Global Access Telecard Procedures
and Features
Introduction and Features
Summary
The Global Access Telecard combines a wide array of enhanced
features, with a very stable platform, international origination
from over 40 countries, and exceptional rates to make it the
finest calling card in the industry.
The Cardless Card
The Global Access Telecard is a new type of calling card called
a "cardless card." Instead of sending customers a plastic
card and a separate wallet-sized booklet of card instructions,
the GA Telecard is a combination card with a four-color image
on the front panel. Subsequent panels contain dialing instructions,
a speed dial directory, and international access numbers for
over 40 countries.
The cardless card conveniently folds up to the size of a plastic
card and is printed on special high quality Tyvek that is extremely
durable, flexible, and lightweight. Every new cardholder receives
a welcome letter that includes their card credit limit, authorization
code, mail box number, salesperson's name and the number for
local customer service (if available).
The authorization code is not printed on the cardless card, but
there are special areas for the user to write the card number.
Most cards have a 4 digit number followed by your area code and
telephone number. You should write only the 4 digit number on
the card to reduce the possibility of fraudulent use, otherwise,
if the PIN number is not familiar to you write only the first
seven or eight numbers of the authorization code and memorize
the last few digits to reduce the possibility of fraudulent use.
Features
- Sequential Dialing-Allows additional calls without hanging
up or re-dialing.
- Speed Dialing-Gives up to 75 (01-75) codes for frequently
called numbers.
- Voice Mail-Allows others to leave you messages.
- Message Delivery-Allows you to leave messages for other people
including broadcast messages to other card holders.
- Call Conferencing-Allows up to six people to conference on
a call.
- Call Forwarding-Allows calls for you to be forwarded to a
designated number.
- Call Completion-Attempts to deliver your message four times
an hour for six hours if the number you called is busy or does
not answer.
- Fax Store and Forward-Allows someone to send you a fax that
is stored in the card platform until you call in and have it
forwarded to a fax number you designate.
- Pager Notification-Notifies your pager when someone leaves
you a message or fax (U.S. and Canada only).
- Re-dial-Allows you to re-dial the last number you called
with only a 1-digit entry.
- Voice Prompts in 15 Languages-Provides Arabic, Cantonese,
Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese
- Special Faxback-Lets you receive a fax of the current rates,
international access numbers, dialing instructions and costs.
Service Charges, Billing Increments, and Directory Assistance
- No service or bong charges on any calls.
- Calls within the U.S. are flat rated at 14.9¢/minute.
- Billing increments are 30/06 for calls with U.S. origination
(including AK, HI, PR, VI) and 60/60 for calls with all other
origination (including Canada).
- U.S. Directory Assistance is billed at 70¢ per call
in the U.S. (International Directory Assistance is not available).
Billing and Minimums
GA Telecard calls are combined with all other LCPI/Telegroup
services on a single invoice. Their are no extra fees or charges
for having the card.
Card Limits
You can determine the limits assigned to your card, being
careful not to assign unnecessarily high limits. If you only
use a maximum of $300 per month, there is no need to assign a
$1000 limit. A limit in the range of $150 to $500 is adequate
for most customers, although frequent international travelers
may need higher limits. The default limit is $250 per card, per
month if your order does not specify a limit.
The maximum limits on card balances are:
- Initially, cards can have a maximum limit of $1000 and cannot
be increased until you have paid three invoices.
- After three paid invoices, an individual card can have up
to a $2,000 balance.
- Anything higher than $2,000 needs special approval.
Orders for multiple cards will have the same limit on each card
unless you clearly specify different limits for particular cards.
Authorization Codes
Authorization codes (PINS) are generated randomly or can be
the customer's BTN preceded by four digits that we assign.
Credit Limit Warning Prompts
There are three warnings at 180, 60 and 30 seconds as a card's
credit limit is approached. When the card's limit is reached,
the call is disconnected. You many call our 24 hour Customer
Service Department (1-800-393-3000) at any time and request an
increase in the card's limit as long as it falls into the permissible
range. You will be asked a few questions to determine ownership
of the card.
Your Global Access Telecard Procedures
Don't worry if you do not remember all the steps because you
are guided through each step of using the card by voice prompts.
You make selections by pressing the touch-tone keypad on the
telephone.
- NOTE: If calling from
a rotary or pulse telephone, it is necessary to use a hand-held
tone generator as our system will only accept tone signals.
Calling Procedure
- From a touch-tone phone, dial the toll-free access number
for the country from which the call is being placed. The back
of the folding GA Telecard has a list of countries with their
toll-free access numbers. For the USA and Canada the toll free
number is 1-800-249-0010
- After several seconds, a bong tone is heard followed by the
voice prompt: "Please enter your authorization code followed
by the star (*) key."
- After the code is entered, another bong is heard followed
by the voice prompt:
"Please enter the country code and number you wish to call
followed by the star (*) key. The country code for the U.S.,
Canada and the Caribbean is 1, or press 9 followed by the star
(*) key for more options."
Additional Points
- DO NOT PRESS 011 to dial an international
call from the U.S.
- In several countries, hotels and pay phones sometimes block
the use of toll-free numbers.
- In many countries, pay phones require some form of payment
just to get a dial tone.
- It is not necessary to listen to the voice prompts completely
before entering the authorization code or outbound number. When
the bong tone is heard, you can start entering digits, then press
the star (*) key.
- Pressing the star (*) key tells the system that the caller
is done entering a number and speeds things along, reducing waiting
time. If you do not press the star (*) key, the system will wait
four to five seconds and then start.
Special Functions
Sequential Calling
- You use this feature to make additional calls when there
is a busy signal, no answer, or the caller is finished talking.
You press the # key twice (##), wait for a bong tone and then
enter the new number to be called. You do not have to re-dial
a toll-free access number and re-enter the authorization code.
NOTE: Some voice mail systems,
may require a caller to press the # key several times in a row.
This may cause the calling card to think the user wants to dial
another number and may disconnect from the voice mail system.
It is often possible to avoid being disconnected by allowing
4 to 5 seconds between each press of the # key.
Call Completion
- You will be given the option of leaving a 60 second message
if the number called is busy or doesn't answer after a minute
and a half. The GA Telecard will attempt to deliver the message
four times an hour for the next six hours. Once the phone is
answered, the called party will hear, "Please hold for a
recorded message" and then the voice message is played.
If the message is not delivered, the card balance is not charged.
NOTE: If an answering machine
answers, the first part of the message may not be recorded.
Re-dial
- You press 1 followed by the star (*) key, instead of dialing
an outbound number, to re-dial the last number called.
Using Enhanced Features
You dial the toll free access number and enter an authorization
code. After the bong tone, press 9 star (*). Comprehensive voice
prompts guide you through all of the options. To return to any
previous menu or option, press the star (*) key at any time.
The voice prompts sequence for enhanced features is as follows:
- "Press 1 to dial a number." - After the bong tone,
enter the country code and number to call.
- "Press 2 for available credit." - You can hear
the balance left on your monthly credit limit. Monthly credit
limits are automatically reset at the first part of every month.
To raise or lower the credit limit, call (U.S.) 800-338-0225
or +1-515-472-5000.
- "Press 3 for conference calling." - Enter the country
code and number of the first person to call. Once connected press
star (*) 1 to add a new line. While dialing the next person,
the first person is automatically put on hold until dialing is
completed. A maximum of six lines may be connected. If there
is a busy signal, no answer, or one of the people being called
is not available press star (*) 3. The system will drop the last
line called but keep everyone else connected. The card balance
is charged for all connected conference calls based on the origination
and termination of each call.
- "Press 4 for speed dial options." - You can create
up to 75 two-digit (01-75) speed dial codes by following voice
prompts to create, change, or deactivate speed dial codes. To
use speed dial enter a two digit speed dial code followed by
the star (*) key, instead of dialing an outgoing phone number.
When you add or modifies speed dial codes, the card balance is
charged for a call made to the U.S.
- "Press 5 for messaging functions." - Anyone can
leave you a voice message or fax by dialing +1-212-256-6000 and
entering your voice mailbox number (option 6 below). You can
find out if they have any messages by dialing the international
access number for the country they are calling from, entering
their GA Telecard's authorization code, and pressing 7 star (*)
after the bong. They can also find out if they have messages
by selecting "Retrieve Messages" as indicated below:
- "To retrieve messages, press 1." You can save,
replay, or delete messages. The date and time the message was
sent is automatically heard (in U.S. Eastern Standard Time).
If there is a fax message, the customer will be asked to enter
the fax number they want to forward it to.
- "To record your voice mail greeting, press 2."
Just follow the voice prompts. Your greetings as well as incoming
voice messages can be only 60 seconds long. You will record your
name and how long the caller can speak: "Hi, this is (your
name), you can leave me a message of up to 60 seconds in length."
If you do not choose to record a greeting, the system will use
a default greeting.
- "To activate the system's greeting, press 3." If
you change back to the system's default greeting from a personal
greeting, the caller will hear, "Please speak your message
at the tone. Press # when finished."
- "For pager notification, press 4." (U.S. and Canada
only). If you have a pager, the GA calling card can be programmed
to notify the pager whenever someone leaves the customer a message
or fax.
- "For call forwarding press, 5." Callers who dial
+1-212-256-6000 and enter your voice mail box number can be forwarded
to a different number to leave a message.
- "To learn your voice mail box number press, 6."
You can hear your voice mail box number as well as information
on how to use the messaging functions.
- Charges: When you select any of the messaging functions,
the charge is the cost of a call to the U.S. In addition, whenever
a fax, call, or page is forwarded, the charge is the cost of
a call from the U.S. to the destination of the message. There
is an additional 5¢ a minute charge when the customer checks
or retrieves voice mail.
NOTE: All voice and fax mail
messages, including saved messages, are deleted after 14 days
from the time they were left whether they are retrieved or not.
- "Press 6 for message delivery."
- "For message delivery, press 1." Enter the phone
number of the person to leave a message for and speaks the message.
We will try to deliver the message four times an hour for the
next six hours. The start of message delivery can be delayed
from 0 to 9 hours from the time it is left (available 8/1/96).
- "To send messages to other card holders press 2."
Just follow the voice prompts and enter the mailbox number of
another of our card user. The system not only delivers the message,
but it announces the sender's mailbox number and the time of
the call. In companies that have many card holders, messages
can be broadcast to groups of card holders. If you have a customer
wanting to use the broadcast messaging function, you must coordinate
with us to have all the customer's cards issued at the same time.
We will issue a block of cards with random authorization codes
but with sequential mail box numbers. To broadcast a message
to all the card holders, the caller enters the beginning and
ending mailbox numbers only, leaves a message, and the card platform
delivers the message to all the mailboxes within that range.
- "To program a wake up call press 3." Enter the
telephone number where you want to be called, the time in hour
and minutes to be called at, and whether it is a.m. or p.m. All
times are U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
- Charges: When Message Delivery Options are selected,
the card balance is charged at the rate for a call made to the
U.S. from the customer's location.
- "Press 7 for faxed information." - You can receive
a fax of the current rates, international access numbers, and
dialing instructions. You will be charged for the cost of a call
from the U.S. to wherever you want the four pages of information
faxed.
- "Press 8 for language options." - You can choose
voice prompts by pressing: 1 for Arabic, 2 for Cantonese, 3 for
Dutch, 4 for English, 5 for French, 6 for German, 7 for Hebrew,
8 for Italian, 9 for Japanese, 10 for Korean, 11 for Mandarin,
12 for Portuguese, 13 for Russian, 14 for Spanish or 15 for Vietnamese.
- NOTE: The first prompt,
"Please enter your authorization code followed by the star
(*) key, " is always in English as is the voice prompt,
"Enter the voice mail box number you wish to leave a message
for," when a caller calls +1-212-256-6000 to leave a voice/fax
mail.
- "Press 9 for the cost of calling card options."
- You will hear an overview of the costs to use the various calling
card options.
Customer's Responsibilities
The welcome letter contains the following information about
your responsibilities:
- Use of this card is an extension of credit and
you agree to pay for all card charges incurred until we are notified
that the card is lost, stolen, or compromised. BE ESPECIALLY
CAREFUL in public areas like airports, bus terminals and hotel
lobbies where people might record your Telecard number and then
use it illegally. If the card is lost or stolen, immediately
call the worldwide hot line at +1-212-256-6000 and enter the
mail box number 88888888 (8 eights) to cancel it. If you have
any questions regarding your GA Telecard, require changes in
the dollar limit or need to order additional cards, please call
customer service at +1-515-472-5000 or 1-800-338-0225 from the
U.S. or Canada.