1800 and 1300 Numbers
A 1300 or 1800 number does something that a local 02 number alone cannot: it tells customers that your business is reachable from anywhere in Australia, not just from Wyong. It creates a single memorable contact point that you can advertise nationally, route intelligently, and track for performance, regardless of where your team is actually based.
Central Connect provides 1300 and 1800 inbound numbers for businesses across the Central Coast and NSW. We set up the number, configure the routing rules, connect it to your existing phone system or hosted 3CX setup, and provide the reporting so you can see exactly how your inbound calls are performing.
The main difference is who pays for the call. On a 1300 number, the cost is shared between you and the caller. From a landline, the caller typically pays a local call rate. From a mobile, the caller’s standard mobile rates apply. On a 1800 number, the call is completely free to the caller and your business covers the full cost.
| Features | 1300 Number | 1800 Number |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to caller (landline) | Local call rate | Free |
| Cost to caller (Mobile) | Standard mobile rates apply | Free |
| Cost to your business | You pay the difference above a local call cost | You pay the full inbound call cost |
| Impression to callers | Professional, established | Premium, customer-first, toll-free |
| Best suited to | Professional services, trades, SMBs, Central Coast businesses wanting a national number | Larger businesses, national brands, businesses where caller friction needs to be zero |
| Smart number availability | Yes, 1300 MY BRAND style numbers available via ACMA | Yes, 1800 MY BRAND style numbers available via ACMA |
For most small to medium businesses on the Central Coast, a 1300 number is the right starting point. If your business serves a national customer base or operates in a sector where the cost of calling creates a barrier to enquiry, financial services, healthcare, customer support, a 1800 number is worth the additional cost.
The number itself is the easy part. What makes 1300 and 1800 numbers genuinely useful is the routing logic behind them. Central Connect configures your routing rules to match how your business actually operates.
Direct calls to your main office during business hours and to a mobile or after-hours message outside them. Set separate rules for public holidays and business closure periods.
Route calls from Sydney callers to your Sydney team and calls from the Central Coast to your Wyong office. Useful for businesses with staff in multiple locations. Works alongside your hosted phone system or any SIP-connected system.
If the first destination does not answer within a set number of rings, the call overflows to a secondary number, a mobile, a different office, or voicemail. You decide the fallback chain.
Connect your 1300 or 1800 number to a 3CX IVR menu so callers hear a professional greeting and navigate to the right team. Works identically to how your standard business number handles routing.
Ring multiple phones or extensions at once rather than sequentially. First person to pick up takes the call. Useful for small teams where coverage is shared.
If all destinations are unavailable, the call goes to a voicemail box and the audio file is delivered to your nominated email address.
Every 1300 and 1800 number from Central Connect comes with call reporting access. You can see call volumes by day and time, where calls are coming from geographically, how many were answered versus missed, average call duration, and how traffic patterns change over time.
This is particularly useful for businesses running multiple advertising campaigns. Assigning a different 1300 number to each campaign lets you measure which channels are driving actual phone enquiries rather than just impressions or clicks.
A 1300 or 1800 number is an inbound number that routes calls to whatever destination you nominate. Central Connect can connect it to:
If you do not yet have a business phone system, Central Connect can set up a 1300 or 1800 number routing directly to your mobile while you get one in place. It is a simple starting point that you can upgrade without changing your advertised number.
A smart number is a 1300 or 1800 number where the digits spell a word or phrase on a telephone keypad. For example, 1300 MY SHOP or 1800 CENTRAL. Smart numbers are allocated by the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) and are available on a first-come first-served basis from their register.
Central Connect can assist with the ACMA application process if you want to pursue a specific smart number. Standard 1300 and 1800 numbers from Central Connect’s own number inventory are available immediately and can be active the same business day.
Your 1300 or 1800 number belongs to you, not to Central Connect. If you ever change providers, the number can be ported to your new carrier. Central Connect does not place any conditions on number porting. That said, our clients rarely need to move, see our about page for more on what long-term relationships with Central Coast businesses actually look like.
Yes. Central Connect can provision a 1300 or 1800 number that routes directly to your mobile in the interim. When you are ready to connect it to a full phone system with IVR and queuing, we update the routing without changing your advertised number.
You set the rules. Outside your nominated business hours, calls can go to voicemail with a custom message, redirect to an emergency mobile, or play a message advising callers of your opening hours and asking them to call back or visit your website. Central Connect configures this during setup and it can be updated at any time.
Yes. Many businesses use multiple 1300 numbers, one per campaign, one per product line, or one per geographic region. Central Connect can provision as many as you need, each with its own routing rules and reporting. There is no limit.
No. From an Australian landline, a 1300 call is typically capped at a local call rate. From a mobile, standard mobile rates apply and the caller pays them in full. If you want the call to be genuinely free from all devices including mobiles, you need a 1800 number.
Yes, and this is a common setup for Central Coast businesses. The 1300 number becomes your main advertised number for marketing. Your 02 local number stays active for existing clients and local contacts. Both can ring the same phone system with the same IVR and routing. There is no conflict between them.
Yes. 1300 and 1800 numbers can be ported to any Australian carrier. Central Connect places no restrictions on outbound porting. The number belongs to you.
