Calling Cards Glossary

» Access number - 10 or 11 digits number you dial to use prepaid phone cards. This number is usually a Toll Free number beginning with 1-800, 866, 877 or 888. Some prepaid phone cards also have Local Access numbers that are local for particular territories and areas.

» Authorization Number - same as PIN.

» Calling Cards - Telecommunication credit cards with an AuthCode for using a long distance carrier when the customer is away from their home or office.

» Callingcards - Same as phone cards or calling cards.

» Carrier - A telecommunications provider which owns switch equipment.

» Coin Phone - A coin-operated pay phone with restricted access to some services (e.g. International calling). Coin phones have subclasses of Public, Semi Public, and Private.

» Connection Fee - This fee applies to calling card's balance every time when the connection is established. The charge varies depending on country a person is calling to. Connection fee reduces the advertised number of minutes on the calling card. Our calling cards don't have a connection fee!

» Country Code - Two or three digit codes used for International calls outside of the North American Numbering Plan area codes. Dial: 011 + country code + city code + local phone number) (e.g. "011 + 91 + 22 + 123- 4567" 91 = India, 22 = Bombay)

» CSC code - Credit/Debit card security code (CSC) is the last 3 digits printed on the back of the Credit/Debit card, typically in the signature field after your account number.

» Destination number - The number you want to call. For international phone calls it begins with "011" then country code and the number; for domestic calls it begins with "1" then area code and the number.

» Dial - To Place A Call On A Switched Network. The term "dial" is obsolete - based on rotary dial phones and electromechanical relay switches (which are nearly non-existent in modern telephone systems.) Touch Tone service recognizes dual tones that are generated as each telephone key is pressed. Where Touch Tone service is not available, telephones and switches electronically "pulse" signals that emulate the older rotary dial telephones. The terms "place" a call or "originate" a call are more accurate than "dial".

» Dial Tone - Ready To Place/Originate A Call. When the off hook indication is received at a central office, a dial tone signal is sent to the originating caller on a switched network to indicate that the switch is ready to accept a number.

» Dialer - Equipment that pulses out a standard dial protocol signal.

» Digital - A device or method that uses discrete variations in voltage, frequency, amplitude, location, etc. to encode, process, or carry binary (zero or one) signals for sound, video, computer data or other information. For example, a digital clock displays the time as discrete numeric values, rather than angular displacement of analog hands. Digital communications technology generally permits higher speeds of transmission with a lower error rate than can be achieved with analog technology. When analog signals are received and amplified at each repeater station, any noise is also amplified. A digital signal, however, is detected and regenerated (not amplified). Unlike amplification, any noise (less than a valid signal) is eliminated by digital regeneration.

» FCC - Federal Communications Commission - Regulates interstate communications: licenses, rates, tariffs, standards, limitations, etc. Appointed by U.S. President .Web Site = http://www.fcc.gov

» FCC Tax - It may be deducted from calling card balance for each phone call made. It varies from 0% to 15%. For example, if the rate is 5 c/min and the tax is 10%, calling card's balance will be reduced for $1.10 for 20 minutes phone call.

» Local Access number - This is a local telephone number for particular areas. This number is used as an access number for certain prepaid calling cards. Local Access Numbers are used to reduce costs and provide better rates for customers.

» Maintenance Fee - This fee is deducted from calling card balance if there is still enough balance. It is not charged on your credit card. Phone card provider starts charging a maintenance fee within 24 hours after the first phone call is finished, it is usually deducted by midnight according to the Eastern Standard time. It value varies, on our website it's not higher than 69 cents. The maintenance fee can be applied every month, every two weeks, or every week. Most calling cards on our website don't have maintenance fee.

» PayPhone - A public (or private) telephone that accepts coins or encoded credit cards, can be located outdoors and indoors. Our Phone Cards can be used from any public payphone in the Continental USA.

» Pay-Phone Surcharge - This surcharge applies to calling card balance for each call made from a payphone.

» Permanent PIN - Each time when you add money to a card you refill the same PIN number. Only refillable phone cards have permanent PIN number.

» Phone card - Same as a calling card or telecard.

» Phonecard - Same as a calling card or telecard.

» PIN Free Access - When you buy a Refillable calling card, you register your phone number with us. When you dial from registered phone, after entering the Access number the telecom switches automatically, recognizing your number, and you don't have to enter a hard-to-remember PIN.

» PIN - phone card's Personal Identification Number.

» Refillable phone card - Rechargeable phone card that offer the following additional opportunities: refill opportunity, PIN-Free access, Permanent PIN, unlimited expiration period, balance transfer option.

» Rounding/Increment - This is the basic unit for phone call duration calculation. The normal minute rounding for prepaid calling cards is one minute. Some phone cards have two (2) and three (3) minutes rounding.

» Telecard - Same as a phone card or calling card.

» Toll Free Access number - 11 digits telephone number beginning with 1-800, 866, 877 or 888
you need to dial to use prepaid calling cards.

» Validity period - Phone card's expiration period, which starts after the first phone call was made. On our website we offer cards with limited and unlimited expiration period (at least one refill in 6 month required for unlimited cards).