Buy A Toll-Free Number For Your Small Business | Starting At $0 
Why Choose a Toll-Free Number for Your Small Business?
A toll-free number does more than look like a fancy string of numbers—it can streamline communication, boost customer trust, improve visibility, and support business efficiency.
Increase Customer Trust and Credibility
Businesses that use toll-free numbers benefit by taking on a more professional image.
Personal phone numbers are common, widespread, and accessible. On the other hand, toll-free numbers have a more credible and trustworthy appearance.
Using a toll-free number for your business signals to customers that you are operating a credible establishment. This increases the likelihood for customers to inquire and establish a business relationship with your company.
Eliminate Cost Barriers for Customers
Another benefit of a toll-free number is the decreased cost burden for your customers.
With a 1800 number, your customers will enjoy a free call on their mobile phone whenever they reach out. This makes them less hesitant to call your business and establish a relationship.
In contrast, a 1300 number charges customers like they are making a local call. This is still significantly less costly than calling a personal phone number from across the country.
Such reduced call costs can improve customer engagement and satisfaction, making your company stand out if your competitors rely on local phone numbers.
It shows that you are committed to making a customer-first experience. Which can, in turn, improve your company’s reputation.
Boost Marketing ROI with a Memorable Number
A toll-free number can also be a powerful marketing asset.
These numbers can double as vanity numbers, or a sequence of numbers that spell out a specific word that can boost brand recognition, like 1300-PLUMBER or 1800-MAKEUP.
This makes your toll-free telephone number more memorable, boosting the rate of inbound calls and improving ad response rates.
Furthermore, these numbers also have built-in call performance trackers, enabling businesses to track performance across different marketing campaigns. This specific feature helps businesses come up with data-driven strategies to achieve the target ROIs across these campaigns more effectively.
Improve Call Management and Business Efficiency
Another perk of inbound numbers is their ability to route calls efficiently, thanks to their built-in routing system.
With these numbers, you can set up an interactive voice response (IVR) model and automated responses. This allows customers to reach their target recipients more directly, streamlining communications.
Calls are also more likely to go through a toll-free number. Australia’s 1300 and 1800 numbers can be configured to forward calls to open lines automatically, allowing seamless and simultaneous call overflow.
These features all help in connecting callers and staff effectively, improving customer service and enhancing team productivity without needing additional staff or infrastructure.
1300 vs 1800 Numbers – Which One Is Right for Your Small Business?
If you are wrapping your head around the difference between a 1300 and 1800 number, this section will clear it up for you.
What Is a 1300 Number?
A 1300 number is a toll-free, inbound number where callers pay a local rate and businesses cover the difference.
For instance, if a caller’s location is in Melbourne and they are attempting to reach a 1300 number based in Sydney, they will be charged as if they were calling locally.
With a non-toll-free call number, on the other hand, they would be charged a higher rate. This is because they are attempting to reach one of Australia’s area codes.
A 1300 number helps businesses establish a national presence while maintaining their costs.
What Is a 1800 Number?
A 1800 number is a toll-free incoming call number that is completely shouldered by the business. It completely removes the cost barrier for customers and encourages more inbound calls.
It is free of charge for customers to call domestically. However, they do not work as international toll-free numbers.
Key Differences Between 1300 and 1800 Numbers
There is one primary difference between 1300 and 1800 numbers, and that is their underlying cost structure.
With 1300 numbers, both the business and the customer will shoulder the cost of the call. There’s also a government surcharge incurred for each call.
On the other hand, a 1800 number is fully toll-free for customers. This means the business will cover the entire cost of the call. No government surcharges exist for each call.
You can read up more on the differences between 1300 and 1800 numbers here.
How to Choose the Right Toll-Free Option for Your Small Business
Choosing the right toll-free option for your business hinges on several factors.
Specifically, before signing any lock-in contracts, you would need to closely evaluate your:
- Budget
- Expected call volume
- Target audience
- Business size
Generally speaking, both 1300 and 1800 numbers can be excellent choices for most businesses. A 1300 number may be more suitable for businesses that want to cut costs while still maintaining a good level of customer accessibility.
On the other hand, a 1800 number is preferred for businesses that drive business growth through frequent customer engagement, like customer support lines.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options and figured out the best inbound number for you, the next step is to set one up for your business.
How to Get a Toll-Free Number in Australia – Simple 4-Step Process
Here is a simple four-step guide to help you get a toll-free number for your business in Australia.
Step 1 – Choose Your Service Type
You can choose between 1300 numbers or 1800 numbers as your primary toll-free option.
1300 numbers are most popular for small businesses and startups. 1800 numbers are generally better for nonprofits and call centres.
1300 Number Hosting
Most Popular for startups, small businesses through to enterprise businesses.
- Get a new 1300 number
- Activate your 1300 Smart Number
- Transfer your 1300 Number
- No setup fee
- No term contracts
- Australian Based Support Centre
- Hosting 1300 numbers since 2004
1800 Number Hosting
Best solution for not-for profits and government call centres.
- No software or hardware required
- Easy divert to mobile phone or landline
- Unlimited monthly calls plan
- All included features plans
- Cloud-based call management features
- Optional granular call reporting
Virtual Local Numbers
Best solution for local businesses attracting local customers.
- No software or hardware required
- Easy divert to mobile phone or landline
- Unlimited monthly calls plan
- Cloud-based call management features
- Optional granular call reporting
Step 2 – Choose Your Hosting Service
The next step is to select a provider for your toll-free number. This is an essential step, as the right provider can be crucial in providing your business with constant uptime, flexible plans, and good customer support.
Some 1300 and 1800 number providers have slightly different offerings when it comes to their main features, like call routing, IVR, and data management.
Research and vet your options, then pick a partner that best suits your company’s needs.
Step 3 – Choose Your Hosting Plan
Hosting services typically offer a range of pricing plans to suit companies of different sizes and needs. These pricing plans allow businesses to pick an option that scales with them, preventing the risk of overspending on unnecessary features.
These hosting plans scale in value based on call volume, call capacity, call routing complexity, and integration options.
Step 4 – Complete Your Application
Submit your details through the provider’s online portal or with assistance from their team.
Once approved, you will receive your desired number and can start using it right away.
How Much Does a Toll-Free Number Cost in Australia?
Here’s a general cost breakdown of the most popular Australia toll-free numbers.
| 1300 Number Costs | 1800 Number Costs | |
|---|---|---|
| Caller Cost | Local call rate, 20c per call | $0, free for the caller |
| Business Cost (Per Call) | 8-16c per call, depending on mobile or landline usage. | 40c per call on average; always more than the cost of 1300 numbers |
| Setup Fees | $20 upwards, depending on the plan | $45 upwards, depending on the plan |
| Monthly Fee | $5 to $30, depending on the plan | $5 to $30, depending on the plan |
| Call Charges | 18c per minute | 20c per minute |
| Best For | Small to medium businesses, startups | Non-profits, large businesses, call centres |
| Scalability | Great scalability. Ideal for businesses of all sizes. | Excellent scalability. Ideal for high-volume call handling. |
Avoiding Hidden Fees and Overcharges
Some service providers show a cheap opt-in rate upfront for their 1300 or 1800 numbers, but the advertised price does not always show the entire picture.
You should watch out for common hidden costs, such as:
- Setup fees
- Per-minute charges
- Call forwarding costs
- Cancellation penalties.
These costs can add up and can lead to unexpected and recurring costs for your business. So, make sure that you read the fine print in contracts before committing to a plan and educate yourself more on how to avoid hidden fees.
Best Value Toll-Free Number Plans for SMEs & Startups
Keeping costs lean is often high on the priority list for growing businesses like SMEs and startups.
Fortunately, inbound numbers like 1300 and 1800 numbers are excellent investments in this scenario. This is because they are scalable and easy to upgrade or downgrade depending on the business’s most pressing needs.
The value of these numbers is subjective based on your business’s needs. A company with a size of 20 or fewer employees looking to service clients nationwide may find a 1300 number the most value-adding asset among the two. A 1800 number, on the other hand, would be more value-adding for larger startups.
In any case, picking these business numbers is also a superior financial decision than sticking with personal phone numbers. This is because these numbers have additional features that provide value to companies, such as call routing, voicemail and analytics.
Why Our Toll-Free Numbers Stand Out
Our toll-free numbers are excellent assets for any growing company for several reasons, boasting unique features including:
- Announcement: Allows the insertion of a pre-recorded message.
- Mobile-to-mobile overflow: Program multiple phone numbers to ring sequentially.
- Simultaneous ringing: Allows phones to receive same-time calls.
- Time of Day routing: Sets rules on specific hours and days.
- Dedicated Caller ID: Shows who’s on the other end if saved as a contact on your phone.
- IVR: Allows customer selection configuration to streamline calls.
Announcement
Let’s you insert a pre-recorded greeting or announcement message, introducing your business to the caller. Announcements can be placed anywhere throughout the routing configuration to play whatever you desire to your customers.
Call Whisper
A programmable short recording that ONLY you hear when you answer a call, letting you know it came to you through the 1300/1800 number. We have generic recordings already uploaded; however, you can upload your own or use the text to speech function. This allows the caller ID number to also be received on your phone.
Dedicated Caller ID
You can choose to set a dedicated number that will show on the receiving phone for every call that comes through via the 1300/1800 number. This number can then be saved as a ‘contact’ in your phone with whatever label you desire. If you choose this option, the callers phone number won’t show on your phone any longer, however it can be accessed via the Call Logs in the customer portal.
Mobile to Mobile Overflow
You can program multiple phone numbers to ring one after another, with specified time out values for each phone number.
Voice 2 Email
Just like a voicemail, however we email through the recording that the caller leaves, along with the call info – time/date, caller ID and allocated mailbox name. We have a generic recording already uploaded; however, you can upload your own or use the text to speech function.
Time of Day routing
You can set specific rules for different times of the week or hours of the day, e.g Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, call my mobile – all other times, go to voice 2 email.
Simultaneous Ringing
Allows you to set multiple phones to all receive the call at the same time, whoever answers takes the call. Note that if a phone is off or unavailable, the call may go to that phones voicemail if programmed, not allowing others to answer.
Round Robin
Calls take turns calling different phones (call 1 goes to phone A, the next call that comes through goes to phone B etc). Good for sharing calls amongst a sales or customer service team.
IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
Allows you to configure customer selection-based routing where the caller can pick Option 1 for XX or option 2 for YY etc. You will need to upload custom recordings to use this function. We can provide you with further information on setting up this configuration if you need.
Why Choose Teleca for Your Toll-Free Number?
Besides the aforementioned features, we also have several benefits that make us the premier choice for Australian businesses looking to scale their communications:
Best Rates in Australia – No Hidden Costs
We pride ourselves on offering transparent pricing on all our plans. Our flexible plans are designed to suit all budgets without skimping on value.
Local Customer Support – Speak to an Expert Anytime
Get fast, friendly help from our Australia-based support team, available when you need real advice. We do not do generic chatbot responses or outsource our customer service.
Scalable Solutions – From Startups to Enterprise Businesses
Scaling is not a problem with Teleca. Whether you are a first-time entrepreneur or a growing company, our toll-free numbers have features that can grow alongside you.
Trusted by Hundreds of Australian Businesses
You are not entrusting your 1300 or 1800 number services to a no-name brand; we can tell you that much. Join a community of satisfied Australian clients who rely on Teleca for reliable services and great value.
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Get Started Today – Secure Your Toll-Free Number in Under 5 Minutes!
Whether you are looking to switch business number providers or hop on the 1300/1800 number train for the first time, we have got you covered.
With Teleca, setting up a toll-free number will be nothing less than quick, easy, and hassle-free. We keep things simple with clear pricing, dependable support, and top-notch service—so you can connect with your customers and focus on growing your business.
Ready to take your business to the next level? Contact us, and let’s find the right number for your business today.
FAQs
What is the difference between 1300 and 1800 numbers?
1300 numbers share calling costs between the business and the caller. Meanwhile, 1800 numbers require businesses to cover the full costs.
Can I keep my existing number if I switch providers?
Yes. Porting your existing 1300 or 1800 number is possible. You simply have to apply for a transfer with your target provider through their online portal or with a live agent.
Are there any setup fees or contract obligations?
There are setup fees, but most providers offer flexible month-to-month plans, allowing you to switch your pricing plan whenever you deem it necessary.
Do I need a landline to use a toll-free number?
Nope! You can forward your toll-free number to a mobile or VoIP service instead, giving you complete flexibility.
Can I forward my toll-free number to multiple devices?
Yes, Teleca and other providers allow you to route calls to multiple devices or team members, even based on the time of day or caller location.
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