1800 Numbers

1800 numbers are virtual inbound numbers, which means they aren't tied to any single physical phone line and can't be used to make outbound calls. Instead, they sit in front of your existing phone services and pass incoming calls through to wherever you want them answered.

When a customer dials your 1800 number, the call moves across the network to the answer point you've selected, whether that's a landline, mobile, or call centre answering service. You decide how these calls flow, routing them by time of day, the caller's location, or your business hours, so every call is always handled the right way.

1800 numbers are known as Toll Free Numbers because the caller pays nothing to make the call. This applies to calls from any Australian landline or mobile, making the call completely free for your customers.

The term originally comes from the idea of a 'toll', which is simply a charge for using a service, in this case, the cost of the phone call. By making their number toll free, businesses remove any cost barrier for customers, encouraging more people to get in touch. It's a popular choice for businesses that want to make it as appealing as possible for customers to call.

Both 1300 and 1800 numbers are virtual inbound numbers that work in precisely the same way, sharing the same features and functions and directing calls to your chosen answer points. The single difference is what the caller pays. With a 1300 number, the caller is charged a fixed local-call rate from any Australian landline or their mobile plan's rate. With an 1800 number, the call is completely free from any Australian landline or mobile service. 

1800 numbers come with a wide set of features and functions, all designed to help you manage your calls and give every caller an outstanding experience. By combining these features, you can build a complete call management system shaped around the way your business operates. Key features include:

Toll Free for the Caller: calls are free for the caller from any Australian landline or mobile service, removing any cost barrier for customers to call your business.

Call Routing and Geo Routing: direct calls to any answer point and automatically send callers to the nearest or most suitable location based on where they're calling from.

Time-Based Routing: manage calls according to the time of day and your business hours, so you never miss a call or have a customer ringing out.

IVR Auto Attendant and Prompts: greet callers with a business intro message and a menu of options that guides them to the right person or department.

Business Intro Messages: play pre-recorded messages at the start of a call to reinforce your brand and promote your business.

Call Recording: review your calls to measure customer satisfaction and staff performance.

Voice2Email: send overflow and after-hours calls to voicemail, with messages delivered straight to a nominated inbox for immediate action.

Call Analytics and AI Call Intelligence: gain real-time insight into how your calls are performing, with detailed transcripts, summaries and sentiment analysis to help you track results and boost customer satisfaction.

You can mix and match these features to suit your needs, whether you're handling peak periods, covering after-hours calls, or creating a smooth experience for every caller.

1800 numbers offer a range of benefits that make them a valuable asset for businesses of any size.

Remove Cost Barrier to Call: 1800 numbers are free to call from any Australian landline or mobile, removing any cost barrier for customers to call your business and encouraging more people to get in touch.

A Professional, National Presence: a 1800 number works right across Australia, giving even a small or local business the image of a large, national organisation. Customers get a single consistent point of contact no matter where they're calling from.

Memorability and Marketing Power: 1800 numbers, particularly those with word-based or patterned digits, are far easier to remember than a standard ten-digit number. That drives stronger response rates from signage, billboards, radio and TV, and anywhere customers only glimpse your brand for a brief moment.

Flexible Call Routing: because 1800 numbers aren't tied to a physical phone line, you can direct calls to any answer point and change where they go whenever you like. Route calls by time of day, caller location, or business hours, and effortlessly handle peak periods and after-hours calls.

Continuity and Control: your number stays with you even if you relocate, change providers, or expand, so you're never out of reach of your customers. You retain full control of your call flow and can adjust it whenever your business needs change.

Insight and Analytics: 1800 numbers come with reporting tools that let you track call volumes, monitor how your marketing campaigns are performing, and match resources to demand, turning every call into valuable business intelligence.

Taken together, these benefits help you capture more enquiries, present a stronger brand, and manage your calls more effectively.

When you set up an 1800 number, you're not limited to just one type. There's a range of options to suit your budget, your branding and how memorable you want your number to be. Here are the main choices on offer.

Standard 1800 Numbers: a random 10-digit number selected from the available pool. These are the most affordable option and are ideal if you simply want a professional national number without any specific pattern.

Premium Easy-to-Remember Number Patterns: numbers with repeating digits or simple sequences that customers find easier to recall. These typically carry a higher once-off charge but can boost the impact of your advertising.

Smart Numbers (Phone Words/Phone Names): a number that spells out a word or your business name using the letters on the phone keypad, e.g. 1800 FLOWERS. Smart Numbers are highly memorable, strengthen your brand and can dramatically lift the response you get from marketing.

New or Existing Numbers: you can choose a brand new number, or port an existing 1800 number across if you're switching providers, so you don't lose a number your customers already recognise.

The right option for you comes down to your priorities. If cost is your main concern, a standard number does the job perfectly. If you'd like your number to work harder in your advertising, a Premium or Smart Number is well worth considering.

Getting an 1800 number is a simple process and we're here to help. Start by choosing the type of number that suits your business, whether that's a standard number, a premium easy-to-remember pattern, or a Smart Number that spells out a word or your business name. To help you decide, make the most of our Free Search and Advice service, where one of our B1300 Account Managers will search the database to find the best 1800 number for your needs. Once you've picked an available number, we'll reserve it for you and begin the service activation process. Get in touch with one of our team members and let us make it a seamless process.

Connecting a 1800 number is fast and simple because it doesn't need any special hardware, wiring, or a dedicated phone line. A 1800 number is a virtual inbound number that sits in front of your current phone services, so once it's set up you just nominate the answer points where you'd like your calls to land, such as a landline or a mobile number, or call centre answering service DID (Direct InDial Number).

B1300 is a full-service company and we'll look after the whole process for you. From helping you select the right number and activating the service to setting up your call flow and turning on the features you need. Get in touch today and let us make it simple for you.

Transferring your existing 1800 number to B1300 is a straightforward process known as porting, which lets you move providers without giving up the number your customers already recognise. To begin, just contact our team and let us know you'd like to bring your number across. We'll guide you through each step and tell you what information we require, which typically includes some basic account and number details from your existing provider.

From there, B1300 does the rest. We'll oversee the transfer, configure your call flow, and enable any features you need, so everything's ready to go the moment your number lands with us. Your number stays active the whole time, so you won't miss any calls. Get in touch today and we'll handle it all for you.

One of the biggest advantages of a 1800 number is that it belongs to your business, not to a particular location, phone line, or in most cases, the provider. Because it's a virtual inbound number that simply sits in front of your existing phone services, it isn't tied to any physical location. This means you can relocate your office, change your underlying phone services, or even switch providers, and your 1800 number stays exactly the same.

Unless you're leasing a number (B1300 does not lease numbers), if you ever decide to move to a new provider, your number can be ported across through a simple transfer process. This continuity means the number you promote on your signage, website, and advertising remains constant over time, protecting the marketing value you've built up and ensuring your customers can always reach you on the same number.

B1300 doesn't lease 1800 numbers, so any number we allocate to you 'belongs' to your business, and you retain full control over it.

Operating your 1800 number with B1300 is easy, and our Online Number Management Portal puts you in complete control of how your calls are managed. You can create and update your call flow at any time, make changes to where calls are answered and how they're routed based on factors like the time of day, the caller's location, or your business operating hours. That means you can effortlessly handle peak periods, cover after-hours calls, and make sure no caller is left unattended.

You also get access to a full suite of features you can enable and customise to fit your business requirements. These include Geo Routing, Time-Based Routing, Business Intro Messages, an IVR Auto Attendant, Call Recording, Voice2Email, and Call Analytics with AI Call Intelligence. Best of all, changes can be made in real time to keep up with your business operations, and whenever you'd like a hand, the B1300 team is on hand to help you get the most from your 1800 number.