# Proper way to format a US phone number for an international business card? (Need answer fast) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-way-to-format-a-us-phone-number-for-an-international-business-card-need-answer-fast/630740 "2012-08-07T15:27:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-way-to-format-a-us-phone-number-for-an-international-business-card-need-answer-fast/630740/21 "2012-08-07T18:38:28Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Kind of. When I’m calling England I will sometimes see (0)44 meaning the zero is optional when dialing the country code. It seems that is the convention when using parentheses in international numbers. Not quite - the (0) would be after the 44, directly before the area code. E.g. the London code is 020, so it might be written +44 (0)20. My home area code is 01252, so it could be given as +44 (0)1252, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-way-to-format-a-us-phone-number-for-an-international-business-card-need-answer-fast/630740/22 "2012-08-07T18:45:23Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Kind of. When I’m calling England I will sometimes see (0)44 meaning the zero is optional when dialing the country code. It seems that is the convention when using parentheses in international numbers. I think what you may have seen (or at least it’s common in England) is: +44 (0) 1234 567 890 Which actually means: From outside the UK, dial: +44 1234 567 890 From inside the UK, dial: 01234 567 890 All UK region prefixes start with a zero - but it’s dropped when the call originates outside of the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-way-to-format-a-us-phone-number-for-an-international-business-card-need-answer-fast/630740/23 "2012-08-07T18:50:28Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > But in most cases you don’t take it off! > > For the US number 212 555 1234, you dial > > 212-555-1234 or 1-212-555-1234 locally, because 212 is in an area where you must dial the area code. (Local dialling conventions vary slightly.) > > 1-212-555-1234 or 0-212-555-1234 from long distance, depending on how you’re paying for the call–1 is for normal calls and 0 for things like collect calls. > > +1 212 555 1234 from international. And getting all that written as +12125551234 isn’t confusing? How not, when it turns out that sometimes you have to dial 0012125551234, sometimes 12125551234, sometimes 012125551234\* or 912125551234\* and sometimes 02125551234? That’s five different numbers without even getting into the different versions of the international code, and having it all together doesn’t tell you that sometimes you do have to take out the 1 in front, or to substitute it for a 0. - 0 or 9 for external line, then the number For the Brits: while +44 (0) whatever is the usual version, it’s very confusing for people whose countries’ phone numbers don’t have dropped numbers when calling from abroad; it often requires a verbal explanation. The double line needs no explanations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-way-to-format-a-us-phone-number-for-an-international-business-card-need-answer-fast/630740.md?page=1)