Toll Telephone Numbers
A toll telephone number is one callers dial free — in Australia that is the 1800 number. See the published caller-cost rules, plans and availability here.
A toll telephone number, in the sense Australian businesses usually mean, is a number callers can dial without paying for the call — and in Australia that number type is the 1800 number. Callers pay nothing in the stated Australian 1800-number context, the business holding the number pays the call charges, and public 1800 plans start at $10 per month.
The near neighbour is the 1300 number, which is not toll-free: it is a shared-cost business number where the caller pays a local call cost and the business pays the remainder.
How the toll arrangement works
- Caller side: on an 1800 number the caller pays nothing — that is the whole point of the toll-free arrangement in the Australian context.
- Business side: the business pays the call charges, which is why the per-minute rates on the plan matter as much as the monthly fee.
- Plans: published 1800 plans run across $10, $15, $39, $79 and $99 per month, each with its own fixed-line and mobile call rates. The pricing page holds the current tables.
- Custom choice: an 1800 number can also spell a word — an 1800 Phoneword carries up to six letters — with Phoneword pricing starting from $40 per month.
Choosing between toll-free and shared cost
Toll-free suits contact points where the business wants nothing to discourage the call — support lines, complaints, booking lines — because the caller's cost is zero. Shared cost on a 1300 number suits high-frequency, short calls, because the caller's local-rate contribution reduces what the business pays per call.
Which is better is a business decision, not a rule; the honest comparison is between the call rates you expect to incur and the calls you want to encourage. The pricing page shows both sets of rates side by side.
Where the 13 number fits
Australia also has the 13 number — a shorter, six-digit inbound number that the published FAQ notes is typically used by larger national companies. It sits in the same inbound family as 1300 and 1800 numbers, and like a 1300 or 1800 number it can be spelled as a Phoneword (up to four letters on a 13 base). For most businesses choosing a first toll-free or shared-cost number, the 1800 and 1300 categories above are the practical starting points.
Getting a toll-free number here
Search available 1300/1800 Phonewords to see what is listed — by word or by the last six digits — then compare the 1800 plans on the pricing page and complete sign-up with your answering point ready, since the flow asks for the number the service will connect to. Availability is not guaranteed for a specific number, and the terms and conditions govern the service.
For more context, see the 1800 numbers overview or the business phone number options comparison.
Toll number questions
Is a toll number the same as an 1800 number?
In the Australian context, toll-free is the 1800 arrangement: callers pay nothing and the business pays the call charges. A 1300 number is shared cost rather than toll-free.
What does a toll-free number cost the business?
The monthly plan plus the call charges. Published 1800 plans start at $10 per month, with per-minute rates that depend on the plan — the pricing page lists the current tables.
Do callers on mobiles pay differently?
The published pricing lists separate fixed-line and mobile per-minute rates, which the business pays. What a caller pays is set by the toll-free arrangement: nothing, in the stated Australian 1800-number context.
Can my toll-free number spell a word?
Yes — that is an 1800 Phoneword, up to six letters on the keypad mapping. Search available options with Find a Number; a specific word is not guaranteed, and pricing starts from $40 per month.
Toll-free numbers
Get a toll-free number for your business
Search available 1800 numbers and Phonewords, or compare the published plans.