Telstra has around 140 Telstra payphones across the region and all of them can now receive calls.

"For the first time nationwide, our publicly accessible payphones will be able to receive incoming telephone calls," a Telstra spokesman said.

"This will be of particular benefit to disadvantaged people and communities where mobile phone usage isn't as popular, allowing them to remain connected without a cost to them."

The change could also benefit foreign tourists as the payphones will be able to accept international calls, as well as people whose mobile phone battery is dying.

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Each payphone will include a "how to" guide, which will list its phone number that people can pass onto those they want to receive a call from.

The payphone locator tool on the Telstra website also lists the phone's number.

The spokesman wasn't expecting the new feature to be used by drug dealers or other criminals but asked the public to "report any misuse of payphones to Telstra and the local authorities".

The change is one of a number of new payphone features introduced by Telstra, which includes dropping distance-based pricing and replacing it with a flat untimed 50-cent fee.

Calls to Australian mobiles will still cost 50 cents, but that will now get callers 10 minutes rather than the previous 35 seconds.