Frequently Asked Questions about 1300 Numbers and 1800 Numbers

This information about 1300 and 1800 phone numbers in Australia will help you understand the basics, your options and how to make the right choices for your business.

Getting a SmartNumber or phone word number that you've always wanted may be more expensive than you thought. However, getting a good numeric 1800 number or 1300 number is still quick, easy and inexpensive.

Either way, we can help you

We specialise in providing low-cost 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers and the full range of telecommunications services to businesses around Australia. Regardless of whether you have a small home based or your business is a corporate giant, we can provide you with friendly help, advice and savings.

If you can't find the answers on our website, please call us on 1300 50 10 50. We'll be pleased to help.

What are the differences between 1300 Numbers and 1800 Numbers?

A caller can make a call to a 1300 number from any Australian fixed landline for the cost of a local call. For this reason, a 1300 number is also known as “local call” number.

A caller can make a call to a 1800 number from any Australian fixed landline for free. This is why an 1800 number is also known as a “free call” or toll free number.

However, 1800 and 1300 callers using a mobile phone will usually pay a rate that is set by their mobile phone company.

The holder of the 1800 or 1300 number account (the recipient of the call) pays for the cost of the call. With 1300 numbers, the recipient receives free talk time for calls that originated from a local landline. (1300 Number Free talk time varies depending on plans, with our most popular 1300 number plan providing 30 free minutes.)

An 1800 number or 1300 number does not need a separate physical phone line. These are virtual numbers that are routed (redirected) to a destination number (a fixed landline or mobile) where calls can be answered. Callers can still dial your normal number directly. However, when someone dials your 1800 number or 1300 number, the call will also be received at your normal number as if the caller had dialled the normal number directly. Note that 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers are only for inbound calls. Your normal phone number (and account) is used for outbound calls (dialling out).

All of your normal number features including caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail or any answering equipment will all function the same as if the caller had dialled your normal number directly.

What are the various charges that can be applied by telecommunications companies?

Telecommunications company fees and charges can be very complicated and confusing to the average consumer. The telecommunications sector is very competitive and companies have become more and more “creative” and intentionally confusing when it comes to their fee structures (CAPS, Bundled/Combined packages etc).

The following charges may be applied to virtually ANY telecommunications service (including normal outbound calls that you make, inbound 1300 or 1800 numbers, mobiles):

• Setup Fee
• Monthly Account Fee
• Flagfall
• Minimum Call Fee
• GST (are fees GST inclusive?)
• Time-block charging methods (e.g. 30 sec or per second)
• Rates for calls from Local Numbers
• Rates for calls from Regional/National Numbers
• Rates for calls from Mobile Numbers
• Rates for Calls routed to a Mobile Destination Number
• Contract Exit Fees
• Amount of Free time on 1300 numbers
• Call charge Caps (usually have much higher rates)

A telecommunications company can structure these fees, rates and charges in any complex combination that they desire.

The rates, plans, bundles, product packages that telecommunications companies advertise can be made to appear extremely attractive.

However, they usually give in one hand and take from the other and when everything is considered, you're not usually getting the best deal. At the end of the day (sorry - month) all that really counts is - “how much is your bill?“

Other Terms & Conditions may include:

• Fixed Contract Period/s
• Exit fees if you cancel before a specified period
• Exit fees if you cancel at ANY TIME.
• The telecommunications company's ability to change their Terms & Conditions and Fees without notice to the customer.

It is important that you always read the provider's Terms and Conditions.

Unfortunately most people don't have time to check their account each month. Unless you have specialised software or have the time to create complex spreadsheets, its usually too complicated to analyse your monthly call costs. Unscrupulous companies and salespeople often use this to their advantage. We know of one Australian telecommunications company where it has been common practice to sign up the customer by promising one set of charges and actually charging something totally different.. Unless you have the time, the software, the inclination to analyse every call charge on your account, you won't know precisely what you're being charged and if that matches what was advertised or promised to you.

All businesses need to be profitable to stay in business and provide good customer service. Customer-Business relationships should be a 'win-win' for both parties. At Alltel, we also believe it is essential that businesses behave and compete in a professional, ethical and honest way.

Will it be MY 1300 number?

Some carriers (particularly phone word companies) keep the rights to the 1800 number and lease/sublease it to you. If you obtain your 1800 number or 1300 number from us, it's yours providing you maintain your account in good order and keep your it attached to a destination number. If you wish, you can even transfer your 1800 number to another carrier at any time.

When your 1300 number or 1800 number IS NOT YOURS

1. When it is owned by an 1300 number or 1800 number provider and they “lease/sublease” it to you.

   Important: If you…

   1. call some 1300 number or 1800 number businesses to ask if a special number is available, or
   2. use some 1300 number or 1800 number websites to see if a particular phone word is available,

   your request is recorded/logged and the company will quickly purchase the 1300 number if it is available and then attempt to “lease” it to you at extremely high fees. This practice is common, so beware. Your business phone number is the lifeline of your business. If you do business with an unethical provider, your business will then be at their mercy forever. If you have a disagreement with that provider or fail to pay their demands, you could have your 1300 phone number withdrawn and leased to one of your competitors.

   We guarantee that we will help you to get the 1300 number you want if it is available… and it will be your 1300 number. What do we make out of it? - a happy customer… and naturally we hope you will then use us to act as the “carrier” for your new 1300 number.

2. When it is a “shared 1300 number”

   Sharing is a common practice, particularly with 1300 phone word providers. An 1300 number or 1800 number can be routed to multiple destination numbers (e.g. Callers from NSW can be redirected to the destination number of a Sydney business. Callers from Victoria can be redirected to the destination number of a Melbourne business). This means the 1300 phone word provider can lease the SAME 1300 NUMBER to different businesses state by state or in other smaller, regional areas.

   Another “shared number” variation is the 1300/1800 number extension. The provider sells “extensions” to the same 1300 number or 1800 number. e.g. 1300 987 789 Ext 321 or Ext 654. This product may be OK for the kids to call home reverse charges. However it is definitely NOT an appropriate format for a business phone number.

   When you obtain a 1300 number or 1800 number from us you can be assured that it will be YOUR number. We put our customers first and we believe this is the best way to build our business.

Can I keep my 1300 number if I relocate?

1300 numbers and 1800 numbers are portable. If you relocate, you can change your destination number at no charge just by calling our customer service number or by emailing us. You won't need to reprint your stationery or notify customers as your business 1300 numbers or 1800 numbers remain unchanged.

How can you offer such a range of CHEAP 1300 number monthly plans?

We understand that every business is different and has different needs. We purposely designed a range of low-cost 1300 plans to suit every business from small to large. Many people ask us how we're able to provide such a wide range of plans with such low rates. There are several reasons ...

1. Our focus is to provide customers with what they want. Our management structure allows us to be flexible and respond quickly to market requirements and industry changes.
2. The major carriers have high overheads and advertising costs that we don't.
3. Our telecommunications business runs on a highly sophisticated computer program which automates our administration, call logging and customer accounts.
4. Our customers are happy so they don't keep calling us with problems and we don't get complaints. This means we can provide excellent customer service with lower staff levels and lower costs.
5. Our system is paperless. Your monthly account is sent to you by email, saving printing and postage costs.
6. Your account is paid by direct debit, reducing our account administration costs.
7. We buy in bulk at wholesale rates from large “behind the scenes” carriers.
8. Our highly efficient business system enables us to pass on the savings to our customers and provide you with our exceptionally low rates.

How can I access my call records and account online?

Our sophisticated online reporting and call analysis allows you to check your account at any time and to analyse your callers ... date, time, origin (local, national or mobile), partial number of caller (limited to partial number because of Privacy Laws), missed calls, busy, and the call duration of every call.

How can I pay my account?

To keep your 1300 number costs low and to simplify your accounting (and ours), we ask you to pay your account by Direct Debit. Early each month (on or around the 5th of the month), we send you your previous month's account by email. Then, on or around the 12th of the month, your direct debit is used to pay your account.

Which telecommunications company should I trust with my business?

We offer very inexpensive, competitive prices and rates ... but we're not “cheap“.

Our customers are professional business people. After shopping around and considering the so-called “cheap” options, they obviously prefer our inexpensive prices and to partner with a professional company that compliments their own business and professional attitude ... a reliable company that doesn't let them down.

The number of costly complaints against telecommunications companies is staggering. Don't be misled into making a poor choice of telecommunications provider ... the future of your business could depend on it.

How will an 1300 numbers or 1800 number benefit my business?

The first and most obvious benefit is that 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers increase both the response rate to your advertising and your effective geographical market area. Business-wise, Australian consumers prefer to dial “Local call” 1300 numbers and “Free call” 1800 numbers. Potential customers are more likely to respond to your advertising and will call from a larger geographical area if you advertise an 1300 number or 1800 number rather than a number that they can't identify as local. Potential customers also resent having to phone your mobile number and are more likely to call a competitor who makes it easy and inexpensive for them to call. 1300 numbers, 1800 numbers and 13 numbers are recognised and accepted everywhere throughout Australia.

Other benefits of 1300 number and 1800 numbers include:

Portability - Most growing businesses need to relocate at some stage. One of the most important benefits for the future growth of your business is the ability to retain your advertised phone number and web address etc. You can retain your advertised 1300 numbers or 1800 numbers and simply change the destination number when required. No need to reprint your marketing material or change your advertising. When you relocate your business or your needs change, it's easy to change the destination number - simply send us an email.

More professional. Large company image - 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers increase your businesses public perception and create a larger more significant corporate image, even for a small home-based business. In addition, our inexpensive Virtual Office Services make it very easy to create an extremely professional “large company image“.

Wider market reach - If you're only a “local” business, then a normal number will do. However if you want to market your products and services in a wider area area, then an 1300 number or 1800 number is essential for your business.

Scalability - We have a range of cheap 1300 number plans to suit any level of business and call volume. This means that a new or small business with little call volume will pay very little for their service. When your business grows and your call volumes and usage increase, you can switch (for FREE) at any time to a more appropriate 1300 number plan that will continue to keep your costs low.

Ease of use (and account analysis) - While 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers are extremely simple to use, they are highly configurable to suit various business requirements. Our online system also provides the account holder with additional caller information including the callers number (providing the callers ID information is not blocked) as well as additional tracking and measurement capabilities.

Are there many cheap 1300 numbers to choose from?

There are approximately four thousand 1300 numbers in the ACMA “pool” at the beginning of each month. This includes 1300 numbers that are no longer used (re-release numbers) and new-release numbers.

Each month, we hand-pick the best 1300 numbers from the ACMA lists and make them available on our website/s.

No fearful 1300 bills here!

Some business owners who previously had their 1300 numbers or 1800 numbers with competitor carriers have said they weren't using them because of the fear of receiving large bills. You shouldn't have one and be afraid to use it.

We believe your 1300 number or 1800 number is a valuable marketing tool to help your business to grow. Your success means you'll stay in business and hopefully continue as our long-term customer and we'll both have an ongoing “win-win” business relationship.

We want you to be enthusiastic about advertising and using your 1300 number or 1800 number. It should provide you with a valuable “return on investment“. We provide our business services to you at “no fear” prices. Anything else would not be in your interest… or ours.

Naturally, the amount of your 1300 bill depends on a number of factors…

• The number of calls you receive. Obviously, the more you receive, the more business you should be doing.
• Where your incoming calls originate from - local, regional/national or from mobile callers.
• How long you continue talking to those callers. Remember: most of our plans provide you with FREE talk time for calls to your 1300 number if it's from a local landline caller. However, if you redirect your 1300 number or 1800 number to your mobile phone (as your destination number) and talk for half an hour, then naturally you can expect that call cost to be higher.

With our cheap 1300 number charges, we're confident you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how inexpensive it is to have your own 1300 number or 1800 number.

Are there different types of 1300 number and 1800 number suppliers in Australia?

There are basically two types of companies in the 1300 number and 1800 number business. They are:

1. companies that own and provide phone word numbers
2. “full service” telecommunications companies like ours.

Phone word companies usually have a selection of specific numbers which they have purchased at auction from ACMA (smartnumbers). Some will offer to sell these to you at ridiculously high prices. Most of them lease/sublease the numbers or provide them to you under a shared use agreement where they lease/sublease by area or region (e.g. a State). This arrangement can provide you with access to better phone word numbers but you'll usually pay significantly more for both the monthly fee and the call rates. It can also limit your future growth outside that area. The phone word also retains the ultimate ownership rights and control which can ultimately leave you at their mercy, particularly the more you advertise and become dependent on your number.

We are a “full service” telecommunications company. We provide telecommunications services such as local, long distance and mobile phone services. We also offer services such as Live Answering, voice (voicemail) to email (voice2email), fax to email (fax2email), recorded announcements etc. When combined, these additional services become known as Virtual Office Services.

What are the routing options for 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers?

Calls can be routed in a various ways depending on the phone number being called, the location of the caller, and/or the time of day, and can be further re-directed if the destination number is busy or not answering. Our Routing Options are a set of features that offer you the possibility of determining one or more destination numbers based on the location of the caller, the time of the call and the location of your destination number/s.

In deciding how to route your 1300 number or 1800 number you can choose from one of the following options:

• Origin Dependent Routing
  • Australia Wide Routing (1 area)
  • State Based Routing (8 areas)
  • Region Based Routing (208 areas)
  • Area Based Routing (2045 areas)
  • Exchange Based Routing (5283 areas)
• Time Based Routing
• Postcode Prompting
• Call Splaying
• Call Forwarding on Busy/No Answer/Congestion
• Emergency Routing Procedure

For a full description of each of the options available please visit our 1300 Number Routing Options page.

What are Phone Word numbers and SmartNumbers?

These are numbers that partially spell a word (e.g. 1300 PIZZAS).

The “Australian Communications and Media Authority” (ACMA - an Australian Government department) controls all phone numbers in Australia. Sometime, somewhere, someone decided that the government should make money from phone numbers that spell words, so virtually every 1300 number, 1800 number and 13 number that spells a word has been earmarked by ACMA. The licensing right to use these numbers is made available through an auction process at the ACMA website smartnumbers.com.au. The minimum bid required by a business is $250.

You may be lucky to get a unique number that relates to your business. However, most of the generic and good phone words or smart numbers have have already been purchased by the phone word companies. If you want one of these numbers, the appropriate phone word company will charge you various fees for the rights to use it. The number usually remains under the control of the phone word company. You only pay for the licence to use it.

Are there benefits to having a phone word number?

Yes and No. The Vanity number concept originated in the USA. The phone word concept and industry is relatively new to Australia and so far, consumers don't appear to have accepted the concept. Australian consumers seem to be confused when required to dial a word, while they are familiar and comfortable with dialling numbers. This may change over time.

With the additional and potentially high costs of having a phone word number, small to medium sized businesses don't seem to be rushing to get them either.

However, if you're into marketing, eventually a good memorable phone word 1300 number or 1800 number may increase the response rate to your advertising. The main purpose of advertising is to create something that consumers remember (branding).

The most important “call to action” (call this number, visit this website etc) part of your advertising is usually your phone number or web address. Ideally, you also want the potential customer to remember who you are, what you do and how to reach you on the phone or the internet. If you can do this by having a 1300 or 1800 phone word number and domain that describes who you are and what you do, you've got it made. For TV, Radio or outdoor advertising this is probably more important. Generally though, phone word numbers are probably more appropriate for large corporations that really need to develop their brand name.

Do Phone Word numbers work with all phones?

Apparently there are several different phone keypad layouts in Australia, mainly on older phones. Just one example of a different layout is that some keypads have the q and z on the 1 button, while others have the q on the 7 button and the z on the 9 button).

This could obviously cause problems for callers when trying to dial a specific phone word rather than a number (e.g. 1300 PIZZAS).

Don't assume that the phone word you've designed will actually work correctly on all phones and be careful not to lock yourself into a phone word number that has limited functionality.

If you buy a SmartNumber, can we act as your carrier?

Once you've acquired your number at auction, you'll receive the documents from ACMA. You then need to generate a ROUPIN via the smartnumbers.com.au site.

Once you've done this, you simply open an account with us, provide us with the ROUPIN and you'll have your new Smart Number operating (usually) within 7 working days.

Are 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers useful in marketing my business?

• Most Australians accept and regularly use 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers.
• There is increasing demand for new 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers for business use.
• Experts say that 84% of current Internet users rely on electronic media to search for product or service information in order to make a purchase. The ability to find the 1300 number or 1800 number of a business on an internet advertisement or website greatly improves it's success and response rate.
• Good adverts featuring a 1300 number or 1800 number can generate up to 30% more enquiries.
• In a study accomplished by Bellcore (USA), newspaper advertisements that were almost identical were displayed and monitored. One group had a toll-free number and the others didn't. The ads that included a toll-free number received six times more calls than the regular number.
• If you want to increase your advertising response by as much as 50%, use a 1300 number or 1800 number on product literature.
• Fund-raising organisations have increased their overall advertising response rate approximately 25% by adding a 1300 number or 1800 number in commercials, print ads and direct mail that previously used only addresses.