Is 1300 Free in Australia?

Is 1300 free in Australia? No — a 1300 call costs the caller up to the local call rate, from anywhere in Australia, with the business paying the remaining call cost. It is close to free and it is never long-distance, but "free" is the 1800 format's word, not 1300's.

The short version, by phone type

| Caller dials from | What the call costs | |---|---| | Fixed landline | Up to the local call rate — often covered by a plan''s included local calls | | Mobile | Whatever the carrier and plan set; many plans include 1300 calls | | Overseas | The call generally will not connect — 1300 is domestic to Australia |

The local-rate ceiling is the design of the format: distance plays no part in what a caller pays, so a 1300 number is as cheap to dial from Perth as from the suburb next door. What the caller pays from a mobile is decided by their carrier and plan — carriers treat 1300 calls differently and plans change, so the caller should check their own terms rather than trust a blanket rule.

Why the caller pays anything

1300 is a shared-cost product. Every caller contributes up to the local call rate, which lowers the bill for the business receiving the calls — the reason high-volume businesses often pick 1300 over 1800, where the business funds every call outright. Both formats dial identically (ten digits, no area code) and share the same features; the caller's contribution is the only real difference, and 1300 vs 1800 numbers sets it out call by call.

The two sides of the same call

• Caller: up to the local call rate, from any Australian phone, no distance charge. The dialling steps are in how to call a 1300 number.
• Business: a monthly plan from $10 with cap inclusions, plus per-second call charges beyond the inclusions at rates that differ for fixed-line and mobile origins. The bill structure is in 1300 number cost and pricing.

If your business wants the free-call version of this story, pick a number from the available 1800 numbers pool; if the shared-cost model suits your volumes, the available 1300 numbers pool is the same search. The product overview is at 1300 numbers.