Here is UK, it is the person making the call or sending the text that is charged. There is no charge whatsoever to the person receiving the call or text unless they are using their phone outside of the UK (international roaming). On several occasions, friends in US have asked me not to call/text them at certain times because they will be charged. Why should they be charged when I have already paid for the call/text? A very basic UK cellphone plan might cost £25 per month with 300 inclusive voice minutes and 100 texts. These inclusive minutes and texts are not affected in any way by incoming calls/texts. Even if a person’s service has been restricted due to non-payment so they cannot make calls or send texts, they can still receive calls/texts normally. It really seems like US cellphone users are being screwed by their service providers in the sense of being charged for a facility that is free everywhere else.