FAQs: 1300 & 1800 Smartnumbers (Phonewords)

• What is a Smartnumber?
• How many characters can a Smartnumber have?
• The Smartnumber I want has already been taken. What are my options?
• If I buy a smartnumber, can you act as my carrier?

What is a Smartnumber?

These are the numbers that have repeating patterns or spell words, like 1300 ALLTEL (1300 255 835), which help to make your phone number easier to remember.

13 numbers, 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers can all be used for smartnumbers

How many characters can a Smartnumber have?

A normal smartnumber has the same number of digits as a 13 number (6 in total) or a 1300 number (10 in total).

• 13 XX XX
• 1300 XX XX XX
• 1800 XX XX XX

If the smartnumber you want to use has more characters, we can configure the 1300/1800 network so that the excess characters are ignored. For example, a 1300 smartnumber can have up to 14 digits in total.

e.g. 1300 XX XX XX xx xx

When a customer dials that number, the network ignores the excess digits.

The Smartnumber I want has already been taken. What are my options?

You'll find that the best generic 1300 and 1800 phone words have already been taken. (e.g. 1300 CAR HIRE).

If the number has been purchased by a business that wants to use the name itself, you have the following options:

• Contact the company that owns the number. If they're using it in a small area away from where you're located, they may be happy to lease it to you for use in your area only. For example, they may be based in NSW and you may be in Victoria.
• If the number has been purchased by a phoneword company, you may be able to lease it back from them. Be aware though, that if you do this, the number never belongs to you. You'll pay a monthly fee to lease it (often with a 1-3 year contract). At the end of the contract period, you'll need to re-negotiate. If you don't agree to the new terms, you could lose your number or have a falling out with your provider, they could lease your (previous) number to one of your competitors.
• Be creative and create a variation that works for your business (for example, 1300 4 CAR HIRE, 1300 2 HIRE A CAR, 1300 RENT CARS).

If I buy a smartnumber, can you act as my carrier?

Yes we can.

Although its not absolutely necessary, you can select Alltel from the drop-down list of Smartnumber carriers when nominating your desired Smartnumber to be auctioned.

Once you've won the auction and paid for your number, you simply open an account with us, provide us with your Smartnumber information and you'll have your new Smart Number operating (usually) within 7 working days.

* All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.