Short answer
Are 1300 Numbers in Australia Free?
No. A 1300 call costs the caller up to the local call rate from an Australian fixed line, and the business pays the remaining call cost. Free calls are 1800.
- Not free — local rate for callers
- No distance charge anywhere in Australia
- 1800 is the free format
Quick follow-ups
How much does a 1300 call actually cost a caller?
Up to the local call rate from a fixed line — often covered by a plan's included local calls. From a mobile, the caller's carrier and plan set the charge.
What does the business pay?
A monthly plan from $10 plus the call charges beyond any inclusions, charged per second at rates that differ for fixed-line and mobile origins.
Which Australian numbers are free to call?
1800 numbers — callers pay nothing from fixed lines and the business funds every call. The comparison is in our 1300 vs 1800 guide.
Is a 1300 call free from a mobile?
It depends on your carrier and plan. Many plans include 1300 calls in the standard allowance; check your plan's terms.
No — 1300 numbers in Australia are not free to call. The caller pays up to the local call rate from an Australian fixed line, wherever the business sits, and the business receiving the call pays the remaining call cost. The format that is genuinely free for callers from fixed lines is 1800.
The answer in one table
| | What happens on the call | |---|---| | Caller, fixed line | Pays up to the local call rate — often within a plan''s included local calls | | Caller, mobile | Pays whatever their carrier and plan set for 1300 calls | | Caller, overseas | The call generally will not connect — 1300 is domestic | | Business | Pays a monthly plan from $10, plus per-second charges beyond inclusions |
Two things are true at once: a 1300 call is not free, and it is never expensive — the local-rate ceiling holds nationwide, with no distance component anywhere in the format. The mechanics of why the cost is shared are in how 1300 numbers work, and the fuller cost picture is in 1300 number cost and pricing.
If the question is really "which number should I call?"
The free one. If a business offers both a 1300 and an 1800 number, the 1800 costs you nothing from a landline — dial it. The dialling steps for either format are identical: ten digits, no area code.
If the question is really "which number should I get?"
That depends which side of the call you are on. Businesses wanting the free-call promise choose 1800; businesses watching their own bill — or serving callers who expect a local rate — choose 1300. The trade is set out in 1300 vs 1800 numbers, the free-format question is answered in are 1300 numbers free, and the product detail is at 1300 numbers. Either way, pick your digits from the available numbers pool.
Local-rate for your callers
Get a 1300 number from $10 a month
One national number, local-rate calls for customers, answered on your existing phones.