Definitive guide to 1300 & 1800 numbers

Which toll-free service is right for my business?

1300 and 1800 numbers have become increasingly popular nationwide and are widely perceived as business numbers. Regardless of the size of the enterprise, these virtual numbers have augmented the brand of various organisations, giving them a professional image that is deemed open and responsive to their customers. Due to their popularity and similarity, both numbers are often regarded as toll-free numbers but knowing the subtle differences between the 1300 and 1800 could offer significant benefits to you as a business owner or your customers. 

As a business owner, both 1800 and 1300 numbers allow you to keep in touch with your customers by making you easily accessible to your customers within Australia. For your customers, due to their relatively cheaper call rates, they can easily access you, regarding any issues or questions about your products and services. Since many large companies use these virtual numbers, smaller companies can leverage on that to give the impression that their business has a broader national reach.

Both 1300 and 1800 numbers are independent of any physical location and do not contain any area codes. By using a 1300 and 1800 number, you free yourself from automatically being identified by your area code. This is highly beneficial since their area codes can easily identify local phone numbers, and this can limit your reach to new businesses outside your region. Potential customers often prefer dealing with companies they feel are situated within their locality, which gives them a sense that they can easily access support when needed.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN 1300 AND 1800 NUMBERS

Both 1300 and 1800 numbers are identical to each other in terms of their features, functions and the way they are configured.

Both 1300 and 1800 numbers are only inbound numbers which mean they can only be used to receive incoming calls but not to make outgoing or external calls.

Both are 10-digit virtual numbers that can be assigned to any phone system like your existing PSTN lines, Voice Over IP, mobile or even an Interactive Voice Menu.

The numbers can be customised to spell out words that represent a business name or monikers that can be easily remembered by your customers which can be very useful in sales and convenient for your clients.

Both numbers are nationwide numbers without any geographical limitations or markers. They are not restricted to any provider, which means they are portable and belong to you till you decide to port it away to another provider.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 1300 AND 1800 NUMBERS

The only difference between 1300 and 1800 numbers is due to the way the calls are billed. Account-holders are charged for all incoming calls to 1300 to 1800 numbers, however, call rates to 1300 usually are lower than their counterpart because the cost of the call is shared between the Caller and the Account holder. 

Various factors determine the cost of a call to 1800 or 1300 number:

• The type of device used to make the call or the origin of the call- such as mobile, landline or payphone.
• Landline – calls from landlines originating from callers within the local area or state
• National Calls – calls from landlines within Australia
• Mobile Calls - calls from Mobile phones within Australia
• The service provider that provides the telephone service
• The subscription or call plan you have chosen with your service provider.

The origin is the most crucial factor. All call costs to both 1300 and 1800 depending on the origin of the caller and/or whether the call is made from a mobile or landline.

Calls from any fixed-line phone or landline to these virtual numbers are billed at a rate equivalent to local landline calls regardless of the callers’ location.

As the account holder, you typically pay a monthly subscription fee and a share of the call depending on your call plan. Calls from mobile phones are generally higher and depends on the rate charged by the service provider.

Conversely, the call costs for 1800 numbers from landlines are borne solely by the Account holder. This means that caller is not charged for making a call to 1800 numbers and that is why they are also referred to as TOLL-FREE numbers.

With the latest regulation from ACMA, there are no more charges associated with calls to 1800 numbers from mobile lines. Hence the caller those not pay any fee and all expenses are paid by the Account Holder.

ADVANTAGES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 1300 AND 1800 NUMBERS

WHICH NUMBER IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Finding the type of virtual number that is right for your business depends on the size of your business, the volume of inbound calls expected and your revenue. Because the call rates of 1300 are shared between the account holder and the caller, these numbers are a perfect fit for small to medium-sized enterprises that do not want to incur significant monthly telephone bills. However, since these numbers are not free to call, some customers may not call unless they are willing to bear the cost.

On the other hand, 1800 numbers are free to call (Toll-free numbers), which removes any financial barrier to customer interaction. The call rates are paid solely by the Account holder and are particularly suitable for big corporations, government organizations that are not on a budget.

To help you decide which number that is suitable for you, VoIPLine Telecoms have an unlimited pool of 1300 and 1800 numbers on different call plans and at competitive rates which can increase your business reach.

The Cloud Hosted PBX presented on a web-friendly graphic user interface empowers you to choose whether you want to connect your 1300 or 1800 number to a SIP Trunk, PSTN line or IVR by merely dragging and clicking your mouse.

For more information about our competitive call plans, please follow the link below or contact our support team at 1300 (VOIPLINE) 864754   

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