1300 number are known as Local Rate Number or SmartNumbers. These work across large areas (potentially the whole of Australia) and only charge a local call, routing the call to the appropriate place in a given area. For example, a company could have the number 1300 767 376 and have the telephone company set it up so that calls made in Melbourne would route to their Melbourne number, calls made in Brisbane to their Brisbane number, and calls made anywhere else in Australia route to their Sydney number, all at a local charge cost to the caller.
1800, 1300 are reverse charge networks. The difference between a 1300 number and an 1800 number is that a 1300 number attracts a local call connect fee. A call to an 1800 is free (no fee to the caller if using a landline phone; mobile users are usually charged at standard rates). These numbers "forward" to a geographic or mobile number. When a 1300 number is called by a user in the same local call area there is no cost to the recipient for the first few minutes. The recipient is usually charged at a set rate per minute for each call, depending on plan and destination.
1300 numbers are economical for customers to call because they only pay for a local call from any fixed line phone anywhere in Australia. For mobile phones, however, the caller will pay a rate that is determined by their mobile service provider.
The best thing with 1300 / 1800 numbers is that you can have them diverted to any numbers. i.e if you move, you wont have to change all your website/marketing related documents and do any phone divertion etc. You can also have the 1300/1800 number divert to several land line / mobile numbers allowing more clients to get through to you.
However you need to look out for few points:
1800 Numbers hidden call rates
1300 Number Lock-In contracts
1300 Number set-up fees
"Per-Minute" Charges rather than "Per-Second" Charges
