Debit Card News

Posted: 09/1997

Debit Card News

Prepaid Benefits From Momentum

SOLONA BEACH, Calif.–Momentum Telecom
recently introduced a prepaid phone card package with options to
entice agents, retailers and customers. The package offers
commissions up to 37 percent; a no risk, money-back guarantee; a
cooperative advertising program; complete retail support;
complete point-of-sale materials; and no sales-tax collection.The
phone card offers customers reliability and clarity with
Momentum’s fiber-optic network and digital transmission; no
hidden fees or surcharges; multilingual instructions;
multilingual customer service; time-remaining announcements on
each call; and a 60-second warning before the card expires.

GSM 2+ SIM Card Released

MONTGOMERYVILLE, Pa.–Gemplus Corp. now
offers a global system for mobile communications (GSM)
2+-compliant subscriber identity module (SIM) card. The card has
16K of electronically erasable, programmable, read-only memory.
The GEMX16 card offers storage space for up to 50 telephone
numbers and up to 300 short messages. Combined with enhanced
short message service, services can be individually activated,
tailored and updated over the air without requiring the user to
seek out a point-of-sale location.

CWI Prepaid Cards Celebrate 125 Years

VIENNA, Va.–Cable & Wireless Inc. (CWI)
has released a limited edition prepaid calling card set as a
promotional gift to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Cable
and Wireless PLC. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the
formation of the Eastern Telegraph Co., which linked London to
Hong Kong by telegraph cable and later went on to become Cable
& Wireless. Today, CWI is owned by Cable and Wireless PLC.
CWI Chief Operating Officer Richard Yalen said, "CWI is very
pleased to join the celebration marking the 125th anniversary of
those daring steps taken by our founder, business visionary John
Pender, who persuaded investors to back a high-risk venture,
laying telegraph cable in a sea as wide and deep as the North
Atlantic. Since that time, his successors have continued to
deploy advanced technology to build CWI’s extensive global
network." The set features prepaid cards issued by the
following Cable & Wireless companies: Cable & Wireless
Communications, United Kingdom; Cable & Wireless Inc., United
States; Companhia de Telecommunicacoes de Macau S.A.R.L., Macau;
Hongkong Telecommunications, Hong Kong; and Telecommunications of
Jamaica, Jamaica. Each card has an equivalent of $3 (U.S.)
calling time of each country’s currency and depicts the company’s
history as well as current telecommunications technologies.

Vicorp Sells Calling Card Technology

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.–Precision Systems Inc.
announced that Vicorp, a Precision Systems company, has been
selected by Qwest Communications International Inc. to help
strengthen and expand Qwest’s calling card business. In a
contract worth more than $1.8 million, Vicorp’s Lydian calling
card and prepaid card products will be used by Qwest in its
wholesale and retail provision of innovative card services.
"Vicorp offers us the best technology and in-depth expertise
to broaden our offerings of world-class services in the growing
calling card arena," says Tim Forster, Qwest’s vice
president of network planning. "The ability to create our
own multiple services on a single platform enables Qwest to
introduce new offerings in ways that let users customize and
expand their card use."

LCI Lands $32 Million Contract

MCLEAN, Va.—LCI International
has signed a multi-year contract with Bluewater Communications, a
provider of prepaid calling cards to independent and chain retail
operations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands. According to the contract, valued at about $32
million, LCI will provide its long distance network to support
Bluewater’s prepaid calling cards. This will allow card users to
place telephone calls from anywhere in the continental United
States and to 230 countries worldwide. LCI will also handle all
customer support for Bluewater’s cards through its prepaid
calling card customer service center.

Harris, Digital Employ Harris IXP

NEW ORLEANS–Harris Corp. and Digital Telephone
Systems have announced the Harris prepaid solutions package.
The system, utilizing the Harris IXP, provides high-availability,
large- capacity debit calling card solutions for single-site and
distributed environments. The Harris prepaid solutions package is
built around the Harris intelligent media switch and uses the
Harris IXP architecture, which supports call control, networking
and Internet access. This support is achieved within a single
processing platform and has no dedicated slots or forced wedding
to a single vendor. The architecture affords scalability in the
case of growth and it supports unlimited PINs while reliably
handling up to 15,000 calls per hour.

Marilyn-N-Motion

SAN DIEGO–Karis Communications has released Marilyn
Monroe prepaid phone cards, Marilyn-N-Motion. The cards features
lenticular motion pictures of Monroe taken from the filming of
"The 7 Year Itch." Karis will issue 2,500 each of the
$7 and $5 cards respectively. Telecommunication services are
provided by Teltrust and both cards are fully rechargeable. Karis
has also announced the release of a Mountain Dew collectible
prepaid phone card in conjunction with Vertical Partners. The
increased demand by dealers and collectors for registered
trademark licensed PepsiCo Inc. products has created the phone
card. The two companies will issue 500 live cards, plus 100
matching test sample cards.

Olympic Medalist Featured

HOUSTON–In a worldwide exclusive prepaid phone card
program with Talk 4 Less phone cards and Creative
Communications, Olympic Gold Medal-winning gymnast
Dominique Moceanu will be featured on a series of collectible
cards. The first card pictures Moceanu in a numbered
photo-collage. The 5,000 cards provide 30 minutes of long
distance calling time and a voice message from Moceanu. Also, 500
cards are available as a signed, limited edition and are packaged
in a custom-carry piece. The phone card’s release coincides with
the opening of Moceanu’s new gym.

KARIS Commemorates Classic Car & Harley
Ride

SAN DIEGO–KARIS Communications has produced a
commemorative $10 phone card that features John Carney, pro bowl
place kicker of the San Diego Chargers, for the Third Annual John
Carney Classic Car & Harley Ride. Over the past three years,
this event has netted more than $45,000 for Fresh Start Surgical
Gifts Inc., a California-based non-profit organization that
provides reconstructive surgery to disfigured children. The
Carney prepaid phone card features the place kicker sitting on a
rock surrounded by several children who have gone through the
program. The card is programmed with 20 minutes of domestic
calling time. KARIS is donating portions of the proceeds of this
card to the Kick Start for Kids program to benefit Fresh Start.

Communico Supply, Hamilton Reach Distribution
Agreement

CLEARWATER, Fla.–Communico Supply, a wholesaler of
telecommunications and data transmission equipment, will
distribute Hamilton Manufacturing Corp.’s prepaid phone card
vending machine, called the Vendor. The machines, which hold
approximately 400 cards, feature an easy-to-read electronic
display showing pricing and operational instructions.
"Vending machines are a natural compliment to the pay phone
service provided by many of our customers, especially those with
setups in high-traffic areas," said John Lilla, president
and CEO of Communico.

LDC Direct Introduces POS Printed Phone Cards

ATLANTA–LCD Direct has begun manufacturing a
point-of-sale (POS) terminal capable of printing the entire back
of a standard-sized prepaid phone card. Although applications for
the terminal are extensive, LDC is initially targeting the
prepaid long distance, prepaid cellular and customer loyalty
industries worldwide. The LDC system allows phone companies to
place an inventory of phone cards at retail locations with no
up-front costs. "Our system is a welcome sight to retailers
struggling to find a secure and efficient way to sell prepaid
services," explained James White, director of technology for
LDC. The patent-pending feature of the LDC 384 POS terminal is
its ability to print near-laser-quality text and graphics
directly onto the back of a PVC, polyester or paper card. All of
the information that gives the card value is managed
electronically and printed on the back of the card in under three
seconds.

Bausch & Lomb Launches SofLens66 Program

MIAMI–Bausch & Lomb recently joined the phone card
industry by launching a promotional program for its SofLens66
contact lenses. After calling an 800 number to receive a free
trial pair of lenses, customers are given a 30-minute card with
the purchase of two six-packs of SofLens66s.