collect call
Recipient covers charges
A collect call is a telephone call paid for by the recipient rather than the caller.
The operator or automated system asks the person being called whether they accept the charges before connecting.
Once common for long-distance calls from pay phones or when traveling, collect calls have become rare in the age of mobile phones: I had to make a collect call from jail.
Quality from past eras
- retroEvoking recent past
- bygoneOf earlier times
- memoriesStored past experiences
- yesteryearTime not long past
rotary phone · phone booth · childhood · old-fashioned · anachronism · obsolete · discontinued
Voice communication device
- operatorOne who works machinery
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
- dialingEntering a phone number
- switchboardTelephone routing panel
landline · handset · long-distance · area code · country code · toll-free · person-to-person · overseas
Temporary enclosed compartment
- coin-slotPayment-accepting metal slit
- public telephoneCommunity-access communication device
- kioskStandalone public booth
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
handset · cord · dial · directory · phone card · change · deposit · out of order
vintage
Quality from past eras
yesteryear · rotary phone · phone booth · childhood · old-fashioned · anachronism · obsolete · discontinued
telephone
Voice communication device
switchboard · landline · handset · long-distance · area code · country code · toll-free · person-to-person · overseas · international
booth
Temporary enclosed compartment
- coin-slotPayment-accepting metal slit
- public telephoneCommunity-access communication device
- kioskStandalone public booth
receiver · handset · cord · dial · directory · phone card · change · deposit · out of order · vandalized
charges
Amounts owed or alleged
emergency
Serious sudden danger
immediate · pressing · time-sensitive · hospital · accident · breakdown · help · rescue · contact · reach
- telephonytelephone, telephone network, dial tone, phone lines, dial
- phone termslandline, country code, area code, voicemail, roaming
- callscallback, long distance, voicemail, busy signal, dial
- phone systemsPBX, extension, phone line, handset, main menu
- Phreakingblue box, red box, Cap'n Crunch, Captain Crunch, phreaker
- phone servicesvoicemail, phone number, area code, phone bill, phone plan
collect calldirect dial
Call placed independently
prepaid phone · toll-free call · free call · local call · toll
call, collect, collection, calling, called, collected, caller, disconnect, collector