Spark, 2degrees and One NZ stall on billing transparency
A review of New Zealand’s biggest mobile phone service providers found it’s not as easy as it should be to make informed decisions about your phone plan and provider.
Each year, in partnership with the Commerce Commission, Consumer NZ reviews how well New Zealand’s biggest telecommunications providers (Spark, 2degrees and One NZ) empower their customers to choose the best phone plan for their needs.
Nick Gelling, product test writer at Consumer, says this is the first time since the review began in 2022 that there’s been no improvements across the board.
“Usually, we see gradual positive progress in each review. But in 2025, Spark ended an initiative we were excited about last year, 2degrees moved to a new app that’s significantly less helpful than the old one and One NZ hasn’t made any changes at all.”
“Your telecommunications provider knows how much data you use and how much you spend. You deserve to have easy and clear access to that information, too, so you can switch plans or providers to get the best deal for your specific needs.”
Telecommunications commissioner Tristan Gilbertson says, “it's disappointing that the historic leader, 2degrees, has fallen to the bottom of the pack, and Spark is planning to move away from its right-planning initiative, which we praised last year.
“This highlights the value of independent testing because it keeps an eye on the changes providers are making and the impact this is having on Kiwi consumers. It helps let us know whether competition is working or whether we need to take steps to protect consumer interests.”
Data without direction
2degrees recently completed a migration to a new app to unify its mobile, broadband and electricity customers, but, says Gelling, the new app experience has taken a step back.
“Usage data is now only available in a daily view, instead of the monthly view that was previously offered. Spend data also used to be presented as a chart – now it’s just a list of transactions,” he says.
"These changes feel like a step in the wrong direction – knowing how much you’re spending or using over time is much more useful when choosing a plan than knowing what you’re spending on any given day.”
Upgrades undone
Spark paused its annual summaries “for review” in February.
"We were impressed by Spark’s ‘Made For You Review’ last year,” says Gelling. “It included a personalised recommendation that advised customers to either stay on their current plan or switch to another one that better suited their usage patterns. It felt like the future had arrived.
"New summaries are expected to roll out this month, but without the ‘right-plan’ recommendation. Honestly, it’s a wasted opportunity. Right-planning should be the norm by now.
“In another backward step, the new summaries don’t actually include historical information. Instead, they encourage customers to follow a link to find their details.”
Consumers on hold
Even though Consumer’s review found One NZ still has the most comprehensive annual summary email (which notably includes details of other plans), the app continues to only show its customers the latest 2-3 months of their history.
As Gelling explains, “One NZ customers are unfairly limited to viewing stats by the season. They have to assess their usage with blinkers on.
"One NZ's excellent annual summary shows it's collecting really useful information. We’d like to see that communicated in the customer app, too.”
We want clearer signals
Consumer surveying has revealed that more New Zealanders than ever are finding annual summaries helpful in reviewing their mobile phone plans.
“Despite seeing progress over the last few years of review, we're disappointed to see providers removing useful features and stalling on promising innovations like right planning,” says Gelling.
"Telecommunication companies know exactly what their customers use and spend. They shouldn't make it difficult for consumers to access this information."
Commissioner Gilbertson adds “We hope this is a one-off dip by providers, but we're concerned enough to think it’s time for us to issue guidelines to industry. We plan to do that in the coming weeks so that requirements in this area are clear.”
Note to editors
The Mobile Retail Service Provider Transparency Review is a partnership between Consumer NZ and the Commerce Commission.