[ewams]

Yes that is how it used to work for sms. My first cell I had to convince people to not text me because I didn't pay the extra ~$35 a month for texting, which I think got you 500 monthly texts. Friends that didn't know or when it was "an emergency" would send a few texts and cost me extra couple bucks a month.

For calls you used to get a pleasure with a set amount of minutes, such as 200, 500, and 1000 per month. Most carriers let you "roll over" unused minutes and typically anything after 9pm didn't count. Though I remember cingular offering 7pm as the unlimited time if you paid an extra fee (don't remember the cost).

Slowly larger plans, then unlimited became more normal. I can of remember it becoming more cost effective the same time more people were getting internet through cable or dsl, instead of dial up. So 2002-2005ish?

[mgkimsal]

> Though I remember cingular offering 7pm as the unlimited time if you paid an extra fee

I also seem to remember that if you started a call at (for example) 6:59pm, and it lasted an hour, all 60 minutes were "premium" minutes, not 1 "premium" and 59 "free/unlimited".

[TuringNYC]

There was also the trick where "nights and weekends" minutes would start later and later. Initially they were so you werent doing long business calls on them. "Free Night" minutes would start at 5:30pm, then crept to 6pm then to 6:30pm and eventually to 7pm

[sushshshsh]

That just sounds like lazy programming becoming a feature for the chief revenue officer ;)

Call call = new Call(timestamp);

String hour = call.getHour();

if (hour < 19 hour && hour > 6) call.setRate("Premium"); //military time

[nitrogen]

If you started a call at 5:59 AM (or whenever it was) would the entire call be discounted?

[TuringNYC]

LOL that would be like AOL in the 90s when people would log on and not log off...because it was so busy and because there was unlimited use pricing.

[mgkimsal]

somehow I doubt it. I don't remember, but I strongly doubt it.

this would have been 'revenue maximization', much like banks that will order your check deposits and outgoings to maximize any fees for bounced checks. Process the outgoings first, so if there's any fees to be had, you can rake 'em in.