Editing Payphone (section)

{{short description|Coin or card-operated public telephone}}
{{about|a public telephone|the song by Maroon 5|Payphone (song)|the song by Bob Luman|The Pay Phone}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
[[File:At&tPhone.JPG|thumb|[[AT&T]] payphone in [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]] in 2006]]

A '''payphone''' (alternative spelling: '''pay phone''' or '''pay telephone''' or '''public phone''') is typically a coin-operated public [[telephone]], often located in a [[telephone booth]] or in high-traffic public areas. Prepayment is required by inserting [[coin]]s or [[telephone token]]s, swiping a [[credit card|credit]] or [[debit card|debit]] card, or using a [[telephone card]].

The company that operates the payphone generally pays either rent or a revenue share to the owner of the property where the phone is installed.

Invented in the late 19th century, payphones became ubiquitous worldwide in the 20th, enough to contribute to the notion of universal access to basic communication services. The charge for a call may be a flat rate, or dependent on call duration. Following the explosive growth of [[mobile telephony]], the use of payphones, and the number installed, has decreased greatly.