Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: cgch!wtho@mcsun.eu.net (Tom Hofmann) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Phone Cards Message-ID:Date: 26 Sep 89 11:19:20 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: WRZ, CIBA-GEIGY Ltd, Basel, Switzerland Lines: 16 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 409, message 6 of 7 As I see there are two different types of phone cards around the world. One type is handled like a credit card of the telephone company: for using it you make an operator assisted call and tell the operator your card number, or you type the card number directly into the phone (e.g. USA). For the other type you pay a certain amount and this amount is coded on the card itself. For usage you push the card into a special slot of a public phone, and the coded amount is decreased while making a call. An "empty" card can be thrown away (e.g. Switzerland). What I would like to know: Isn't there a country (or LDC in the US) where phone calls can be paid be regular, internationally accepted credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express, etc.)? Phone calls would get much easier while travelling abroad. Or is there a reason, why telephone companies do not accept them? Tom Hofmann wtho@cgch.UUCP