How do you dial a collect call?

Answer 1

In the US and Canada, you can make a collect call from a pay phone (or any other phone) by dialing 0 plus the area code and number. (You always have to dial the area code, even if it's the same.) However, you are at the mercy of the owner of the pay phone as to which long distance company they chose, as to what rates will apply to the call. You can override that selection by dialing a 7-digit long distance company code, 101xxxx, for example 1010288 for AT&T, before 0+area+number.

You can also place a collect call by dialing just 0 (for short-distance calls) or 00 (for long distance), but the rates will generally be noticeably higher than if you dial the number yourself.

Many companies also offer collect calling via a toll-free number (800, 888, 877, 866, or 855). You dial the company's toll-free number and follow the prompts to place a collect call to the number you are trying to reach.

Answer 2

A collect call in the United States, known as a reverse charge call in the majority of the English-speaking world, is a telephone call in which the calling party wants to place a call at the called party's expense.

Answer 3

In the U.S. and Canada, you can dial a collect call by dialing 0 plus the area code and number, and then pressing the key for a collect call at the prompt (or telling the operator, if you get a human being). However, if you do that, especially from a pay phone, you are at the mercy of whatever long distance company the owner of that phone has chosen. If your party accepts the collect call, they will pay whatever (possibly outrageous) rates that company offers.

You can also dial a long distance company code to choose a particular long distance carrier for a collect call. In that case, dial 101xxxx - 0 - area - number. The company code is sometimes called a "ten-ten code," because many of them begin with 1010xxx, but there are some that do not fit that pattern.

Lastly, you can dial a toll-free number (800, 888, 877, 866, or 855) for a company that offers collect calls, and follow the prompts.

If you want to make a collect call from the U.S. or Canada to somewhere outside North America, dial [ optional company code + ] 01 + country code + city code + numberinstead.

Other countries use very different dialing procedures for collect calls.