Flagfall

Flagfall or flag fall is common Australian expression for a fixed start fee, especially in the haulage and railroad industry. From the Australia mobile phone industry, the expression has recently begun to spread to other English language countries, as business jargon for an initial fixed fee for establishing each phone call. The expression is also beginning to find its way into other businesses as a synonym to "start fee".

The origin is a taxi expression for the minimum charge for hiring a taxi, to which the rate per kilometre or mile is then added. It dates back to the old mechanical taximeters, which were equipped with a flag-like lever that could be seen from outside the cab. When the "flag" was up and visible, the cab was not occupied. When a passenger stepped in, the driver turned the lever down - the "flag fall" - and the taximeter started counting. The taxi expression is also being used in Hong Kong, New Zealand, and some other countries, but hasn't been used there as a general synonym for start fee.

External Links

• Explanation about the taxi origin of the expression
• Document from the Western Australian government about flagfall charges in the rail industry
• Picture showing iPhone time tracking application "Jobs", which has "flagfall" as a cost item
• Glossary from Australian Oracle Telecom, showing the expression used for phone costs