This is a glossary of phonecard/telecard terminolgy, definitions and jargon. This is an ever expanding industry and hobby, with new terms and definitions being created everyday. As the industry and hobby grows, so will this glossary. Watch for new terms.

Breakage

Unused or expired portion of a telecard

Calling Card Platform

The hardware and software foundation that processes prepaid calling cards

CAP

Competitive Access Provider

Capacity

The amount of call that can go through a system at any given time

Card Activation

A platform function that prepares the system for individual on-going card use

Card Processor

Where calls come in and out

Chip Card

Have a small silicon chip embedded within the card which references the number of units stored in the card. The chip is connected on the surface by wires leading to a metal pattern or contact. Interchangeable with Smart Card, Memory Card, or Contact Card

Closed User Group Card

Available only at specific locations and restricted environments such as prisons, oil rigs, military bases, hospitals, etc. It is encoded to work only in card phones at that specific location. This will limit the number of calls or subsidize the calls by each individual

Commemorative Cards

Produced by a phone company or private company to celebrate a special show or event. The date of the event is usally displayed on the card

Control Number

Place on cards by the manufacturer to help identify each individual card. Control numbers are separate and perform different functions from access or PIN numbers

Debit Cards

Represent an account with a fixed amount of value available which is decreased with use until the value is used or replenished. Moneycard is another term

Definitive Card

The standard non-commemorative cards marketed by issues. They continue in use for considerable periods of time and can be reprinted. During the early days of telephone cards, almost all nations had definitive cards and nothing else. The situation is now being reversed and the definitive card is rapidly decreasing

Denomination

Is the value of a card, which purchases a specific amount of telephone time, services, etc.

Dialogic

Telephone Interface Card brand name, known as the "Cadillac" of the industry

Digital Motion Telecards

Up to 150 or more frames of video on a phonecard

Digital Offset Printing

A new process that offers full color front and back on cards

Dispay Card

Affixed to display boards and are facsimiles of actual cards. Used to illustrate potential designs to customers. The entire panel or display is often collectible

Electronic Card

Have a silicon memory chip embedded in the card, which is accessed through a pattern of metal contacts on the surface of the card

Enhanced Functions

Voicemail, fax on demand or other services not necessarily associated with calling card use

Field Trial Card

Used by telephone companies to evaluate the merits of a particular system during a field trial in which a limited number of card phones are installed to test public reaction to them. Some countries have had trials of several systems at the same time. Previously, the country of issue was only distinguishable by the control number, but attractive design has now become a part of the selling package

File Server

Voice prompts, data on cards and program resides here

Information Gateway Services

Stock reports, weather information, sports scores or other information provided to calling card holders by another company through your system

Internal Card

Generally unavailable to the public. They are used to commemorate the completion of a system and are often given to each staff member. Other internals called party cards are given by companies to attendees at special functions

IXC

InterExchange Carrier

Laminated Phonecard

Paper, PVC or teslin core printed and covered on both sides with clear plastic laminate

LATA

Local Access and Transport Area

LEC

Local Exchange Carrier

Magnetic Card

Store and record changes in information on a ferrite layer similar to a tape recoreder. The magnetic strip records the remaining telephone time, or monetary value remaining on the card after each use

Mirrored hard-drive

A second hard-drive used in computer data storage to back up the primary hard-drive production

MSA

Metropolitan, or Market, Service Area

Obverse

The front side of a telecard

Optical Card

Have a 1.5mm wide band ribbon of metal foil with a series of patterns embossed on it. When inserted into a pay phone, a beam of infra-red light shines through the strip and is reflected off the pattern to a detector to indicate the remaining telephone time after each use

OSP

Operator Services Provider

PC Based Platform

A calling card processor that uses either 386, 486 or Pentium-type technology to process

Personal Card

Highly collectible and difficult to obtain. They are issued to the senior staff members of companies in the telephone card industry for their personal use. They carry the names and addresses of the individuals. Can also used as a business card

Phone Cards

Represent telephone time which has been paid for in advance. The cards come in various designs and denominations, and are traditionally used on calls make away from the home

Photographic Card

Usually paper or polyester. A photo image placed on a card that has vivid colors

Polyester Card

One of the most durable plastic cards produced. These cards are not laminated

POP

Point of Purchase or Point of Presence

Port

Entrance or exit from a network, or a point in a computer where data can be accessed

Private Card

Sponsored by an individual or organization and are generally issued in small quantities, typically 500 to 1000. Many companies have adopted a policy of printing an additional quantity so that collectors can obtain them at or close to face value at the time of issue

Processor

The telephone switch, or portion of that switch, that actually processes the telephone call

Promotional Card

Generally distributed by large companies or firms to advertise products, services or a special event. In some cases the person may have to buy a product to obtain the card. Others, the producer of the card simly sells space on the card, which is then distributed through normal distribution channels.

PTT

Postal Telephone & Telegraph - the overseas guys - no matter where you may be

Public Card

Also called a utility card. They are printed in large numbers, with quantities ranging from 250,000 to one million or more being typical. They are usually available to the general public through normal distribution channels.

RBOC

Regional Bell Operating Company. There are seven: Pacific Telesis, US West, Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Nynex, Bell Atlantic and Bell South. ie. baby bells

Redundancy

Using more than one system in case one fails

Remote Memory Card

Require the user to dial an 800# and a PIN (personal identification number) or CIN (card identification number) before use, and can be utilized in many telephone networks. Sometimes an additional number of digits muyst be dialed to complete a call. The cards can be renewable and recharged for additional time.

Rounding

The increment in which minutes are used off of a card. For example, 60 second rounding bills the call to the nearest minute

RSA

Rural Service Area

Smart card

A card containing data on a small microchip located on the card itself. Interchangeable with Stored Memory Card

Stored Memory Card

Electronic cards that actually contain encoded information. These cards can work via a computer chip embedded in the card, optical technology or a magnetic strip or code. They can store phone numbers, transfer charges and limit calls to certain numbers. This type of card requires a special card reader to function. Interchangeable with Smart Card.

Switch

A multifunctional piece of telecommunications equipment that takes calls from inbound phone lines and routes them to the appropriate destination on out bound phone lines. Switches can range in size, but usually handle a minimum of 24 phone lines. The functions they perform vary from manufacturer to manufacturer

T1

A pipe of telephone lines, or a digital transmission link with a capacity of 1,544,000 bits per second. A T1 can handle 24 voice conversations simultaneously

Tape Back Up

Magnetic tape storage of computer information used if system fails

Telco

A telephone company

Telephone Card

Is a telephone prepayment card with aset number of units or cash value programmed into a memory and progressively deleted in use. Interchangeable with Phonecard

Telephone Interface Cards

Replacable circuitry needed for your system to receive outside lines

Test Card

Issued to and used by telecommunications company technicians and maintenance personnel to test

Vinyl Card

Also known as PVC. Any major credit card would be an example. Can be recyclable

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