How 1300 Numbers Work in Australia
Understanding 1300 Numbers: Your Complete Guide to Virtual Business Phone Numbers
Key Features of 1300 Numbers
- Virtual numbers not tied to any physical location or phone line
- Calls automatically route to your chosen destination (mobile, landline, VoIP)
- Local call rate for customers calling from anywhere in Australia
- Fully portable—keep your number if you move offices or cities
- Professional national presence without expensive infrastructure
What Is a 1300 Number?
A 1300 number is a ten-digit virtual business phone number that provides a professional, Australia-wide contact point for your customers. Unlike traditional phone numbers tied to a specific geographic location or physical phone line, a 1300 number exists in the cloud and can route calls to any destination you choose—whether that’s your mobile, office landline, home phone, or even multiple numbers in sequence.
The format is simple: 1300 followed by six digits (for example, 1300 123 456). These numbers are instantly recognisable to Australian consumers as business numbers, and they carry an expectation of professionalism and legitimacy. When customers see a 1300 number, they know they’re dealing with an established business rather than someone operating from a personal mobile.
What makes 1300 numbers particularly valuable is their shared cost model. Callers pay only the local call rate regardless of where they’re calling from in Australia—whether it’s Sydney, Perth, or regional Queensland. Your business covers the remaining cost of the call. This makes it affordable for customers to reach you while keeping your costs reasonable, striking a perfect balance for small to medium businesses.
How 1300 Number Call Routing Works
The magic of 1300 numbers lies in their intelligent routing capabilities. When a customer dials your 1300 number, the call travels through the telephone network to our platform, where sophisticated routing rules determine where it should be directed. This happens in milliseconds, so callers experience no delay—they simply hear the phone ringing as normal.
You have complete control over where calls go. The simplest setup is single-destination routing: all calls go to one phone number, such as your mobile. This works perfectly for sole traders or small businesses with one main contact person.
For more complex needs, you can implement sequential routing, where calls try one number first, then automatically move to the next if there’s no answer. For example, calls might try your office phone, then your mobile, then a colleague’s phone, ensuring no opportunity is missed.
Time-based routing is one of the most popular features. You can set different destinations for business hours versus after-hours. During the day, calls might go to your office; after 5pm, they might divert to your mobile or straight to voicemail. You can even set different rules for weekends and public holidays.
Advanced businesses use geographic routing to direct calls based on the caller’s area code, ensuring customers reach their local office or representative. Percentage-based routing can distribute calls evenly across a sales team, and overflow routing can handle high call volumes by directing calls to additional staff when primary lines are busy.
Understanding the Shared Cost Model
The economics of 1300 numbers are straightforward but often misunderstood. When someone calls your 1300 number, the cost is split: the caller pays the local call rate, and your business pays the remainder.
For the caller, this means they’re charged as if they were calling a local number in their area—typically included in mobile plan call allowances or charged at standard local rates (around 25-40 cents untimed from landlines, variable from mobiles depending on plans). There’s no premium rate or long-distance charge, regardless of where they’re calling from. A customer in Cairns pays the same as someone in Melbourne.
For your business, you pay a per-minute charge that typically ranges from 10 to 25 cents per minute, depending on whether the call originates from a mobile or landline. This shared cost model makes 1300 numbers more affordable to operate than toll-free 1800 numbers (where business pays everything) while still removing the barrier of long-distance charges for customers.
This arrangement benefits everyone: customers can contact you affordably from anywhere, and your business gets a professional national number without prohibitive costs.
Setting Up Your 1300 Number
Getting a 1300 number operational is remarkably simple—no technicians, no hardware, no complicated installations. The entire process happens online and takes about 10 minutes:
Step 1: Choose Your Number
Browse available 1300 numbers and select one that’s memorable or relevant to your business. You might choose a sequential pattern (like 1300 123 456), repeating digits (1300 111 222), or a phoneword that spells something meaningful (1300 PLUMBER).
Step 2: Configure Basic Routing
Enter the phone number where you want calls directed. This can be your mobile, office landline, or any Australian phone number. You can easily change this later through the online portal.
Step 3: Set Your Business Hours
Define when your business is open so calls can be handled appropriately during and after hours. You might route daytime calls to your office and evening calls to voicemail.
Step 4: Test and Go Live
Your number activates instantly. Call it from another phone to ensure everything works correctly. Once satisfied, update your website, business cards, and marketing materials with your new professional contact number.
That’s it. No waiting for installation appointments, no complex programming, no additional hardware to buy. Your 1300 number is ready to use immediately.
Advanced Features That Make 1300 Numbers Powerful
Modern 1300 numbers are far more than simple call forwarding. They’re comprehensive business communication tools with features that would cost thousands with traditional phone systems:
Call Recording: Automatically record incoming calls for training, quality assurance, or record-keeping. Access recordings through your online portal anytime.
IVR / Auto Attendant: Create professional phone menus where callers press numbers to reach different departments. ‘Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support’ adds a polished touch even for small businesses.
Voicemail to Email: When calls go to voicemail, recordings are automatically sent to your email, so you never miss a message even when you’re away from your desk.
Call Analytics: Track call volumes, peak times, missed calls, average duration, and caller locations. This data helps you understand customer behaviour and optimise staffing.
SMS Capabilities: Many 1300 numbers can send and receive text messages, useful for appointment confirmations, customer service responses, or marketing campaigns.
Whisper Messages: When a call comes in, you hear a brief message identifying which number was called (useful if you have multiple 1300 numbers for different campaigns).
Call Queuing: During busy periods, callers hear hold music and a message about their position in the queue rather than receiving a busy signal.
All these features are managed through a user-friendly online portal accessible from any device. No technical expertise required—if you can use a website, you can manage your 1300 number.
Common Use Cases: How Businesses Use 1300 Numbers
1300 numbers serve diverse business needs across every industry. Here are some of the most common applications:
Customer Service Lines: Retail businesses, utilities, and service providers use 1300 numbers as primary customer support contacts, making it easy and affordable for customers to get help.
Sales Hotlines: A dedicated 1300 number for sales enquiries helps track marketing campaign effectiveness and ensures sales calls never miss their target through smart routing.
National Campaigns: When advertising across Australia, a 1300 number provides one memorable contact point rather than listing different regional numbers.
Booking Systems: Restaurants, hotels, medical practices, and service businesses use 1300 numbers to centralise bookings, with calls routing to available staff or specific locations.
Support Desks: Tech companies, software providers, and B2B services offer 1300 support lines, often integrated with IVR to route calls based on issue type.
Real Estate Enquiries: Property listings with 1300 numbers can route to the specific agent or office while presenting a professional agency-wide brand.
The flexibility of 1300 numbers means they adapt to virtually any business model, from sole traders working from home to national enterprises with call centres. The technology scales with your business—start simple and add features as you grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About How 1300 Numbers Work
Do I need a physical phone line for a 1300 number?
No, 1300 numbers are virtual and don’t require any physical phone line or hardware. They route calls to whatever existing phone you choose—mobile, landline, VoIP, or multiple numbers. This makes them incredibly flexible and portable.
Can I keep my 1300 number if I move offices or change cities?
Yes, absolutely. Because 1300 numbers aren’t tied to any physical location, you keep your number regardless of where your business relocates. Simply update your routing destination in the online portal, and calls immediately start ringing at your new location.
What happens if I don’t answer a call to my 1300 number?
You have several options: the call can roll over to another number (sequential routing), go to voicemail, or follow time-of-day rules. You configure this behaviour based on your preferences, ensuring no calls are lost.
Can multiple people answer the same 1300 number?
Yes, you can set up routing to ring multiple phones simultaneously (parallel routing) or one after another (sequential routing). This is perfect for teams where any member should be able to answer customer calls.
Do 1300 numbers work from mobile phones?
Yes, 1300 numbers work perfectly from both mobile and landline phones across Australia. Mobile callers pay the local call rate, which is typically included in their plan’s standard call allowance.
How quickly can I start using a 1300 number?
Immediately. New 1300 numbers activate within minutes of signing up. If you’re porting an existing 1300 number from another provider, the process takes 1-2 business days, but we handle all the coordination.
