Abstract: The mobile telephone is well adapted for use as a rental phone. It has an on-board computer which computes and stores telephone usage and control information such as charges for usage of the telephone. Time and charge limits can be set for the telephone. For example, the telephone can be set to disable itself for all or a selected category of incoming and outgoing calls after the passage of a pre-determined time, and/or when the total usage charges reach a pre-determined maximum. Preferably, these limits can be set and adjusted remotely. The telephone is valuable for use in rental vehicles. The telephone is adapted to deliver its stored information when called and interrogated by use of a computer at a station when the rental vehicle is returned. The telephone can be checked-out and enabled, and the time and charge limits adjusted, all from the same remote station.