calling party

{{Short description|Person who initiates a telephone call}}

{{One source|date=April 2025}}

The calling party{{cite web |title=InfoType: calling party number |url=https://opi.cs.cmu.edu/show/calling_party_number |website=opi.cs.cmu.edu |access-date=11 April 2025}} (in some contexts called the "A-Number") is a person who (or device that) initiates a telephone call. The person who, or device that, receives a telephone call is the called party (or callee or B-party).

In some countries, it is common etiquette for a call originator to identify himself first instead of the receiver, when the connection is established.

Modems and fax machines use different tones when originating or answering a connection, which may be a source of problems for the user.