From MTG Salvation Wiki
Alternative cost (or alternate cost) is another way to pay for a spell besides the normal mana cost. Cards with alternative costs were first introduced in Alliances. These were known as pitch cards.
| From the Comprehensive Rules
Alternative Cost
The rules text of some spells reads, “You may [action] rather than pay [this object’s] mana cost,” or includes the phrase, “you may play [this object] without paying its mana cost.” These are alternative costs. Only one such alternative cost can be applied to any one spell. Other spells and abilities that ask for a spell’s mana cost still see the actual mana cost, not what was paid to play the spell. If an effect requires paying additional costs to play a spell, it still applies to the alternative cost.
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