13, 1300 and 1800 Business Phone Numbers

They're known as inbound numbers because they're built to receive calls rather than make them. Their entire purpose is to handle the calls coming into your business.

When someone 'dials' your 13, 1300 or 1800 number, the call is routed inbound to your chosen answer point(s), such as a landline or mobile service. You can't place outgoing calls from the inbound number itself; it simply acts as a single, professional point of contact that connects callers through to you.

13, 1300 and 1800 numbers are virtual inbound numbers, which means they aren't tied to a single physical phone line. Instead, they sit in front of your existing phone services and direct incoming calls to wherever you want them answered.

When a customer 'dials' your inbound number, the call is routed through the network to your chosen answer point, such as a landline, mobile, or call centre answering service. You decide how those calls flow, and you can direct them based on the time of day, the caller's location, or your business operating hours, so calls are always handled the right way.

All three are inbound numbers that route calls to your business from anywhere in Australia without having to use an area code and have the same features and functions. The difference lies in their format, cost, and the impression they create.

A 13 number is the shortest, with just six digits e.g. 13 13 13. The caller pays a local call rate from any Australian phone line, including mobiles. The six digit format makes a 13 number the most memorable of the three and the most powerful for marketing, which is why it's often used by large, established organisations. It comes at a higher price point, but its recall value can more than justify the cost for businesses running extensive advertising campaigns.

A 1300 number is a ten-digit number where the caller pays a local call rate from any Australian phone line, including mobiles. It's a popular, cost-effective choice for general business lines.

A 1800 number is also ten digits, but calls are free for the caller from any Australian phone line, including mobiles. This makes it ideal for customer service, support lines, and any situation where you want to remove all barriers to call the number.

Inbound numbers come equipped with a wide range of features and functions, all designed to help you manage your calls and deliver an outstanding caller experience. By combining these features, you can build a complete call management system tailored to how your business operates.

Key features include:

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

Time-Based Routing: manage calls according to the time of day and your business operating hours, so calls are handled properly around the clock.

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

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

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

Voice2Email: route overflow and after-hours calls to voicemail, with messages delivered straight to a designated inbox.

Call Analytics and AI Call Intelligence: gain real-time insight into your call performance, with detailed transcripts, summaries and sentiment analysis to help you manage results and improve customer satisfaction.

You can mix and match these features to suit your requirements, whether you need to handle peak periods, manage after-hours calls, or create a seamless experience for every caller.

Inbound business phone numbers offer a range of advantages that make them a valuable asset for businesses of any size.

A professional, national presence. A single 13, 1300 or 1800 number works right across Australia, giving even a small or local operation the image of a large, national organisation. Customers see one consistent point of contact no matter where they're calling from.

Memorability and marketing power. Inbound numbers, particularly ones with word-based or patterned digits, are far easier to remember than a standard ten-digit number. This delivers stronger response rates from signage, billboards, radio and TV, and where customers are only exposed to your brand for a short time.

Flexible call routing. Because inbound numbers aren't tied to a physical phone line, you can direct calls to any answer point and change where they go at any time. Route calls based on time of day, caller location, or business hours, and manage peak periods and after-hours calls with ease.

Continuity and control. Your number stays the same even if you relocate, change providers, or expand, so you never lose contact with your customers. You keep full control of your call flow and can adjust it as your business evolves.

Insight and analytics. Inbound numbers come equipped with reporting tools that let you measure call volumes, track marketing campaign performance, and allocate resources to match demand, turning every call into useful business intelligence.

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

A Smart Number is an inbound number made up of digits that spell out a word or follow a memorable pattern, making it exceptionally easy for customers to recall. Instead of a random string of numbers, a Smart Number uses the letters on a phone keypad to form a word linked to your business. For example, a plumbing company might use a number that spells PLUMBER, or a florist one that spells FLOWERS. Most numbers with a strong repeating or sequential pattern, such as 13 13 13, are also usually part of the Smart Number range.

Smart Numbers are managed and distributed by ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) and attract an upfront cost depending on their recall value i.e. more memorable numbers are more expensive. They also come with a ROU (Rights of Use) pin that allocates the number to you and becomes your asset regardless of whether its connected to a network or not (subject to ACMA rules and regulations).

Phone Words and Phone Names are a way of presenting your inbound number as a memorable word rather than a string of digits. Every number key from 2 to 9 on a phone keypad also represents letters i.e. 2 = ABC, 3 = DEF, and so on. By choosing a number whose digits line up with letters that spell a relevant word, you create a number customers can remember as a word rather than digits. For example, 1300 PLUMBER or 13 CABS is far easier to recall than the numeric equivalent, even though the customer's phone is simply 'dialling' the underlying numbers. Both Phone Words and Phone Names are part of the Smart Number range of inbound numbers distributed and managed by ACMA and attract an upfront cost.

A Phone Word typically refers to the word itself spelled out across the phone keypad, such as 1800 FLOWERS. A Phone Name is much the same idea, using your business name or a keyword tied to what you do, so the number reinforces your brand every time it's seen or heard. The big advantage is memorability. Customers only need to remember the word, not the numbers, which makes your advertising work harder across billboards, radio, TV and signage, and where your brand is only in view for a moment.

Aside from the upfront cost and memorability, where Smart Numbers usually have the edge, the key difference comes down to rights of use. A standard number has to stay connected to a network to remain with your business. Once it's disconnected, you lose all rights to it and, in most cases, can't get it back.

A Smart Number works differently, as it comes with a Right of Use (ROU). This means you keep the rights to the number even when it isn't connected to a network. The only condition is that it must be connected to a network at least once every three years to keep those rights active.