How to activate your Vodafone SIM

When it comes to Australia’s three main mobile networks, there’s a very defined breakdown. People turn to the Telstra network for the widest coverage. Optus has a smaller network but tends to be a more competitively priced version of Telstra with some great perks. And Vodafone is where you look to get the best prices for SIM Only and Prepaid mobile plans.

And if you’ve signed up for a Vodafone mobile plan, you’ll need to activate the SIM card before you can put your plan to use. Here’s what you need to know about activating a Vodafone SIM.

Strangely, there isn’t really any readily available info on the activation steps for Vodafone’s SIM Only plans, though it does offer information on how to activate its Prepaid SIM cards as well as steps for what to do when replaying either a physical SIM or eSIM. If activating a Vodafone SIM Only plan is anything like the process of activating a replacement SIM card (more on this below), you’ll want to download the My Vodafone app on your phone via WiFi before you get started.

Whichever you’re activating, you’ll know you’re online when you see ‘Vodafone’ next to the coverage bars.

If you’re interested in signing up for a Vodafone SIM Only plan, check out the list of options from our comparison engine below.

And for comparison, below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only plans from our database.

You have 365 days to activate your Vodafone Prepaid SIM after purchasing it as part of a starter pack. Those under 18 need parental or guardian consent to sign up for a Vodafone Prepaid plan. From here, the SIM activation process involves three key steps:

1. Turn off your device, insert the SIM card, then turn it back on.
2. Have the activation key handy (it should be on the back of the Vodafone Prepaid starter pack) as well as a valid form of ID.
3. Visit the Vodafone Prepaid activation page on an internet-connected device and click on ‘Ok, let’s get started’, then follow the prompts to activate your SIM card.

Valid forms of ID include an Australian driver licence or either an Australian passport or an international one. Alternatively, you can activate a Vodafone Prepaid SIM card with the same forms of ID by calling Vodafone on 1300 650 410. The other option is to activate your Prepaid service in a Vodafone store, where you’ll need one of the following forms of ID:

• Australian driver licence
• Australian passport
• International passport
• Government-issued proof-of-age card
• Defence Force ID

If you don’t have any of those forms of ID, you can use two of the following:

• Credit or debit card
• Medicare card
• A phone bill or statement
• Bank passbook
• Council rates statement

If you’re yet to sign up for a Vodafone Prepaid plan, check out the list of Vodafone Prepaid picks from our comparison engine below.

For comparison, below is a daily updating list of popular Prepaid plans from all the providers we track in our database.

Vodafone customers can head into a Vodafone store for a free replacement SIM card or by requesting it when upgrading a device or plan online. Before inserting the replacement SIM card, either hang onto the packaging or make note of the last 10 digits of the new SIM number. Next, log in to the My Vodafone app, then head to ‘Your plans’ and select ‘Swap my SIM’. Prepaid users will find this option on the ‘Account settings’ screen. Follow the My Vodafone steps to activate your SIM.

After a couple of minutes, the old physical SIM should stop working. Power off your device, insert the new SIM card, then power your handset back on. You should now be good to go. For additional steps on replacement SIM options, including shifting to, from or between eSIMs, visit this Vodafone support page.