Interactive explainer
Transfer or switch? The mover's decision tool
Answer three questions about your move and the tool gives you a clear verdict, transfer or switch, plus the lead-time reminder you cannot skip. It works from the only thing that should drive the call: whether the default transfer is actually serving you.
Should you transfer your iiNet plan, or switch?
Indicative guidance only. Always run an address check and confirm fees with iiNet for your move.
Our verdict
Reminder: whether you transfer or switch, a relocation needs a fresh service order, so book two to four weeks ahead of your move date or you risk days offline at the new address.
Assumptions: a move always requires a new order, so transfer and switch cost the same effort; a "transfer" carries your existing plan and price unchanged; a different NBN technology can change which speed tiers are achievable. Indicative 2026 guidance. Sources: NBN Co technology and speed-tier documentation, retailer relocation practice.
| Your situation | New address tech | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same plan still fits, happy with price | New address on equal or better NBN tech | Transfer the service | Lowest effort; but still worth a 10-minute market check first. |
| Out of contract, paying a legacy price | Any technology | Switch and re-compare | A move is the moment your loyalty discount, if any, is worth the least. |
| New address on slower NBN tech (e.g. FTTN) | Top speed tier no longer achievable | Switch to a tier that matches the line | Paying for 100 Mbps on a line that tops out lower wastes money. |
| Still in a fixed contract | Any technology | Check the break fee before deciding | A relocation may waive or reduce it; ask before you transfer by reflex. |
The short answer
What "move my iiNet service" really costs you
When you move home, iiNet makes it easy to "move my service" to your new address, and most people click it without a second thought. That single default is exactly where the value leaks. A house move is not a reason to keep your plan, it is the single cheapest, lowest-friction moment you ever get to re-compare the whole internet market and switch if a better deal exists. A move always needs a fresh service order at the new address anyway, so transferring and switching cost you the same effort, yet a transfer quietly carries your old plan and its old price across, leaving the provider's margin untouched. Worse, your new address may sit on a different NBN technology, so the speed tier you pay for today may not even be achievable there, or may now be more than you need. This page explains why a move is a free switching trigger rather than a default transfer, where the traps sit, and the lead time you cannot ignore.
Here is the core takeaway in one line: a house move is the cheapest, lowest-friction moment you ever get to re-compare internet and switch, so treat the move as a free switching trigger and only transfer once you have actually checked the market. That reframes the whole decision. The easy "move my service" button is not a saving, it is a default that keeps your old plan and old price intact. Because a relocation needs a fresh order either way, the convenience case for transferring is far weaker than it looks, and the leverage you have at this one moment is wasted if you click through on autopilot.
Reframe the assumption: you are not "moving your internet", you are placing a brand-new service order at a new address that may sit on different infrastructure. So compare plans for the new address on the line technology, the price after any intro period, the contract term and the typical evening speed, then decide, transfer or switch, and book two to four weeks ahead.
The blind spot
Where the easy "move my service" button quietly costs you
Most "moving home with iiNet" guides do one of three unhelpful things, and each one nudges you toward the default transfer that suits the provider more than it suits you.
First, they treat the move as a transfer task, not a decision. They walk you through "move my service" as if keeping your plan were the obvious goal, when the better question is whether you should keep it at all. Framed as a chore to complete, the move never gets used as the comparison moment it actually is.
Second, they ignore that a move needs a fresh order regardless. They imply transferring is the low-effort path and switching is the hassle. In reality a relocation always requires a new service order at the new address, so transferring and switching cost you broadly the same effort, which removes most of the convenience argument for staying put.
Third, they assume your plan simply works at the new place. They skip the fact that the National Broadband Network uses different technologies street by street, so your new address may be on a different connection type. A plan and speed tier that suited the old line can be wrong for the new one, either unachievable or more than you need, yet a default transfer carries it across anyway.
How a relocation actually works, piece by piece
Expert analysis: why a move is leverage, not a transfer
Inertia transfers keep the provider's margin intact
Internet retailing runs on inertia. The longer you stay on a plan, the more likely it has drifted above the current market price, because new-customer deals and intro offers go to switchers, not stayers. A move is the moment that inertia is worth the least to you and the most to the retailer: "move my service" carries your existing plan and price to the new address unchanged, so the margin built into an ageing plan survives the move untouched. The button is framed as a favour, but its real function is retention. Using the move to re-compare is how you claw that margin back.
The NBN technology trap at the new address
The National Broadband Network is not one technology. Depending on the street, an address can be on fibre to the premises, fibre to the node, hybrid fibre-coaxial or fixed wireless, among others, and these differ in the speeds they can actually deliver. Your old home and your new one can be on different ones. That means the speed tier you pay for today may not be achievable on the new line, or the new line may comfortably support more than you currently buy. A default transfer ignores all of this and carries a tier that may no longer match the infrastructure, so an address check at the new place is the first thing to do, before any transfer-or-switch decision.
Transfer and switch cost the same effort, so convenience is a weak reason
The strongest argument people give for transferring is convenience, and it mostly does not hold. Because a relocation requires a fresh service order at the new address either way, the work of transferring and the work of switching are broadly the same: an order, an availability check, a connection date. The difference is that switching also captures a better deal if one exists. When the effort is equal, the deciding factor should be value, not habit, which is exactly why the move is the right time to compare rather than the right time to stay.
Lead time is the hard deadline you cannot negotiate
One thing a move does not flex on is timing. A relocation needs a new service order, and if a technician visit or a different NBN technology is involved, scheduling takes longer. Book too late and you can land at the new address with no internet for days, sometimes more than a week, which is the most common and most avoidable moving-day failure. The fix is simple: as soon as you have a confirmed move date and address, run the availability check, decide transfer or switch, and place the order two to four weeks out. The same buffer applies whichever path you choose.
What this looks like in real moves
How the default transfer plays out across Australia
The mechanics above are not theory. They are exactly how Australian households leave money or service on the table when they move:
The legacy price that followed them
A renter clicks "move my service" and carries a three-year-old plan to the new flat. The same speed is now sold to new customers for noticeably less, but the move transferred the old price intact, and the household keeps overpaying every month until they finally re-compare, often years later.
The speed tier that no longer fit
A family transfers their top-tier plan to a new house on a slower NBN technology where that tier is no longer achievable. They keep paying for speed the line cannot deliver, when a switch to a tier that matches the connection would have cost less for the performance they actually get.
The week with no internet
A mover assumes "move my service" is instant and starts it the day before handover. The new address needs a technician and a different connection type, scheduling slips, and the household spends the first week in the new home tethered to mobile data because the order went in too late.
The break fee paid by reflex
A household still in a fixed contract transfers without asking, then learns a genuine relocation might have reduced or waived the break fee, or that switching elsewhere came with no setup cost. By defaulting to transfer, they never tested either option.
The insider insight
The move is the leverage, and the button is the trap
Here is the part most moving guides never put plainly. A house move is the rare moment when switching internet carries almost no extra cost, because you have to place a new order regardless, the modem may need attention anyway, and there is no awkward overlap or downtime penalty for changing retailer that you would not already face. Retailers know this, which is precisely why the "move my service" button is so prominent and so frictionless: the easiest path for you is also the one that protects their margin. The convenience is real, but it is convenience pointed at retention.
The non-obvious truth: the cheapest day to switch internet is moving day, because the switching cost is already sunk into the move itself. The households that come out ahead are not the ones who clicked "move my service" fastest, they are the ones who ran the address check, compared plans for the new line, and only then decided whether to transfer or switch. Spend your ten minutes on the comparison, not on the autopilot transfer.
The practical consequence: do not let the easy button make the decision for you. Check the NBN technology at the new address, compare the all-in cost of transferring against switching, and treat staying with your current plan as a choice you have to justify, not the default you fall into.
Grounded in the analysis
What you should actually do when moving with iiNet
Specific moves that follow from how a relocation really works, not generic advice.
Check the new address first
Before any transfer-or-switch decision, run an availability check at the new address to see which NBN technology it uses and which speed tiers it can actually deliver. If the technology has changed, that is the clearest signal to re-compare rather than transfer a tier that no longer fits the line.
Re-compare, then decide
Compare plans for the new address on price after any intro period, contract term, speed tier and typical evening speed. Weigh the all-in cost of transferring against switching, since both need a fresh order. Transfer only if your plan still genuinely wins.
Book two to four weeks out
Place the order well ahead of moving day, whether you transfer or switch, because a relocation needs a new service order and may need a technician. Booking late is the main cause of days offline at the new home. Sort your modem and any fees at the same time.
Planning the wider move? Use our moving checklist, sort your internet connection, and compare plans across internet providers for your new address.
Current figures, last updated 2026-06-16
Indicative figures for moving an iiNet internet service in 2026. Sources: NBN Co technology and speed-tier documentation and retailer relocation practice. Fees, waivers and timelines vary by your exact address and contract, so confirm the figures with iiNet for your move and run an address check before you decide.
The bottom line
Why a move is the moment to compare, not the moment to stay
The "move my service" button is genuinely convenient, but convenience pointed at retention is not the same as a good deal. A relocation needs a fresh order whatever you choose, your new address may sit on different NBN infrastructure, and an inertia transfer carries an ageing price across untouched. So run the address check, compare plans for the new line, weigh the all-in cost of transferring against switching, and book two to four weeks out so you are not left offline. With internet pricing built on inertia, the households that come out ahead in 2026 are the ones who treat moving day as the cheapest day to switch, not the easiest day to stay.
Common questions
A Selectra expert answers your iiNet moving questions
Treat the move as a reason to re-compare, not a reason to stay. A house move always needs a fresh service order at the new address, so transferring and switching cost you the same effort, which means the convenience argument for a default transfer mostly disappears. If you are out of contract, paying a legacy price, or your new address sits on a different NBN technology, switching is often the better call. Transfer by default only when you have actually checked the market, you are happy with the price and speed, and the same plan still fits the new line. The move is the cheapest moment you get to use your leverage, so do not waste it on autopilot.
A relocation can attract a connection or new-development charge, and if your new address needs a different NBN technology there may be an equipment or installation cost. If you are still inside a fixed-term contract, moving sometimes triggers a break fee, though a genuine relocation can reduce or waive it, so always ask before you commit. Because the costs and waivers vary by your exact situation, confirm the figures with iiNet for your move rather than assuming it is free. And remember that a switch to a new retailer is often sold with no setup fee, so compare the all-in cost of transferring against the all-in cost of switching, not just the monthly price.
Allow two to four weeks. A relocation needs a new service order at the new address, and if a technician visit or different NBN technology is involved it takes longer to schedule. If you book too late you risk days, sometimes more than a week, with no internet at the new place, which is the most common and most avoidable moving-day failure. Start the process as soon as you have a confirmed move date and a confirmed new address, check NBN availability and technology at that address first, then place the order. The same lead time applies whether you transfer or switch, so building in the buffer matters either way.
Not necessarily, and this is the trap in a default transfer. The National Broadband Network uses different technologies street by street: fibre to the premises (FTTP), fibre to the node (FTTN), hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) and fixed wireless, among others. Your old address and your new one can be on different ones, and the speed tier you pay for may not be achievable on the new line, or it may now be more speed than you need. Always run an address check at the new place before you decide. If the technology has changed, that is the clearest signal to re-compare plans rather than transfer a tier that no longer matches the line.
In most cases yes, you can take your existing modem to the new home and reconnect it. If the new address uses a different NBN connection type, you may need different hardware, and iiNet may supply it, sometimes with a cost. The modem question is a useful prompt: if the line technology has changed enough to need new hardware, the plan that suited the old line may not suit the new one either, so it is a good moment to check whether switching gets you a better fit. Confirm the hardware and any charge when you place the order, and ask whether a new plan would include a modem at no cost.
iiNet still trades under its own brand, but it is part of TPG Telecom, which also owns other well-known retailers. That matters for a mover because several familiar brands sit under the same corporate roof, so "switching" between some of them is less of a change than it looks, while a genuinely different retailer can use different NBN wholesale arrangements and pricing. When you re-compare during a move, look past the logo to the actual plan: the speed tier, the price after any introductory period, the contract term and the typical evening speed. The brand is the marketing; the line and the price are the deal.
