Telephone Cards: How Making Calls has Become Easier

By: Feras Shoukeir
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Calling cards, telephone cards, or phone cards,whatever you know them as, are extremely useful tools when it comes to makingtelephone calls both locally as well as internationally. The most commonly usedtelephone cards utilise a prepaid credit system where users buy a certainamount of calling time, which directly corresponds to the value of the card. Ofcourse, this process depends on the telecommunication system via which you makethe calls. Different network providers might offer different types of telephonecard services, but mostly all offer phone cards with a specific balance, whichallows you to make a specific number of calls or rather equates to a certainamount of talk time. Such prepaid calling cards are disposable, so when youhave exhausted your balance, you simply buy a new one.

There areother types of calling cards that carry a PIN on them, which allow the user totransfer their charges on calls made via these phone cards, from any phone, toa fixed landline account. The advantage of such phone cards is that they do notlimit the talk time for the user, so there is no fear of calls gettingdisconnected if balance runs out. The user is able to charge the calls made ona calling card on a fixed telephone account, which allows for a consolidatedbilling.

With twomain technologies used for calling cards, namely stored value or remote memory,users today can enjoy many facilities on their international calling cards orlocal prepaid cards. A stored value calling card contains a certain balanceamount that you can exhaust for your calls. When you use them at public phonebooths, the machine’s card reader reads this value, and you can make as manycalls you want valued within the stipulated balance amount. This system issimilar to an ATM, which reads your ATM card in the same manner. The earliestcalling card using such encoded value were the Italian cards made in 1976,which coded information on to magnetic stripes of the card. Nowadays the technologyused in stored value card has advanced from the rudimentary coding systems ofthe past. Remote memory calling cards allows for the access to a database,checking for balance and other details. This is done via a toll free accessnumber, but in countries where there is no nationalized telephone operatingservice; this feature is of limited use.

Callingcards are great deals for travelers, who need not carry cash to pay for theirtelephonic transactions. Making international calls is also a hassle freeexperience, as you can make long distance calls within a stipulated balanceamount, and not have to worry about excessive bills. International callingcards allow mobile phone users to make long distance phone calls without havingto worry about charges being added to their postpaid bill, or deductions fromtheir prepaid cellular connection. Even local residents can enjoy the multiplebenefits of telephone cards, which they can use anywhere when out and abouttown, and charge to their landline account, or simply do away with the need ofpaying for their calls from any local telephone booth.


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