Phone showing a teal recharge screen beside a prepaid recharge voucher card on a wooden table.
Mobile · Guide

How to Recharge Your Optus Prepaid Mobile

Recharge Optus Prepaid through the app, website or 555. Check AutoRecharge conditions, vouchers, expiry and payment problems.

AI-generated editorial illustration by Tech X Telco. The screen and voucher are conceptual, not actual Optus products.
Michel ElijahPublished 28 July 2026 Checked 10 September 2026 2 min read

Use My Optus, visit optus.com.au/recharge, or call 555 from the Optus Prepaid SIM—even with a $0 balance. Confirm the mobile number and recharge option before paying.

Recharge without guessing the amount

  1. Check the current plan

    Open My Optus and note the plan name, balance and expiry. An advertised starter-SIM offer may be for a new service rather than your existing recharge.

  2. Choose the recharge method

    Use the app or official recharge page. If you cannot get online, call 555 from the service. Follow its available payment prompts.

  3. Check the recipient and inclusions

    Read the number, price, data and expiry on the confirmation screen. With a voucher, confirm the voucher suits the plan before redeeming it.

  4. Keep the receipt

    Save the confirmation and check the account afterwards. A bank entry alone does not tell you which phone received the recharge.

Open the official Optus recharge page directly. If you are topping up a relative’s phone, have them read the number out and repeat it back before you confirm.

SMS and AutoRecharge

Optus lists Menu to 9999 for its SMS menu. Its terms allow AutoRecharge management through that menu or 555 when you have a saved payment method. The published keyword is Menu; do not rely on the old article’s RECHARGE instruction.

Some current Flex Plus offers are AutoRecharge-only. They require a payment card and do not accept manual recharges. Check your specific plan before turning AutoRecharge off. On balance-triggered AutoRecharge, Optus says expiry resets and unused days or ineligible inclusions are forfeited.

Source: Optus: Prepaid plans and recharge help.

If the recharge does not appear

The payment is pending

Check
The transaction status and recharge confirmation.
Next
Keep the reference and ask Optus to trace it before paying a second time.

The voucher fails

Check
The digits, expiry and eligible recharge product.
Next
Keep the voucher and purchase receipt; contact the retailer or Optus rather than discarding it.

The allowance is smaller than the offer

Check
Whether the offer is for new activations or requires AutoRecharge.
Next
Compare your service’s eligibility with the offer terms; a shop display is not proof that an existing number qualifies.

Compare recharge options

The table is supplied by Wireless Choices. Check the expiry as well as the dollar amount: a shorter recharge may mean more payments across the year. Prices are kept in the table rather than repeated in this guide.

Optus Prepaid plans

Plan data from Wireless Choices, our sister comparison service. The list does not cover every provider. Confirm eligibility, fees and inclusions with the provider. We may earn a commission through plan links.

Sources and review notes

Checked 10 September 2026 against the sources below. This is documentation-based guidance; we did not access a customer account or test these instructions on a handset.

Michel ElijahContent Advisor

Michel Elijah covers technology, streaming and online security for Tech X Telco. He writes practical how-to guides on everything from email troubleshooting to spotting the latest scams doing the rounds in Australia, with a focus on clear steps anyone can follow.

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