How to Call a 1300 Number in Australia

Calling a 1300 number in Australia takes no special steps: dial the complete 10-digit number — 1300 followed by six digits — exactly as it is displayed, from anywhere in Australia. There is no area code to add and no prefix to enter. From a fixed line the call costs you no more than a local call, no matter where in the country the business sits, and the business pays the rest of the call cost under the shared-cost model.

Dialling from an Australian landline

Enter all ten digits and press call — 1300 123 456 dials exactly as written. Do not add a leading zero, an area code or a country code. A 1300 number is national: calling a business in Perth from Sydney costs you the same as calling a business next door. If your landline plan includes local calls, the call is typically covered the same way; if your plan bills per call, the local call rate applies.

Dialling from a mobile

From a mobile, dial the same 10 digits. What you pay is set by your mobile carrier and plan rather than by the business: many plans treat calls to 1300 numbers as standard calls drawn from your included allowance, while others charge them separately. Because the answer varies by provider, check your plan if you are unsure — but you never need a different dialling format from a mobile.

What happens after you dial

Your call reaches the business's virtual exchange, which applies its configured routing rules and connects you to the answer point. Depending on how the business has set the number up, you might hear:

• A standard ring while the call routes to the answer point.
• An IVR menu — "press 1 for sales, press 2 for support" — if the business uses one to sort callers.
• After-hours handling, such as voicemail-to-email, if you call outside its hours.

The routing takes effect before you notice it; from your side it behaves like any other call. The only difference from an ordinary call is the cost split.

If the call will not connect

1. Verify the digits. The number is exactly 10 digits beginning with 1300. Missing or extra digits are the most common cause of failure.
2. Confirm you are calling within Australia. 1300 numbers are part of the domestic network, and most cannot be reached directly from overseas. Travelling callers should use the business's website or ask for an alternative number.
3. Try a different phone. If every 1300 number fails on one device, the fault may sit with your phone or account — your provider can check the service is active.
4. Use the business's other contact details. If one number will not connect, the problem is usually the business's routing configuration or account, not your phone. Its website will list another way through.

1300 or 1800 when you are the caller

Both formats dial identically; the cost split differs. A 1300 call charges you up to the local call rate and the business pays the balance. An 1800 call is free for you from a fixed line and the business pays everything. If a business offers both, the 1800 number is the cheaper option from a landline. The parallel steps for the toll-free format are in how to call an 1800 number.

If you are reading this as a business owner: a 1300 number gives your customers one national number at local-call cost to them. 1300 numbers explains the product, and the available numbers search shows what you can connect today.