1300 vs 1800
1300 vs 1800 Numbers: What's the Difference?
One difference drives everything else: on 1300 the caller shares the call cost; on 1800 the business pays it all. Everything else — dialling, plans, features — is the same.
- Same dialling, same features
- Different call-cost split
- Decision: caller friction vs your bill
1300 vs 1800 questions
What is the main difference between 1300 and 1800 numbers?
Who pays for the call. On 1300 the caller pays up to the local call rate and the business pays the rest. On 1800 the caller pays nothing from a fixed line and the business pays the entire call.
Do 1300 and 1800 numbers dial differently?
No. Both are ten digits — prefix plus six — dialled the same way from any Australian phone with no area code. A caller could not tell them apart by dialling.
Which is better for a small business?
If callers are cost-sensitive and you want zero friction — support and sales lines — 1800. If you answer high volumes and want to cap your own bill, 1300. Entry plans cost the same $10 a month on both.
Do the plans cost the same on 1300 and 1800?
Yes — both run from $10 to $99 a month on the same ladder, with cap inclusions and per-second charging. The difference shows up in the call charges, not the plan fee.
Ask for the difference between 1300 and 1800 numbers and you will get one honest answer: who pays for the call. On a 1300 number the caller pays up to the local call rate and the business pays the remaining call cost. On an 1800 number the caller pays nothing from an Australian fixed line and the business pays the entire call. Dialling, plans and features are identical — the formats differ by a single economic design decision, and that decision should decide your choice.
The comparison, line by line
| | 1300 number | 1800 number | |---|---|---| | Caller pays (fixed line) | Up to the local call rate | Nothing | | Caller pays (mobile) | Carrier/plan dependent | Carrier/plan dependent | | Business pays | Remaining call cost | Entire call cost | | Plans | $10–$99/month | $10–$99/month | | Dialling | 10 digits, no area code | 10 digits, no area code | | Routing, IVR, recording, reporting | Included | Included | | Portability | Yes | Yes |
Read the first three rows and you have the whole decision. The rest of the table exists to show there is no hidden penalty either way: both formats run on the same plan ladder — pricing lists current rates — and both carry the same feature layer.
What the cost split means in practice
On 1300, your callers co-fund the line. Every caller contributes up to the local call rate, which trims your per-call cost. For high call volumes — trades taking booking calls all day, support desks, clinics — the saving compounds. The cost to you is a caller-side charge that a few callers notice, though "local rate anywhere in Australia" is a mild one.
On 1800, your callers pay nothing. Every barrier to picking up the phone disappears from a fixed line, which is why toll-free is the standard choice for customer support, sales hotlines and any line where a hesitant caller is a lost customer. The cost to you is funding every second — the fuller bill breakdown is in 1800 number cost, with the 1300 side in 1300 number cost and pricing.
How to decide
- Who calls you, and why? Customers chasing support or sales convert better on a free call — lean 1800. Callers responding to invoices, bookings or callbacks accept a local rate — 1300 is fine.
- What is your call volume? High volumes magnify the caller''s share on 1300. Low volumes make the difference negligible — pick on positioning, not price.
- What do you advertise? If the number goes on vans and signage where "free call" is a persuasive line, 1800 earns its premium. If the number lives on a contact page, 1300 reads just as professionally.
- Can you change your mind? Yes — the formats share the same platform, so moving between them later is a service change, not a rebuild. Your routing, recording and reporting come with you.
Some businesses simply run both: 1800 as the advertised customer line, 1300 for trade and partner traffic. Both connect from the same available numbers pool.
The one-line version
A 1300 number shares the call cost with your callers; an 1800 number takes the whole call onto your bill in exchange for a free-call promise you can print. The products behind them — routing, IVR, voicemail-to-email, recording, reporting — are explained in 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers.
Both from $10/month
Pick your format and connect it today
Search the available pool for a 1300 or 1800 number and answer it on the phones you already use.