Telephone Number Australia

For an Australian business, a published telephone number is usually an inbound number — a 1300 number, an 1800 number or a Phoneword — rather than a personal landline or mobile. The differences that matter are caller cost and whether the number spells a word. Public 1300 and 1800 plans start at $10 per month, and Phonewords start from $40 per month. This page explains the published options and their limits.

The facts at a glance

A 1300 number is a shared-cost business number: callers pay a local call rate, the business pays the per-minute rate.
An 1800 number is free for callers to dial in the stated Australian 1800-number context; the business pays the call charges.
A Phoneword can use a 13, 1300 or 1800 number to spell a word on a telephone keypad; pricing starts from $40 per month.
Public 1300 and 1800 plans are $10, $15, $39, $79 and $99 per month. All pricing is ex GST.

The three published categories

1300

Shared cost

Callers pay a local call rate and the business pays the per-minute rate. Plans start at $10 per month.

Explore 1300 numbers

1800

Free for callers

Callers pay nothing in the stated Australian context; the business pays the call charges.

Explore 1800 numbers

Phoneword

A word on the keypad

Spells a word on a 13, 1300 or 1800 number, from $40 per month with availability and desirability affecting the price.

Explore Phonewords

How caller cost differs

Caller cost is the clearest difference between the categories. On a 1300 number, the cost is shared: the caller pays a local call rate and the business pays the per-minute rate for the call. On an 1800 number, callers pay nothing in the stated Australian 1800-number context, and the business carries the full call charge. The Phoneword label is orthogonal to this choice — it describes how the number reads on the keypad, and it can sit on a 13, 1300 or 1800 number.

Checking availability and connecting a number

Availability of a specific number is not guaranteed. Find a Number searches available 1300/1800 Phonewords, and the exact number and price for a Phoneword are confirmed before anything is connected. When a business signs up, the flow asks for the number the service will connect to — the answer point the published number should ring through to. This page does not establish specific routing, device or coverage configurations beyond that published step.

What the plans cost

Published 1300 and 1800 plans are $10, $15, $39, $79 and $99 per month, and standard plans are month-to-month with no lock-in. Phonewords start from $40 per month, with availability and desirability affecting the price of a particular word. Current call rates and plan inclusions are listed on the pricing page; this page does not restate or calculate them.

Telephone number Australia: questions and answers

What type of telephone number should an Australian business use?

It depends on caller cost and presentation. A 1300 number shares the call cost with the caller, an 1800 number is free for callers in the stated Australian context, and a Phoneword spells a word on the keypad. None of the options guarantees more calls or sales.

Are 1300 numbers free to call in Australia?

No. A 1300 number is a shared-cost number: callers pay a local call rate and the business pays the per-minute rate. Only 1800 numbers are free for callers in the stated Australian context.

How much does a business telephone number cost?

Public 1300 and 1800 plans start at $10 per month. Phonewords start from $40 per month, with availability and desirability affecting the price. See the pricing page for current rates.

Can I choose a word instead of digits?

Yes, through a Phoneword. Use Find a Number to search available 1300/1800 Phonewords; the search does not guarantee a particular word or price.

Related pages

For related reading, see The Local Phone Number, Phone Number For A Business and Team Number.