Sep 7, 2005 20:52
18 yrs ago
7 viewers *
English term
Italian by name ... English by nature!
Native in: English 
Works in: Italian to English, English, Italian
what's the opposite of "flat rate" for phone calls
English
Tech/Engineering
Telecom(munications)
phone billing
Sorry mates, but I've just got a total block here.
What is the English term for phone charges that you pay for by actual call/length of call, as opposed to a flat-rate contract?
TIA
Angela
What is the English term for phone charges that you pay for by actual call/length of call, as opposed to a flat-rate contract?
TIA
Angela
Responses
| 4 +13 | usage based |
Bruce Popp
|
| 4 +1 | metered |
CMJ_Trans (X)
|
| 4 +1 | variable rate / usage rate / standard rate |
Lia Fail (X)
|
| 3 +1 | detailed billing option (U.S.) |
RHELLER
|
| 4 | pay as you go |
achisholm
|
| 3 | itemized |
Lucy Phillips
|
| 3 | billed by the minute / billed per minute |
Derek Gill Franßen
|
| 3 | full rate |
Cilian O'Tuama
|
Responses
+13
6 mins
Bruce Popp
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
United States
ATA Certified Translator & Patent Agent
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
8
English term (edited):
what's the opposite of
Selected
usage based
"variable rate" could also be a possibility
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2005-09-07 21:12:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
metered rate sounds like UK usage, not US
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 mins (2005-09-07 21:28:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Historically, in the Bell System days in the US, toll or long distance calls where billed based on call duration, time of day (day time, evening, night) and distance. That means a 5 minute call from Boston to Los Angeles would cost more than a 5 minute call from Boston to New York City at the same time of day. Metered billing in the UK did not have this complexity, and referring to per minute billing overlooks the impact of distance and time of day.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2005-09-07 21:12:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
metered rate sounds like UK usage, not US
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 mins (2005-09-07 21:28:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Historically, in the Bell System days in the US, toll or long distance calls where billed based on call duration, time of day (day time, evening, night) and distance. That means a 5 minute call from Boston to Los Angeles would cost more than a 5 minute call from Boston to New York City at the same time of day. Metered billing in the UK did not have this complexity, and referring to per minute billing overlooks the impact of distance and time of day.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Hacene
: variable rates would be the UK usage
6 mins
|
|
Thanks!
|
|
| agree |
Lia Fail (X)
: I agree, moreover, 'variable rate' is more transparent also:-)
11 mins
|
|
Thanks!
|
|
| agree |
jccantrell
: I like the usage based, you pay for how long and how far you call.
36 mins
|
|
Thanks!
|
|
| agree |
humbird
: This is standard expression in the US.
42 mins
|
|
Definitely reflects the widespread influence of Ma Bell.
|
|
| agree |
Derek Gill Franßen
: I agree that "usage based" is a nice term and it may be the right one for this context, but it doesn't come across to me as a word that would be used in everyday speech. I also fail to see how time of day affects a charge based on (personal) "usage". :-)
45 mins
|
|
Phone rates in the US did and still do depend on time of day. My mobil phone service with Verizon Wireless offers "free nights and weekends;" I don't pay for calls I make during those times.
|
|
| agree |
Konstantin Kisin
1 hr
|
|
Thanks!
|
|
| agree |
Refugio
1 hr
|
|
Thanks!
|
|
| agree |
jennifer newsome (X)
2 hrs
|
|
Thanks!
|
|
| agree |
gtreyger (X)
5 hrs
|
| agree |
Alfa Trans (X)
6 hrs
|
| agree |
Alp Berker
7 hrs
|
| agree |
Saiwai Translation Services
8 hrs
|
| agree |
Valentin Alupoaie
11 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks to all of you - I had most of the various suggestions to hand and I was stuck on which one was the most suitable. I'm going with this as it reflects the context i.e. it's an offer for installing a system that can be billed at flat rate or usage rate. "
+1
9 mins
English term (edited):
telephone fees
detailed billing option (U.S.)
If you have the Detailed Billing option, you will see a charge listed for each call purely ... will be charged a per-minute usage fee for IN Calling calls. ...
www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/ dispatcher?action=DISPLAY&item=_FAQ_TOPIC&topicID=23 - 30k
www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/ dispatcher?action=DISPLAY&item=_FAQ_TOPIC&topicID=23 - 30k
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Lia Fail (X)
: this focuses on bill info, not pricing structures
13 mins
|
| agree |
Bin Zhang
6 hrs
|
+1
12 mins
metered
methinks
22 mins
Lucy Phillips
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
United Kingdom
Elegant precision - published writer
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, English, Portuguese to English
English term (edited):
what's the opposite of
itemized
Hi Angela
Not my field of expertise and I'm a UK speaker.
But... I do get phone bills and that's what these calls are known as here! Itemized as opposed to itemised for the US I believe!
Semester End Phone BillsTelephones: Graduates will be receiving two itemized phone bills. The first will include charges of itemized calls from April 1st - 26th. ...
www.lycoming.edu/telecom/gradphoneplcy.htm - 5k - Cached - Similar pages
Semester End Phone Bills... will be available from April 25th to 27th. The second itemized bill, which will include phone charges for these three days, will be mailed home on May 1st.
www.lycoming.edu/it/knowbase/gradphoneplcy.htm - 2k - Cached - Similar pages
Consumer Action - Checking Your Phone Bill [English]Don't you wish that your phone bill was easy to read, had fewer pages, ... Add up the itemized local toll calls on recent bills to see if a calling plan ...
www.consumer-action.org/English/ library/telephone/2000_CheckingPhoneBill/index.php - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
Not my field of expertise and I'm a UK speaker.
But... I do get phone bills and that's what these calls are known as here! Itemized as opposed to itemised for the US I believe!
Semester End Phone BillsTelephones: Graduates will be receiving two itemized phone bills. The first will include charges of itemized calls from April 1st - 26th. ...
www.lycoming.edu/telecom/gradphoneplcy.htm - 5k - Cached - Similar pages
Semester End Phone Bills... will be available from April 25th to 27th. The second itemized bill, which will include phone charges for these three days, will be mailed home on May 1st.
www.lycoming.edu/it/knowbase/gradphoneplcy.htm - 2k - Cached - Similar pages
Consumer Action - Checking Your Phone Bill [English]Don't you wish that your phone bill was easy to read, had fewer pages, ... Add up the itemized local toll calls on recent bills to see if a calling plan ...
www.consumer-action.org/English/ library/telephone/2000_CheckingPhoneBill/index.php - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Lia Fail (X)
: focuses on bill info, not price structure:-)
1 min
|
+1
16 mins
English term (edited):
what's the opposite of
variable rate / usage rate / standard rate
or maybe 'standard rate'.
Rate samples for international calling are available from the Telecommunications Office at ext. 4000 during regular business hours. For a listing of countries with flat-rate pricing, click here. Other countries have variable pricing.
Here is a summary of our rate plans:
You may choose to participate in one of our optional "bulk buy" rate plans or simply use our standard rate plan for your long distance calls. If you do not choose to participate in an optional rate plan, any calls made with your W&L long distance authorization code will be billed according to the standard rate plan.
http://telecommunications.wlu.edu/telecom/Students/phone-stu...
Industry Standard, The: The Price Is Wrong - Industry Trend or Event... and variable-rate phone service, even when they subscribed to flat-rate ... but the limited human attention span--what Odlyzko calls "the ultimate ...
www.findarticles.com/p/ articles/mi_m0HWW/is_1_4/ai_68547112 - 29k - Cached - Similar pages
Touch 1 Communication... interstate (state-to-state) long distance calls with a variable rate plan. ... Calls made during peak hours receive a flat rate and calls made during ...
www.touch1.com/nolonger.html - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
: Cheap conference calls service, and ways to save your ...How your company can use flat rate and variable rate phone conference calling ... With conference calling, instead of making 16 different phone calls for a ...
www.strive4impact.com/callingadvice_files/ cheap-conference-calling.html - 52k - Cached - Similar pages
Glossary of Telecommunications Industry Terms: G to NA pricing structure for local calls which requires customers to pay ... LMS generally combines access (fixed rate) and usage (variable rate) charges. ...
www.hackcanada.com/canadian/phreaking/gtit4.html - 19k - Cached - Similar pages
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2005-09-07 21:15:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Glossary (last link above)- Canada
local measured service (LMS)
French: service local tarifé à l'utilisation (SLTU)
A pricing structure for local calls which requires customers to pay according to usage, rather than simply paying a flat monthly fee. LMS generally combines access (fixed rate) and usage (variable rate) charges. The access charge is usually set at a rate substantially less than the prevailing flat rate and may include a usage allowance. Usage charge calculations are typically based on up to four variables: frequency (the number of calls placed); duration (how long calls last); the geographical distance the call covers; and the time of day or week the call was placed.
usage sensitive pricing (USP)
French: tarification à l'utilisation (TU)
Charges for service(s) that are based on usage.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2005-09-07 21:18:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
LMS may be the precise term if this is a technical doc.
Local Measured Service : Vermont Department of Public ServiceLocal Measured Service (LMS) means that the local telephone company ... Many Internet service providers charge a “flat rate” for unlimited dial-up access. ...
publicservice.vermont.gov/consumer/cons_alerts_lms.html - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
Shopping for Phone Service : Information for Consumers : Vermont ...Compare what you actually pay per month including Local Measured Service or LMS to any flat rate offers. Most Vermont residents pay by the minute for local ...
publicservice.vermont.gov/ consumer/shop-phone-service.html - 22k - Cached - Similar pages
Virginia Flate Rate ISDN battleVoice calls would be priced at the LMS rate (the same as for measured telephone) at all times. ... No flat rate option for residential ISDN was offered. ...
lists.essential.org/1995/ info-policy-notes/msg00162.html - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 13:08:47 -0400 From: James Love <love ...This tariff would be the cost of local measured service (LMS) for POTS (roughly $14 per month in ... No flat rate option for residential ISDN was offered. ...
www.eff.org/Infrastructure/ISDN/ Foreign_and_local/VA/va_isdn_1095.alert - 5k - Cached - Similar pages
BellSouth Area Calling Plan - BellSouth Interconnection ServicesHotel and Hospital premises where Flat Rate Individual Line or PBX Trunk Service may ... subscribers) subscribing to LMS at time ACP offered in their area, ...
www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/products/lec/acp.html - 27k - Cached - Similar pages
BellSouth Measured Rate Service - LA - BellSouth Interconnection ...Measured Service (LMS) provides customers with a complete itemization of number ... Hotel and Hopsital premises where Flat Rate Service may be furnished for ...
www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/ products/lec/ms_louis.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2005-09-07 21:20:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
LMS may be the precise term if this is a technical doc.
Local Measured Service : Vermont Department of Public ServiceLocal Measured Service (LMS) means that the local telephone company ... Many Internet service providers charge a “flat rate” for unlimited dial-up access. ...
publicservice.vermont.gov/consumer/cons_alerts_lms.html - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
Shopping for Phone Service : Information for Consumers : Vermont ...Compare what you actually pay per month including Local Measured Service or LMS to any flat rate offers. Most Vermont residents pay by the minute for local ...
publicservice.vermont.gov/ consumer/shop-phone-service.html - 22k - Cached - Similar pages
Virginia Flate Rate ISDN battleVoice calls would be priced at the LMS rate (the same as for measured telephone) at all times. ... No flat rate option for residential ISDN was offered. ...
lists.essential.org/1995/ info-policy-notes/msg00162.html - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 13:08:47 -0400 From: James Love <love ...This tariff would be the cost of local measured service (LMS) for POTS (roughly $14 per month in ... No flat rate option for residential ISDN was offered. ...
www.eff.org/Infrastructure/ISDN/ Foreign_and_local/VA/va_isdn_1095.alert - 5k - Cached - Similar pages
BellSouth Area Calling Plan - BellSouth Interconnection ServicesHotel and Hospital premises where Flat Rate Individual Line or PBX Trunk Service may ... subscribers) subscribing to LMS at time ACP offered in their area, ...
www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/products/lec/acp.html - 27k - Cached - Similar pages
BellSouth Measured Rate Service - LA - BellSouth Interconnection ...Measured Service (LMS) provides customers with a complete itemization of number ... Hotel and Hopsital premises where Flat Rate Service may be furnished for ...
www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/ products/lec/ms_louis.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
Rate samples for international calling are available from the Telecommunications Office at ext. 4000 during regular business hours. For a listing of countries with flat-rate pricing, click here. Other countries have variable pricing.
Here is a summary of our rate plans:
You may choose to participate in one of our optional "bulk buy" rate plans or simply use our standard rate plan for your long distance calls. If you do not choose to participate in an optional rate plan, any calls made with your W&L long distance authorization code will be billed according to the standard rate plan.
http://telecommunications.wlu.edu/telecom/Students/phone-stu...
Industry Standard, The: The Price Is Wrong - Industry Trend or Event... and variable-rate phone service, even when they subscribed to flat-rate ... but the limited human attention span--what Odlyzko calls "the ultimate ...
www.findarticles.com/p/ articles/mi_m0HWW/is_1_4/ai_68547112 - 29k - Cached - Similar pages
Touch 1 Communication... interstate (state-to-state) long distance calls with a variable rate plan. ... Calls made during peak hours receive a flat rate and calls made during ...
www.touch1.com/nolonger.html - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
: Cheap conference calls service, and ways to save your ...How your company can use flat rate and variable rate phone conference calling ... With conference calling, instead of making 16 different phone calls for a ...
www.strive4impact.com/callingadvice_files/ cheap-conference-calling.html - 52k - Cached - Similar pages
Glossary of Telecommunications Industry Terms: G to NA pricing structure for local calls which requires customers to pay ... LMS generally combines access (fixed rate) and usage (variable rate) charges. ...
www.hackcanada.com/canadian/phreaking/gtit4.html - 19k - Cached - Similar pages
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2005-09-07 21:15:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Glossary (last link above)- Canada
local measured service (LMS)
French: service local tarifé à l'utilisation (SLTU)
A pricing structure for local calls which requires customers to pay according to usage, rather than simply paying a flat monthly fee. LMS generally combines access (fixed rate) and usage (variable rate) charges. The access charge is usually set at a rate substantially less than the prevailing flat rate and may include a usage allowance. Usage charge calculations are typically based on up to four variables: frequency (the number of calls placed); duration (how long calls last); the geographical distance the call covers; and the time of day or week the call was placed.
usage sensitive pricing (USP)
French: tarification à l'utilisation (TU)
Charges for service(s) that are based on usage.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2005-09-07 21:18:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
LMS may be the precise term if this is a technical doc.
Local Measured Service : Vermont Department of Public ServiceLocal Measured Service (LMS) means that the local telephone company ... Many Internet service providers charge a “flat rate” for unlimited dial-up access. ...
publicservice.vermont.gov/consumer/cons_alerts_lms.html - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
Shopping for Phone Service : Information for Consumers : Vermont ...Compare what you actually pay per month including Local Measured Service or LMS to any flat rate offers. Most Vermont residents pay by the minute for local ...
publicservice.vermont.gov/ consumer/shop-phone-service.html - 22k - Cached - Similar pages
Virginia Flate Rate ISDN battleVoice calls would be priced at the LMS rate (the same as for measured telephone) at all times. ... No flat rate option for residential ISDN was offered. ...
lists.essential.org/1995/ info-policy-notes/msg00162.html - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 13:08:47 -0400 From: James Love <love ...This tariff would be the cost of local measured service (LMS) for POTS (roughly $14 per month in ... No flat rate option for residential ISDN was offered. ...
www.eff.org/Infrastructure/ISDN/ Foreign_and_local/VA/va_isdn_1095.alert - 5k - Cached - Similar pages
BellSouth Area Calling Plan - BellSouth Interconnection ServicesHotel and Hospital premises where Flat Rate Individual Line or PBX Trunk Service may ... subscribers) subscribing to LMS at time ACP offered in their area, ...
www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/products/lec/acp.html - 27k - Cached - Similar pages
BellSouth Measured Rate Service - LA - BellSouth Interconnection ...Measured Service (LMS) provides customers with a complete itemization of number ... Hotel and Hopsital premises where Flat Rate Service may be furnished for ...
www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/ products/lec/ms_louis.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2005-09-07 21:20:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
LMS may be the precise term if this is a technical doc.
Local Measured Service : Vermont Department of Public ServiceLocal Measured Service (LMS) means that the local telephone company ... Many Internet service providers charge a “flat rate” for unlimited dial-up access. ...
publicservice.vermont.gov/consumer/cons_alerts_lms.html - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
Shopping for Phone Service : Information for Consumers : Vermont ...Compare what you actually pay per month including Local Measured Service or LMS to any flat rate offers. Most Vermont residents pay by the minute for local ...
publicservice.vermont.gov/ consumer/shop-phone-service.html - 22k - Cached - Similar pages
Virginia Flate Rate ISDN battleVoice calls would be priced at the LMS rate (the same as for measured telephone) at all times. ... No flat rate option for residential ISDN was offered. ...
lists.essential.org/1995/ info-policy-notes/msg00162.html - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 13:08:47 -0400 From: James Love <love ...This tariff would be the cost of local measured service (LMS) for POTS (roughly $14 per month in ... No flat rate option for residential ISDN was offered. ...
www.eff.org/Infrastructure/ISDN/ Foreign_and_local/VA/va_isdn_1095.alert - 5k - Cached - Similar pages
BellSouth Area Calling Plan - BellSouth Interconnection ServicesHotel and Hospital premises where Flat Rate Individual Line or PBX Trunk Service may ... subscribers) subscribing to LMS at time ACP offered in their area, ...
www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/products/lec/acp.html - 27k - Cached - Similar pages
BellSouth Measured Rate Service - LA - BellSouth Interconnection ...Measured Service (LMS) provides customers with a complete itemization of number ... Hotel and Hopsital premises where Flat Rate Service may be furnished for ...
www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/ products/lec/ms_louis.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lindsay Sabadosa (X)
: ATT uses "usage charge" so this seems the closest.
32 mins
|
23 mins
Derek Gill Franßen
Germany
Germany
Native in English
&
English
Germany
German Attorney & University Lecturer
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, English, English to German, and 1 more.
English term (edited):
What's the opposite of "flat-rate" for phone calls?
billed by the minute / billed per minute
Either you pay a flat rate or your calls are billed by the hour, minute, second etc.
:-)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2005-09-07 21:16:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Reference: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2005-09-07 21:24:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
IMHO, this would also be suitable for any English speaking audience (cf. the links to documents from the FCC and the IRS, but to those from the UK, Canada and continental Europe in the Google search above - they're on the first couple of pages). ;-)
:-)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2005-09-07 21:16:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Reference: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2005-09-07 21:24:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
IMHO, this would also be suitable for any English speaking audience (cf. the links to documents from the FCC and the IRS, but to those from the UK, Canada and continental Europe in the Google search above - they're on the first couple of pages). ;-)
3 hrs
Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Germany
Native in English
&
English
Germany
Quality Translations since 1986
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, English, German, and 6 more.
English term (edited):
opposite of flat rate
full rate
a late thought
11 hrs
English term (edited):
what's the opposite of
pay as you go
perhaps a touch colloquial, but I have heard it used quit a lot especially for mobiles.
searching google with
mobile telephone "pay as you go
pulls up over 2 million hits
searching google with
mobile telephone "pay as you go
pulls up over 2 million hits
Discussion