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From: U5434122@ucsvc.unimelb.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: MCI Announces VISA-Phone
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Date: 14 Aug 89 07:13:00 GMT
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X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 297, message 3 of 8

Re: MCI's VISA billing for LD calls

> It is unclear to me at this time if prior arrangements are required with
> MCI to use VISA billing, or if those numbers are somehow now being installed
> right into a data base of acceptable cards/pins.

It is unlikely that prior arrangement would be necessary.  In Australia we have
card-phones.  These telephones have magnetic stripe readers in them.  To use
the telephone you have to swipe your credit or ATM card and enter your PIN.
If a cheque or savings account is selected, the money is debited from your
account on completion of the call.  Before presenting a dial tone, the
telephone will often tell you how much money is in your account, so you know
your limit.  Call cost is displayed as the call progresses and at the end.

Unfortunately these public telephones have a minimum charge of $1.20, so they
are only useful for international or long distance calling.  Throughout
Australia local calling is flat-rate 21c per call, irrespective of time.  The
local calling area includes the whole metropolitan area of all major cities.
Local calls from a public phone are 30c, so a cardphone is OK if you want to
make 4 calls at once.

Daniel