Choose Phone Number
A choosing order that works — caller arrangement first, then word or standard, then plan row, then the number itself. Each step with its published facts.
Choosing a phone number goes wrong when the order is backwards — people fall for a word, then discover the caller arrangement or plan does not suit. The choosing order that works runs the other way: caller arrangement, word or standard, plan row, number. Each decision has published facts behind it, and each narrows the next.
Decision 1 — the caller arrangement
Who pays for the call? On 1300, callers pay a local call cost and the business pays the remainder. On 1800, callers pay nothing in the stated Australian 1800-number context and the business carries the charges. Both bases run on published plans from $10 per month, so this decision is about the customer experience, not the entry price.
Decision 2 — word or standard
A Phoneword spells a word through the keypad — up to six letters on a 1300 or 1800 base, four on 13, with 0 and 1 carrying no letters. Word pricing starts from $40 per month with availability and desirability affecting the specific word. A standard numeric number does the same job without the word layer. This page makes no recall claims for either — the published differences are price and how the number is obtained.
Decision 3 — the plan row
Published plans run $10, $15, $39, $79 and $99 per month, each with its own fixed-line and mobile rates and, on Cap plans, included minute allowances. Three published rows share a $39 fee with different tables, so read the rows on the pricing page rather than the fees alone.
Decision 4 — the number itself
Only now search: Find a Number lists available 1300 and 1800 Phonewords by word or last six digits. A result is a snapshot — the team confirms the exact number and price before connection. If your first choice is not listed, decisions 1–3 still stand; only the digits change.
Related reading: choosing your phone number, selecting a phone number, or the 1300 or 1800 numbers comparison.
Choosing questions
What should I decide first?
The caller arrangement — 1300 shared cost or 1800 free-for-callers. It shapes the customer experience and is independent of which digits you end up with.
Should I search for the word before comparing plans?
You can, but the published choosing order runs arrangement → word/standard → plan → digits, so a search result fits into a decision you have already framed.
What if my preferred word is unavailable?
Then it is not in the current listing. A variant spelling or shorter word sometimes maps to an available number — your earlier decisions carry over unchanged.
Does choosing a word change my call costs?
No. The caller arrangement comes from the base and plan. The word adds its own pricing from $40 per month, confirmed with the exact number before connection.
Choose in the right order
Choose your phone number in four decisions
Start the search, or read the choosing order first.