Editing Payphone (section)

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Red telephone box}}

The telephone service in Britain was run by the [[General Post Office]] (GPO), a state monopoly, which had taken over the [[National Telephone Company]] in 1912. Coin-operated payphones in Britain in about 1950 cost 2d (2 old pence) for a local call of unlimited duration. This eventually increased, and by about 1960 calls were timed, costing 3d for 3 minutes. Long-distance calls, connected by an [[Operator assistance|operator]], cost more. Telephones had a coin slot and two buttons, marked A and B. One or more coins had to be inserted and the number dialled. If answered, the call was enabled by pressing button A; if not answered, button B returned the coins.<ref>{{cite web | title=Costs of calls from British public phones, mid-20th century, section Person-to-person calls| website=The 1900s | url=https://www.1900s.org.uk/1940s50s-public-phones-costs.htm | access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref> Payphones later changed and the old A/B button design was dropped; prices changed over time.

The telephone system was privatised in 1984, operated by [[British Telecom]], still a monopoly. Phone cards were introduced for paying for calls. Payphones were later deregulated, no longer a BT monopoly. The great majority of them are still operated by British Telecom (BT) but other companies provide services, mostly in urban areas. [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], [[Manchester]], London, [[Cardiff]] and [[Glasgow]], at the turn of the 21st century, have a greater concentration of non-BT payphones, since BT has been removing many payphones which are unprofitable.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} The use of payphones declined greatly in Britain, as everywhere, with the explosive growth of mobile telephones.

;Kiosk adoption
BT allows local communities to adopt<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.payphones.bt.com/adopt_a_kiosk/HTML/payphone/index.htm |title=Adopt a Kiosk &#124; BT.com |publisher=Payphones.bt.com |access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref> the iconic [[Red telephone box|Red K6 Kiosks]] due to strong opposition to their removal from the communities that the kiosks reside in. This will mean the removal of the phone, leaving the empty kiosk in-situ.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.payphones.bt.com/adopt_a_kiosk/HTML/payphone/download.htm |title=Adopt a Kiosk &#124; BT.com |publisher=Payphones.bt.com |date=12 April 2011 |access-date=31 July 2012 |archive-date=20 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420190706/http://www.payphones.bt.com/adopt_a_kiosk/HTML/payphone/download.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

;Sponsored kiosk
Another option BT has provided is the sponsored kiosk,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.payphones.bt.com/adopt_a_kiosk/HTML/payphone/faq.htm#3 |title=Adopt a Kiosk &#124; BT.com |publisher=Payphones.bt.com |access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref> that will retain the phone service, and retain the kiosk for an annual fee of around £300 excluding VAT, whether it is the Red K6 or the newer aluminium and glass kiosks that cannot be adopted.
[[File:BT Logic - geograph.org.uk - 762992.jpg|alt=A typical BT payphone in Scotland|thumb|A typical BT payphone in [[Scotland]]]]
'''Payphone types'''

Due to disability discrimination law, specifically the [[Disability Discrimination Act 1995]], in the past payphone providers were required to provide a certain number of [[Telecommunications device for the deaf|textphone]] payphones as part of their network, as this was deemed a "reasonable adjustment" for deaf customers. These phones can also make voice calls, as well as send [[SMS]] and [[Email|e-mail]] messages, and although this requirement is no longer in force due to minimal use of the textphone feature in these phones, many of these devices remain in service, generally in populated areas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1999-07-27/debates/7927b0aa-02f6-4613-8ff7-3b36c3594d76/Textphones|title=Textphones – Hansard|website=hansard.parliament.uk|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref>

In addition, in the early 2000s BT installed a large number of 'Multiphones' that provided internet access, on top of voice, SMS, and e-mail functionality.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/jul/25/marketingandpr.bt|title=BT in payphone boost|last=Day|first=Julia|date=25 July 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=20 December 2018|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.marketingweek.com/2000/08/17/bt-unveils-text-payphone-drive/|title=BT unveils text payphone drive|date=17 August 2000|website=Marketing Week|language=en-GB|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/395433.stm|title=BBC News {{!}} Sci/Tech {{!}} Payphones go online|last=Nuttall|first=Chris|date=15 July 1999|website=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref> These payphones provided these services through the use of a 2-channel [[Basic Rate Interface|ISDN2]] connection, a [[QNX|QNX-based]] operating system, and a [[touchscreen]] interface to allow the user to browse websites and receive e-mail messages on a pay-per-minute basis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/news/3704/bt-launches-multiphone-the-phone-box-of-the-future/|title=BT LAUNCHES MULTIPHONE – THE PHONE BOX OF THE FUTURE|date=15 July 1999|website=ResponseSource Press Release Wire|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/1999/jul/22/onlinesupplement5|title=Dialling up the future|last=Schofield|first=Jack|date=22 July 1999|work=The Guardian|access-date=20 December 2018|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/bt-launches-free-public-internet-access/12686|title=BT launches free public internet access|last=Banbury|first=Louise|date=17 January 2001|website=www.campaignlive.co.uk|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref> However, these devices have since been removed due to quickly becoming obsolete, often with the ordinary payphone previously installed in that location taking its place once again.

;Cost

From 1 June 2010, BT payphones have a £0.60 minimum charge which is for the first 30 minutes of any direct-dialled national geographic call. Previously the minimum charge was £0.40 for the first 20 minutes of any direct-dialled national geographic call. Then before November 2006 the minimum charge was £0.30, before 2004 it was £0.20 and before 2000 it was £0.10. Credit/debit cards can also be used, and many BT payphones have card readers for this service; however, calls made using a card are charged at a significantly higher rate than calls made using cash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.payphones.bt.com/publicpayphones/paymentprices.htm |title=Payphones and Calling Cards from BT – Public payphones – payment prices |publisher=Payphones.bt.com |access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref>

BT Phonecards purchased from participating retailers were introduced in 1981, and could be used in most BT payphones to pay for calls. Cards originally used an optical system to register credit, changed to a chip-based system in the 1990s, and were withdrawn in 2003.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2016366.stm|title=R.I.P. Phonecards|date=30 May 2002|work=BBC News|access-date=20 December 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In the past, a BT Chargecard could be used from any UK landline to charge any telephone calls made to the cardholder's BT home telephone account, with no charge to the landline the card was being used from.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.payphones.bt.com/callingcards/selector.htm|title=payphones.bt.com|date=21 October 2011|publisher=payphones.bt.com|access-date=25 April 2014}}</ref> These were most commonly used in payphones, and some BT payphones had dedicated readers for these cards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/bt-scraps-phonecards-after-slump-6303851.html|title=BT scraps phonecards after slump|last=Allen|first=Richard|date=28 May 2002|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref> This service was discontinued in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bt.com/pricing/current/Call_Charges_boo/2-0450_d0e1.htm|title=Section 2:Call Charges & Exchange Line Services Part 3:BT Postpaid (BT Chargecard, BT Odyssey, BT Adventure) – These products were withdrawn on 1st March 2018|website=www.bt.com|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref> Other cards which are often used instead include supermarket international calling cards and many other telephone cards which can be bought from [[Newsagent's shop|newsagents]].

Although 0800 and 0808 numbers are free to the caller when dialled from most payphones, the owner of the number called must pay a 'Payphone Access Charge' (PAC) which has increased significantly in recent years, and is currently £0.79 per minute if their number is called from a payphone. This has led to many businesses, and even calling card providers,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-phonecards|title=International Phonecards – Excellent Rates {{!}} Post Office|website=www.postoffice.co.uk|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref> barring calls to their freephone numbers originating from payphones. Charity helplines are exempt from this charge if called from a BT payphone, however this exemption does not apply to calls made from payphones owned by other providers, and in these cases the charity must pay the PAC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://helplines.org/news/an-end-to-payphone-access-charges-for-helplines/|title=An end to Payphone Access Charges for helplines|last=Ojok|first=Paula|date=20 April 2015|website=Helplines Partnership|language=en-US|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref>

;Cost examples (from BT coin-operated payphones)

There is a £0.40 connection charge, in addition to the "per minute" charges shown below, and a minimum charge of £0.60.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bt.com/pricing/current/Call_Charges_boo/3545_d0e5.htm#3545-d0e5 |title=BT Price List |publisher=Bt.com |access-date=25 April 2014}}</ref> Some payphones also offer SMS and e-mail service,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.payphones.bt.com:80/publicpayphones/payphones.htm|title=Payphones and Calling Cards from BT – Payphones|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220162303/http://www.payphones.bt.com/publicpayphones/payphones.htm|archive-date=20 February 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=21 December 2018}}</ref> both charged at £0.20 per message.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Call prefix
! Type of call
! Seconds per £0.10 block
! Cost per minute
|-
|0800/0808/116
|Freephone
|Free to caller
|Free to caller
|-
| 01/02/03
| Landline (local/national)
| 900
| £0.0067
|-
| 07 (most)
| Mobile
| 9.5
| £0.63
|-
|070/076
|PNS/Pagers
|3
|£2.00
|-
|0845
|Non-geographic ('Special Services') – 'Lo-Call'
|30
|£0.20
|-
| 0870
| Non-geographic ('Special Services') – 'National'
| 12
| £0.50
|-
|09
|Premium-rate services ('PRS')
|1.5
|£4.00
|-
|123
|Speaking clock ('Timeline')
|5
|£1.20
|}