Short answer
Are 1300 Numbers Free to Call?
No. Callers pay up to the local call rate from an Australian fixed line; from a mobile, their carrier and plan decide. The free-to-call format is 1800.
- Not free — local rate for callers
- Mobile: plan-dependent
- Never a distance or premium charge
Free to call? Follow-ups
What does a 1300 call cost a caller?
Up to the local call rate from a fixed line — often inside a plan's included local calls. From a mobile, the caller's carrier and plan set the charge.
Why do callers pay anything at all?
1300 is the shared-cost format: the caller's contribution lowers the bill for the business, which pays the rest. Free calls are the 1800 format's deal.
Does the business pay too?
Yes — a monthly plan from $10 plus per-second charges beyond the inclusions. The caller's share keeps that bill below toll-free on high volumes.
Which format is free for callers?
1800 — free from fixed lines, funded entirely by the business. The comparison is in our 1300 vs 1800 guide.
Are 1300 numbers free to call? No. A 1300 call costs the caller up to the local call rate from an Australian fixed line; from a mobile, the charge is set by the caller's carrier and plan. What never changes: no distance premium and no surcharge in the format itself. The format that is genuinely free to call is 1800.
The answer by dialling scenario
| You dial from | What you pay | |---|---| | Australian fixed line | Up to the local call rate | | Australian mobile | Set by your carrier and plan | | Overseas | The call generally will not connect |
The shared-cost logic behind the table: the caller's contribution lowers the bill for the business, which funds everything above the local rate on its plan. The dialling sequence is in how to call a 1300 number, the fuller cost picture in are 1300 numbers free and 1300 number cost and pricing, and the format comparison in 1300 vs 1800 numbers.
If you run a business, the available 1300 numbers pool is where your number comes from — the product overview is at 1300 numbers.
Local-rate for your callers
Get a 1300 number from $10 a month
One national number at local-call cost to customers — answered on your existing phones.