13 at a glance
- Type
- Non-geographic
- Country
- Australia (+61)
- Number format
- 13 XX XX (6 digits)
- From abroad
- +61 13
- Cost to call
- Charged at a local-call rate from most landlines. From mobiles, usually counted against your plan's included calls; check your plan.
Six-digit 13 numbers are the short form of local-rate numbers. They work the same way as 1300 numbers: one number reaches the business from anywhere in Australia, and landline callers pay roughly a local-call rate. Because the supply of six-digit numbers is small, they are mostly held by large organisations such as banks, airlines, taxi companies and government services. Many are sold as SmartNumbers through the ACMA. A 13 number is a strong brand asset, which is exactly why scammers like to imitate them. These numbers are designed for inbound calls, and they generally cannot be dialled from overseas.
Seeing a short 13 number on caller ID is not proof it is genuine, because numbers can be spoofed. Hang up and call back on the official number if a caller asks for passwords or payments.
Who called me from 13?
The prefix tells you what kind of number it is (local-rate number (6-digit)), but not who is behind it. Numbers can be ported between networks and caller ID can be spoofed, so a familiar code is no guarantee. Search the full number to see its current carrier, line type and whether other people have reported it. Read our Australian phone number guide for mobile prefixes, networks and the scams currently doing the rounds.