1300
Local call cost
The caller pays a local call cost; the business pays the remainder. The closest published match to a local-rate number.
Telephone Number for Local Callers
Choosing a telephone number for local callers — how the published 1300 shared-cost model, 1800 free calls and Phonewords serve a local customer base.
A telephone number for local callers should be cheap and familiar to dial, and the published way to achieve that here is a 1300 number: a shared-cost business number where the caller pays a local call cost and the business pays the remainder. This page works through the choice from the caller's side — what each published number type costs a local caller, and where the word-format option fits.
What each published number costs a local caller
1800
Free to call
Callers pay nothing in the stated Australian 1800-number context; the business pays the call charges.
Phoneword
Word on the keypad
A 13, 1300 or 1800 base spelling a word, from $40 per month, subject to availability.
Why the 1300 model usually fits a local customer base
Local callers know what a local call costs, and a 1300 number keeps that familiar arrangement while giving the business one published contact point. The trade-off to weigh: because the cost is shared, the business pays the remainder on every call, so compare the per-plan call rates on the pricing page against the call volume you expect. If removing the caller's cost entirely matters more than keeping the local-rate framing, an 1800 number is the published alternative.
Making the number itself local-feeling
Digits do not carry local character; words can. A Phoneword spells a word on the keypad — a service, a suburb-style identifier or the business name — using the published mapping (2 ABC through 9 WXYZ). Search what is currently listed on Find a Number by word or last six digits; availability and price are confirmed with the team before connection rather than promised in advance.
Related reading: local phone numbers for business, purchasing a local phone number, or the 1300 numbers overview.
Telephone numbers for local callers: questions
Is a 1300 number local-rate for callers?
The published shared-cost arrangement is that the caller pays a local call cost and the business pays the remainder. Check the plan's rate table on the pricing page for the business-side cost.
Which number is free for local callers?
An 1800 number — callers pay nothing in the stated Australian 1800-number context, and the business pays the call charges. Plans start at $10 per month.
Can the number include my suburb or service name?
A Phoneword spells a word of your choosing on the keypad, subject to availability. Search the word on Find a Number; the team confirms the exact number before connection.
Do you sell area-code landline numbers?
No. Geographic area-code numbers are not published products on this site — the local-rate effect is delivered through the 1300 shared-cost model instead.
For local callers
Pick the number local callers will actually dial
Search available 1300 and 1800 Phonewords, or read the caller-cost comparison first.