1300 vs 1800 Numbers: Which Is Right for Your Business?

1300 and 1800 numbers look similar, work nearly the same way and can ring the same phones. The real difference is who pays for the call. With an 1800 number, your business covers the cost and the call is free for the customer. With a 1300 number, the cost is shared. Which one suits your business comes down to who your callers are, how they find you and how long they tend to stay on the line.

Here is a simple guide to help you work it out.

What is the difference between 1300 and 1800 numbers?

A 1300 number is a local rate number, so callers pay around the cost of a local call and your business pays the rest. An 1800 number is toll-free, so the call is free for the caller and your business pays the full cost. Both are national numbers that can ring any phone you choose.

Both are types of inbound numbers, which means they only receive calls.

Like other virtual phone numbers, they are not tied to a physical line or location. Instead, they point to an “answer point” you choose, such as your office phone system, a mobile or a team spread across several cities. If you move offices or change how your team works, the number stays the same, and you simply change where it rings.

Here is how the two compare side by side:

How much does a 1300 or 1800 number cost a business?

Most providers charge a monthly fee for the number plus a rate for each call your business receives, usually per minute. Because the business covers the whole call on an 1800 number, it tends to cost more per call than a 1300 number, especially for calls from mobiles. Exact rates vary by provider and plan.

That difference adds up when calls run long. A five-minute sales enquiry might not matter much either way. But if your team spends 20 minutes on each support call, a busy month on an 1800 number can cost noticeably more than the same calls on a 1300 number. If you want to look more closely at how the split works, our breakdown of the real cost of a 1300 number walks you through it.

Many providers offer multiple plans, from pay-as-you-go (PAYG) to bundles with included minutes. Your best guide is a rough idea of how many calls you get each month and how long they last. Your current phone system’s call reports can usually give you both.

When a 1300 number tends to suit

A 1300 number is a good fit when you want a national presence without carrying the full cost of every call.

• Ongoing customer support. Existing customers who need help with a product, booking or account are generally happy to pay a local call rate to reach you. Your business saves on longer calls, which helps when support teams are busy.
• One number for many locations. For a business with offices across several states, 1300 numbers give customers one number to remember while calls can still be routed to the nearest office or the right team. It is also a simple way to look bigger and more established, which our article on how 1300 numbers can boost your brand presence covers in more detail.
• Higher call volumes. If your phones ring all day, sharing the call cost with callers can keep your monthly bill more predictable. It also helps that cost is less of a barrier for callers than it once was. Mobile carriers offer plans where calls to 13 and 1300 numbers come out of the plan’s included value rather than being billed separately, so for many callers, a 1300 call costs them little or nothing extra.

Tip: If you want something even shorter, 13 numbers are a six-digit version of 1300 numbers (for example, 13 XX XX). They are very memorable, but there are far fewer of them, so they usually cost more to secure.

When an 1800 number tends to suit

An 1800 number for a business works best when removing every barrier to the first call matters more than the cost of the call itself.

• Sales and new enquiries. Someone comparing quotes is more likely to pick up the phone when the call is free. For a business where one new customer is worth far more than a few minutes of call costs, that small nudge may well cover its own cost.
• Advertising and campaigns. “Call free on 1800…” is a clear, friendly message on a flyer, vehicle, radio ad or website. Using a separate 1800 number for a campaign also lets you see how many calls it brought in.
• Customers who might hesitate over cost. Aged care, health services, community organisations, not-for-profits, utilities and support hotlines often choose toll-free numbers so nobody has to think twice before calling for help. 1800 calls are free from landlines and most mobile plans, which makes them a considerate choice for callers on a tight budget.

1800 numbers can be routed in all the same ways as 1300 numbers, so the choice is really about cost and customer experience rather than features.

Can a business have both a 1300 and an 1800 number?

Yes. Many businesses use both, and it can work really well. A common setup is an 1800 number for sales and new enquiries and a 1300 number for existing customers and support. Both can ring through to the same phone system, and the separate numbers make it easy to see where calls are coming from.

The same idea works for marketing. Giving each campaign or channel its own number shows you which ones are actually making the phone ring, without asking callers how they found you.

What about callers from overseas?

This is one detail that is easy to miss. 1300 and 1800 numbers generally cannot be dialled from outside Australia. If you have overseas customers, suppliers or partners, they will need another way to reach you.

The usual answer is to pair your inbound number with a local geographic number, such as an 02, 03, 07 or 08 number. A virtual phone number for your business can ring the same phones as your 1300 or 1800 number, but works from anywhere in the world when dialled with Australia’s +61 country code. Many businesses list the inbound number for local customers and the geographic number for international callers on their contact page.

A few things worth checking

Whichever number you choose, a few details can make a real difference over time.

• The features that come with it. Most inbound numbers can route calls by time of day, by the caller’s location, or to a backup number when the first answer point is busy. Call reporting and missed call alerts are also common. It is worth asking which features are included and which cost extra.
• Memorable numbers. Phonewords (numbers that spell a word, like 1800 PLUMBER) and easy-to-remember number patterns are available for both 1300 and 1800 numbers. Some of the most sought-after ones are sold through the ACMA’s smartnumbers auctions.
• Keeping your number if you move providers. 1300 and 1800 numbers can be ported between providers, so you can generally keep the number your customers know if you ever change provider. That portability is part of what makes an inbound number a long-term investment in your brand.

So, which one is right for you?

If most of your calls come from existing customers and support conversations tend to run long, a 1300 number is often the more economical choice. If you want to make it as easy as possible for new customers to call, or your callers may be sensitive to cost, an 1800 number is worth the extra spend. And if you are not sure, running both side by side for a few months will show you what your callers prefer.

If you would like a hand weighing it up, Com2 can look at your call volumes and help you choose the right number, plan and routing for your business.