Picture
Phonecards

October 12, 1996


Issue 51

Phonecards On-Line is written and distributed by Alan Cohen


Return to POL Index

News and Views

Milestone Reached

Just wanted to make a brief announcement about the circulation of this newsletter - E-mail distribution has gone over 1,000 (currently at 1,026) plus those who read each week at the web site (http://www.cardmall.com/pol/phonline.htm) - Be sure to check out the web site as it often contains scanned images of cards

IPC Phonecard

IPC Phonecard and Web Site

Those who have signed up for membership in IPC (International Phonecard Collectors) have begun to receive their phonecard. Only 350 were produced, and the design is quite nice - It plays off the serial comic in The Collector’s Advantage, Nick Hazard. This card is available free of charge by joining IPC. Additionally, The Official IPC Web Site is currently being constructed. You can check it out at http://www.cardmall.com/ipc

For those who don’t have time to view the site just yet, here is some information listed there about IPC:

IPC membership card has the time donated by MMC Exchange

Membership for US residents is $15 per year, Canada $20 (US Funds), and other international addresses is $25 (US Funds)

Join Now!

Make Checks Payable to:

Jim Wertheimer, Treasurer

International Phonecard Collectors

PO Box 632

Milwood, NY 10546

Contact Information:

Good News at 7-11

Sports Collector’s Digest recently reported that the 7-11/Classic/Sprint baseball phonecard promotion sold out about 50% faster than anticipated. This is great news - Not everyone who purchased these cards is a collector, but they may become one. This is especially true if these types of programs continue as they are with the new football phonecards. 7-11 is reported to be the largest national retailer of phonecards. I know I have purchased and used quite a few of their cards.

ITA Auction On-Line

ITA is holding an auction on-line now through October 22 - Check it out at http://www.pcmreport.com/auction/auction.htm

Big Sale at Big Lots

Thanks to Douglas L Jacobs for reporting this:

You may want to go to your local Big Lots an ask at the Service desk if they have any phone cards left for sale. The cards are prepaid Rechargeable Telecoin Phone Pass that picture U.S. Olympic Coins They Come in $100 (did not have any at store I went to), $50 (sells for $9.99)$20 (sells for $3.99), $10 (sells for $1.99) The time expires on Dec. 31 1996. The $50 card has 75 min and I have not checked the others to see what the time is on them. The $50 & $100 show gold coins and the others silver. The package says that a portion of the proceeds went to support U.S. Olympic athletes and they are distributed by J3, Inc. Transport provided by New Media TeleCommunication, Inc. Also on the back of the card there is a Visa Logo The front is blue with a black strip down the middle of the card and then the coin centered on top of it.

Pac Bell/Charity Phonecards

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 9, 1996--
This year, 2,500 California public, private and parochial schools and non-profit educational groups seeking innovative ways to fundraise have an opportunity to sell Pacific Bell Prepaid Phone Cards, one of the products available through the National Scrip Center Inc. (NSC). The NSC's mission is to empower young people, their families and local voluntary organizations through a national training and education support services movement. The program teaches community non-profits how to raise money by purchasing goods and services of national corporations using "Scrip," or merchandise gift certificates.

Pacific Bell, a California-based company committed to education, has joined with the NSC to sell $10 Prepaid Phone Cards to schools and non-profits throughout the country at a 22 percent discount. In turn, the non-profit groups will sell the Prepaid Cards to the community at their full value -- raising $2.20 for each card sold.

GTE Airfone Sale

OAK BROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 1, 1996
GTE today announced it is offering an Airfone Service Unlimited Calling Card for $24.95 per card (plus tax, shipping and handling). With this card, people can use the Airfone service throughout the holiday month of December.

"It's a value worth hundreds of dollars," said Mark Schneider, GTE Airfone vice president - marketing. "The card covers every Airfone service feature -- domestic, international and satellite calls, three-way calling, even data connections."

Sprint Cards and Giveaways

APOPKA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 1996--
Sprint's Customer Appreciation Week is the focus of a month-long series of customer recognition activities. Each customer who calls or visits any of 20 service centers statewide will be eligible to win one of nearly 500 Spree $10 prepaid calling cards given away in daily drawings throughout October. In addition, 80 grand-prize winners will receive $20 Spree prepaid cards with Sprint NFL tee shirts, water bottles and other merchandise. The total grand prize package value is $80.

MCI Holiday Cards

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 1996--
MCI today unveiled a new retail line of prepaid calling card services and customized in-store displays, including the industry's first holiday-themed prepaid calling cards. The MCI PrePaid retail line will expand the merchandise mix, provide more store visibility for popular prepaid calling cards and give consumers a purchasing choice.

MCI's retail approach dictates two primary uses for phone cards: those purchased strictly by users to make calls, and those bought as novelties or gifts for others. MCI's "Ring in the Holidays" cards will cover major gift giving holidays, such as Christmas and Channukah.

The 1996 Holiday Ornament series features three images designed to appeal to holiday shoppers: a stocking with candy and treats, a snowflake, and an ornament with toys and gifts. Each card is affixed to a colorful carrier which can be merchandised on a variety of fixtures including a free-standing, eye-catching Christmas Tree Display.

Point of Sale Swipe Activation

As the prepaid phonecard industry continues to grow, the competition for market share accelerates, and in-store visibility becomes imperative. To combat the threat of theft and inventory shrinkage from on-floor displays, MCI has implemented another industry first, point-of-sale-swipe activation (POSA).

POSA allows retailers to merchandise cards on the sales floor, as opposed to traditional "behind the register" methods. This added security allows customers the opportunity to pick up and inspect the product, while eliminating the merchants' concern of losing a product with stored value. Cards that are displayed on the sales floor remain inactive until check-out, at which point, they are run through a swiping devise that activates the card.

Hospital Phonecards

ASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ --
Patients admitted to hospitals operated by Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: COL) will receive 10 minutes of AT&T long-distance phone calls starting today.

Columbia hospitals across the country will distribute special calling cards with 10 minutes worth of domestic long-distance calls to each patient upon admission. The cards, created in conjunction with AT&T, were designed specifically for Columbia patients. They can be used by patients or their family members anytime, from any phone, and are valid through September 1997.

Promise Revisited

Today's Sunday paper has a mail-in offer for a free phonecard from Promise margarine with 2 proofs-of-purchase. Card has picture of a Sunflower oozing oil from center and pictures of 2 products.

From: Andrew Henderson

Until Next Week,

Alan

Distribution

Phonecards On-Line is written and distributed by Alan Cohen. It is a weekly newsletter devoted to phonecards - Current news, viewpoints, and reviews of new issues. It is distributed free of charge, and available two ways.

1) On-Line on the World Wide Web. The address is: http://www.cardmall.com

2) Direct e-mail. Send a message to: phoneline@cardmall.com

If you wish to be removed from this mailing list, or find yourself with two subscriptions (It does happen), please reply to the most recent message that was sent to you WITHOUT changing the subject line! - This will assist me in removing your name