you check.
Yes. Our plans are for anyone who wants a simple, affordable mobile service.
Some customers come to us because they need extra support. Others join because they want to support a mobile provider with a community purpose.
The more customers who join Better Life Mobile, the more people we can help stay connected.
Yes. Better Life Mobile is a real Australian mobile provider.
We provide mobile services using the Telstra Wholesale Mobile Network.
We are also a social enterprise. That means we exist to provide mobile services and to help people stay connected, especially people who may need extra support.
No. Our standard mobile plans do not have lock-in contracts.
You can cancel your service if you need to.
Your service is prepaid, which means you pay in advance for each recharge period.
Not always.
Our aim is to offer simple, fair and affordable plans with good network coverage and helpful customer support.
We do not want to sell you things you do not need. If we think a cheaper or more suitable Better Life Mobile plan is available for you, we will tell you.
Some Better Life Mobile plans include calls to selected overseas countries.
Please check the Critical Information Summary for your plan to see what is included.
If overseas calls are not included in your plan, or if you are unsure, please call us before making international calls.
Yes. MMS messages are included on Better Life Mobile plans.
An MMS is a picture or media message sent by text message.
Please check your plan’s Critical Information Summary for full details of what is included.
You can sign up in two ways:
- Choose a plan on our website and enter your details online.
- Call us on 03 9018 5349 or email us at [email protected] and ask for help.
If you need help applying, please contact us. We can help you through the process.
Setting up your service
We usually post your SIM within 24 hours after we receive your order and payment.
Australia Post normally delivers within 1 to 5 business days.
When your SIM arrives, call us and we will help activate it.
If you are getting a new number, we will activate the SIM and give you the number.
If you are keeping your current number, we will help transfer it from your old provider.
Australian law requires us to check your identity before we activate a prepaid mobile service.
We may ask for details such as your date of birth, address and identification documents.
If you do not have formal identification documents, please tell us. Better Life Mobile may still be able to help.
You need a phone that:
- is unlocked
- works on Australian 4G networks
- is not blocked from using the mobile network
If you are not sure whether your phone is unlocked, you can try another provider’s SIM card in your phone.
You can also find your phone’s IMEI number by dialing *#06# on your phone. Your IMEI can help check whether your device is blocked.
Accounts, payments and recharges
Better Life Mobile plans recharge every 30 days.
You need to have enough money in your Better Life Mobile account by 9:00pm on the day before your recharge date.
If there is not enough money in your account, your recharge may not work and your service may be interrupted.
You can pay by:
- credit or debit card
- recurring card payment
- bank transfer or bank deposit
- Centrepay, if you are eligible
We accept Australian Visa and Mastercard cards.
For help making a payment, call us on 03 9018 5349 or email [email protected].
If you choose recurring card payments, we will try to take your plan payment automatically every 30 days.
The payment is usually taken 2 days before your recharge date.
If your card is declined, we will send you an SMS or email. We will try the card again the next day.
If the second payment attempt is also declined, you will need to contact us or make payment another way.
You can stop recurring card payments by contacting us.
Yes, Centrepay may be available if you receive Centrelink payments.
To set up Centrepay, contact Centrelink or visit a Centrelink branch.
You will need these details:
Service provider: Better Life Group Pty Ltd
Address: Suite 4.09, 90 Podium Way, Oran Park NSW 2570
Centrelink Provider Number: 555116274K
Account number: your Better Life Mobile phone number
Reason: Mobile Phone Plan
Amount: half the amount of your plan recharge (because Centrepay payments are made every 14 days)
The start date should be your next available Centrelink pay date.
If you stop Centrepay deductions, please contact us so we can help you avoid losing your service.
Yes. We send payment reminders by SMS or email.
We may send reminders:
- 5 days before your recharge date
- 3 days after your recharge date, if payment has not been made
- 8 days after your recharge date, before outgoing calls are barred
- 11 days after your recharge date, before suspension
You can opt out of reminders, but we recommend keeping them turned on so you know when payment is due.
Customers using recurring card payments usually do not receive these reminders unless the card payment fails.
Please contact us as soon as you can.
We understand that people can go through difficult times. We will listen to your situation and talk through the options available.
We may ask questions about your circumstances, income, how long you may need help, and what mobile service you need. You do not have to answer every question, but your answers help us work out how best to support you.
Call us on 03 9018 5349, call 1525 from your Better Life Mobile service, or email [email protected].
We may also be able to refer you to a community support agency if you would like that help.
Yes. Better Life Mobile plans are prepaid and price-capped.
This means you pay before you use the service, and you cannot accidentally run up large excess usage charges.
Your plan includes a set amount of calls, SMS and data. If you use all of your included data, your mobile data will stop unless you buy an extra data add-on.
Refunds are usually returned to the same person and the same payment method used to make the payment.
If you want to cancel, please tell us the date you want your service to end.
Because your plan is prepaid, you may not receive a refund for the current 30-day recharge period.
If you want to keep your mobile number and move it to another provider, transfer your number before your Better Life Mobile service is closed.
Included calls are counted in 1-minute blocks.
Data is counted in 1KB blocks.
This means small amounts of data are counted as you use them.
No. Premium content is disabled on Better Life Mobile plans.
This helps protect you from unexpected premium content charges.
Data
Send an SMS with the word:
Bal
to:
0490 19 19 19
We will send you a reply with your data balance.
When you use 100% of your included data, mobile data will stop.
This helps prevent unexpected extra charges.
Your data will start again on your next recharge date.
If you need more data before then, you may be able to buy an extra data add-on.
Yes, extra data may be available on some plans.
Extra data must be paid for before it is added.
Any extra data usually expires on your next recharge date.
Please call us or use the payment option on our website if you need extra data.
Yes. We send alerts by SMS or email when you reach:
- 50% of your included data or included value
- 85% of your included data or included value
- 100% of your included data or included value
At 100% data usage, mobile data will stop.
Your service will reset on your next recharge date.
Yes, for standard personal use in Australia.
Unlimited calls and SMS means calls and SMS to standard Australian mobile and landline numbers.
It does not include commercial use, automated use, machine-to-machine use, permanent connections, or other use that is not normal personal use.
Please read our Acceptable Use Policy for more information.
These are only estimates. Actual data use depends on your phone, apps and settings.
Low data use:
- sending a short message
- checking basic emails without attachments
- refreshing a social media feed
Medium data use:
- browsing websites
- using maps
- streaming music
- sending or receiving emails with attachments
High data use:
- watching videos
- video calling
- downloading TV shows or movies
- automatic app updates
- social media videos that play automatically
Video uses data very quickly. If you are on a small data plan, try to use Wi-Fi when watching videos or updating apps.
Smartphones can use data even when you are not actively using them.
Common reasons include:
- apps updating in the background
- social media videos playing automatically
- cloud photo backups
- software updates
- video streaming
- Wi-Fi Assist on iPhones
If you are worried about your data use, contact us and we can help you understand what may be happening.
Data gifting
Data gifting lets eligible Better Life Mobile customers send some of their included data to another active Better Life Mobile customer.
This can help if a family member, friend or someone you support is running low on data.
Any active Better Life Mobile phone service can receive gifted data.
The receiving service must still have an active plan.
Most Better Life Mobile plans can gift data.
Please check your plan details or Critical Information Summary to confirm whether your plan can gift data.
You can gift up to 50% of your included recharge data allowance.
Data must be gifted in 1GB amounts.
You can gift up to 10GB in one SMS.
You can make up to 10 data gifts during each 30-day recharge cycle.
You can gift data from your current recharge allowance.
You cannot gift:
- data from your data bank
- data that was gifted to you
- data from an expired plan
Your data is usually used in this order:
- your current recharge data allowance
- your data bank
- gifted data
- extra data add-ons you have bought
Gifted data expires on your next recharge date.
It does not carry over after your recharge.
Send an SMS to:
0490 19 19 19
Use this format:
Gift [mobile number] [amount of data in GB]
Example:
Gift 0490123123 5
This would gift 5GB of data to 0490123123.
You will receive a PIN code by SMS. Reply with the PIN code to confirm the gift.
Please check the mobile number carefully before you confirm. If you send data to the wrong number, we may not be able to reverse it.
You may lose gifted or banked data if:
- you downgrade your plan
- your plan expires and is not renewed within 24 hours
- you restart your plan
- you send gifted data to the wrong number
No data can be used if your underlying mobile plan has expired.
Messagebank / voicemail
Yes.
To check your MessageBank from another phone:
- Call your own mobile number.
- When you hear your greeting, press # twice.
- Enter your MessageBank PIN.
If your PIN has been reset, the default PIN may be 366141.
If this does not work, please contact us.
Your phone usually rings for 15 seconds before going to voicemail.
You can change this to 15, 20, 25 or 30 seconds.
To change your ring time, enter this on your phone:
61*101[number of seconds]#
Then press the call button.
Example for 20 seconds:
61*10120#
Example for 30 seconds:
61*10130#
To reset your call settings, enter:
**004*101#
Then press the call button.
Technical help
Your Better Life Mobile SIM should automatically install the correct settings.
If mobile data or MMS does not work, your phone may need manual settings.
For mobile data, use:
Name: Telstra Wholesale
APN: mdata.net.au
Proxy: leave blank
Port: leave blank
MCC: 505
MNC: 01
Authentication: leave blank
APN type: leave blank
For MMS, use:
Name: Telstra MMS
APN: telstra.mms
Proxy: leave blank
Port: leave blank
Username: leave blank
Password: leave blank
Server: leave blank
MMSC: http://mmsc.telstra.com:8002
MMS proxy: 10.1.1.180
MMS port: 80
MCC: 505
MNC: 01
Authentication: leave blank
APN type: mms
If you are not comfortable changing these settings, please contact us and we can help.
The 3G network closed on 28 October 2024.
Some older phones can no longer connect to the mobile network.
Some devices may also be blocked if they cannot make emergency calls correctly.
If you are unsure whether your phone will work, use the Telstra Wholesale blocked device checker or contact us for help.
First, restart your iPhone.
If it still does not work:
- Remove your old SIM.
- Insert your Better Life Mobile SIM.
- Update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.
- Restart your phone.
If it still does not work, contact us.
You can also visit Apple Support or an Apple Store for help.
Help, support and account access
Customer Service is open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Phone: 03 9018 5349
From your Better Life Mobile service: 1525
Email: [email protected]
Yes.
You can appoint an authorised representative. This means someone you trust can speak to us about your account.
You can use our online authorised representative form or call us on 03 9018 5349.
For privacy and security, we need to check that the person has been properly authorised before we discuss your account with them.
Yes.
If you need help applying, please contact us.
We can help if you:
- have difficulty reading or completing forms
- have a disability
- have a serious or long-term illness
- are homeless or at risk of homelessness
- are very young or elderly
- live in a rural or remote area
- speak a language other than English
- need help from a support worker, carer, family member or community organisation
We can also provide information in different formats, including large print or digital formats.
Yes.
Better Life Mobile works with welfare, community and government organisations across Australia.
If a support worker, case worker, carer or organisation is helping you, they can contact us.
We may still need your permission before we can discuss your account.
The National Relay Service helps people who are d/Deaf, hard of hearing or have difficulty using speech to make and receive phone calls.
If you use the National Relay Service, you can contact Better Life Mobile through the relay service.
Our team is trained to take relay calls.
You can read our Privacy Policy on our website.
It explains how we collect, use and protect information about you, your account and your service.
If you need help in another language, you can use TIS National.
Call TIS National on 131 450 and ask to be connected to Better Life Mobile on 03 9018 5349.
TIS National is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you need help in another language, you can use TIS National.
Call TIS National on 131 450 and ask to be connected to Better Life Mobile on 03 9018 5349.
TIS National is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Other questions
Yes. Our website uses SSL security to help protect the information you send through the site.
BLM stands for Better Life Mobile.
You may see “BLM” used in some of our documents.
We’ve been around since 2015 with a purpose that hasn’t changed: Connection that saves lives.
At Better Life Mobile, we’re more than just a telco — we’re a social enterprise committed to making connection possible for every Australian, especially those doing it tough. Whether it’s access to mobile data, voice or internet services, we believe staying connected is a human right, not a privilege. That belief powers everything we do. Our plans are built for real life — fair, flexible, and transparent — with customer support that listens, acts, and genuinely cares.
We’ve been recognised globally having won the award for Most Impactful MVNO at the MVNO Nation Global Awards in 2024 and 2025.
Yes.
Community organisations, government agencies, corporates and other approved partners may be able to join our Partner Referral Program.
The program allows the partner to sponsor, fund and/or manage services for the people in the community they are supporting. We provide pre-configured SIM cards, streamlined application, authorisation and identification processes to make the experience for the partner and the service user as simple as possible.
This helps us support organisations that support people in the community.
For more information, call 03 9018 5349 or email [email protected].