Community & environment

The Legal Lessee is the individual legal entity responsible for the Telstra account, and is usually the person who requests connection of the service.

A Telstra service may only have one Legal Lessee who is responsible for all charges on that service. If you are the Legal Lessee, you can request that the bill be sent to joint names, and you may appoint others as authorised representatives on your account to act on your behalf. However, the legal liability remains with the Legal Lessee.

We offer a range of ways to pay your bill that will fit your needs and budget.

• Direct Debit: choose to pay either a one-off, fixed amount or have automatic deductions made from your nominated bank account or credit card.
• Centrepay: organise an automatic deduction from your Centrelink benefit payment.

To find out more, visit the billing choices support page or call 13 2200.

We have a number of billing choices available including receiving bills by email or viewing them online. To find out more, visit the billing choices support page or call 13 2200.

You can organise Braille or large print bills by calling the Telstra Disability Enquiry Hotline (Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm EST).

• 1800 068 424 (Voice)
• 1800 808 981 (TTY)

You can request call barring to certain types of calls being made from your Telstra home and/or mobile phone, for example 190 premium rate calls or International calls.

To find out more call 13 2200.

Centrepay is an automatic deduction that you can nominate from your Centrelink benefit.

If you’re a Centrelink customer and a Telstra home phone customer you can nominate an amount to be regularly deducted from your Centrelink payment (minimum $10 a fortnight) to your Telstra account. You remain responsible for paying any outstanding amounts through other means.

To apply for Centrepay:

• visit a Centrelink Customer Service Centre
• download a Centrepay deduction form from Centrelink
• call Centrelink on 13 2300.

Note: The Centrepay deduction form will ask you for your “Service provider’s Centrepay Reference Number”. For Telstra, this is 555-052-438-T.

The Legal Lessee is liable for all charges incurred on their Telstra phone service. To change the Legal Lessee, the existing account must be cancelled and a new account created for the relevant connection fee.

Where two people have lived in the same residence and the Legal Lessee moves out (or becomes deceased), the remaining person can have the service transferred to their name without cost if they keep the same number, take over any existing liability on the account, and the connection and disconnection occur at the same time. Otherwise a new service will be connected for the relevant connection fee.

Where a Telstra service is in the name of a partner who has died, it can be transferred to the surviving partner without cost. Otherwise, a new service can be started for the relevant connection fee.

To find out more, call 13 2200.

When applying for a new telephone service, an external credit check may be undertaken by us through an external credit reporting agency. If your application for a telephone service is unsuccessful because of information supplied by the credit agency, you are entitled to ask the agency for a copy of the credit information it holds about you.

We also list debts that are in default with two external credit reference agencies.

• For Dunn and Bradstreet (Australia) Pty Ltd, call 1300 734 806.
• For Veda Advantage Information Services and Solutions Limited, call 1300 762 207.

Telstra’s Disability Equipment Program gives you access to a range of phones and accessories to make calling easier. Products include big button phones and teletypewriters (TTY). The program offers specialised telephone equipment to eligible customers that can be rented for the same cost as a standard telephone handset.

For more information:

Visit our disability services page or call our Disability Enquiry Hotline

• 1800 068 424 (Voice)
• 133 677 (TTY)
• Email us

For life threatening emergencies call 000. Tell the operator what you need – fire, police or ambulance – and you’ll be connected.

When reporting an emergency by calling 000, the telephone number and address you’re calling from may be given to the emergency service so that they can respond quickly. All calls to 000 are recorded.

People who use a teletypewriter (TTY) or a computer with modem to access the telephone network can contact emergency services (police, fire and ambulance) via the National Relay Service on 106. This service is not available to people who do not use text-based communication.

If you need an extension of time to pay, please contact us as soon as possible after you receive your Telstra bill or reminder notification.

We may be able to arrange a payment plan where you can pay by installments.

Request a payment extension

To find out more, call 13 2200.

If you hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, you may be eligible for a Government Telephone Allowance, as included in the Pensioner Supplement or Seniors Supplement.

This is paid directly to you by the Australian Department of Human Services (Centrelink) and is separate to the Telstra Pensioner Discount.

For details of this allowance and eligibility requirements:

• visit the Centrelink website
• call Centrelink on 13 2300.

Telstra has a Financial Hardship Policy to assist you when circumstances impact on your financial commitments. We’ll work with you to set up a solution so that you can stay connected now and in the future.

For more information:

• call 13 2200 and request an extension of time to pay
• download the Telstra Financial Hardship Policy (PDF, 41KB)

InContact is a limited fixed home service. It allows incoming calls, but restricts outgoing calls to certain numbers.

InContact has no monthly access charge and can be used to receive calls (except reverse charge calls) and make calls to emergency numbers (such as triple zero (000)), Telstra customer service, selected service difficulties and faults numbers and all 1800 Freecall based services. Other outgoing calls can be made using a Telstra PhoneAway card.

From 2 April 2014, InContact is only available to new, eligible customers for a maximum period of 12 months (except in certain circumstances such as financial hardship or for medical reasons). Further from 9 March 2015, we will be implementing a change to contact every 12 months the current InContact customers who have held an InContact service from before 2 April 2014 to verify they are still eligible for the service.

Customers wishing to apply for an InContact service must meet the eligibility criteria and also hold a valid, current eligible concession card. Eligible concession cards include a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Centrelink or the Australian Government Department of Human Services, or a Health Care Card issued by the Australian Government Department of Human Services or Centrelink carrying an eligible payment code.

To find out more call 13 2200.

The Indigenous Communities Hotline is a Telstra service centre for Aboriginal and Islander people to assist with connecting or maintaining their telephone services. 

Call 1800 444 403

If you’re having trouble paying your bill on time, Telstra may be able to arrange a payment plan where you can pay by instalments. But please remember that if your bill isn’t paid by the due date you may be charged a late payment fee.

Request a payment extension

See also Extension of time to pay.

To find out more, call 13 2200.

The Legal Lessee is the individual legal entity responsible for the Telstra telephone account, usually the person who requests connection of the service.

A Telstra telephone service may only have one Legal Lessee who is responsible for all charges on that service. You can request that the bill be sent to joint names, and you may appoint others on your account to act on your behalf. However, the legal liability remains with the Legal Lessee.

See also Authorised representatives.

We understand that it's easy to lose sight of your mobile usage from month to month, and that's why we send you alerts to help you keep track.

To find out more, visit Manage your call / SMS / MMS usage

In an on-the-go, mobile world it's essential to stay connected. But it's also essential to keep potentially high data usage down. That's why we've put together some helpful ways to effectively manage your data and stay in control.

To find out more, visit Manage your data

For help with languages other than English, visit our multicultural services page.

The Charity or Non-Profit Telstra Concession provides eligible organisations that are directly billed by Telstra for line rental and local calls with discounted line rental on a BusinessLine telephone service.

To find out more, call 13 2000.

Our Customer Terms set out the terms and conditions on which we provide products and services to our customers. We provide new customers with a summary of the relevant parts of Our Customer Terms, and you can see these documents on our website or request copies at any time.

To find out more, visit Our Customer Terms.

Telstra is a leading provider of payphone services. We provide public payphones throughout Australia to meet the needs of people who are out and about.

Telstra’s Teletypewriter (TTY) payphones enable people who are deaf or have a communication impairment to stay in touch.

To find out more, including the location of your nearest payphone, visit our payphone services page.

The Telstra Home Phone Pensioner Discount provides eligible pensioner customers with a monthly call discount on their Telstra home phone service.

As an eligible customer, pensioners also receive free access to Call Control, a waiver on late payment fees and fee-free payment options.

We’re also happy to provide Telstra bills in larger print, so they’re easier to read.

To register for the Telstra Home Phone Pensioner Discount, call 13 2200 and have your pensioner card ready.

The Priority Assistance Program is a free service designed to help customers (or someone living in your home) who have a diagnosed life-threatening medical condition and whose life may be at risk without access to a fully operational phone service.

To find out more, visit our Priority Assistance support page.

The Sponsored Access Program aims to provide a secure phone service for Community Organisations that operate crisis accommodation properties which provide short-term shelter for people in crisis.

To find out more, visit our Information for community agencies page.

You can request that your name, phone number and suburb/town be made available in the White Pages® directory and other directory services, but not your street name and unit/house number. This may be a suitable alternative to a Silent Line. A monthly fee applies.

You can choose to have calling line identification blocking at no additional cost.

To find out more, call 13 2200.

The Telstra Bill Assistance Program is aimed at assisting people who are experiencing financial difficulty and are having a problem paying their Telstra bill.

If you're experiencing a financial crisis and are unable to pay your Telstra bill, you may access a community agency for advice and help. After assessment you may receive Telstra Bill Assistance Certificates to help you pay your account.

Telstra does not issue the certificates. Participating community agencies include Anglicare Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society, The Salvation Army, The Smith Family and others.

The Telstra Calling Card Program provides Phonecards to people in crisis who have no other means of communication.

If you’re in a financial crisis you may access a community agency for advice and help. After assessment you may receive a Telstra Phonecard.

Telstra does not issue these calling cards. Participating community agencies include Anglicare Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society, The Salvation Army and others.

Telstra Home Phone Basic may be useful for people on a budget who don’t make many calls but still want an affordable phone service. It has a lower monthly line rental than the standard phone service, but call charges are slightly higher.

Telstra Home Phone Essential may be useful for people with an eligible concession card who need an affordable phone service. 

To find out more, view our home phone plans or call 13 2200.

Telstra Mobile Protect helps you to protect your family from inappropriate internet content, and unwanted calls, SMS or MMS. Set time-of-day mobile internet restrictions, and even limit use of social networking sites.

To find out more, visit our Telstra Mobile Protect support page.

Self-service over the phone is an easy way to manage your Telstra phone services at any time of the day or night.

By ringing 13 2200 and saying some simple words you can:

• check your account balances
• hear the current call charges on your mobile pre-bill
• report a payment directly after making it (including with Telstra Bill Assistance Certificates)
• make a promise to pay (a payment extension).

Having an unlisted number means that your name, home phone number and address will not be published in the printed and online White Pages or available from Directory Assistance. There is no fee for an unlisted number.

To request an unlisted number call us on 13 2200.

It’s important to know that being unlisted will not stop all unwanted telemarketing calls. Find out more about how to reduce unwanted telemarketing calls.