Calling Card Solutions
Calling Card and phone-card services are very popular around the world allowing people to make low cost international calls from a landline, cellphone or payphone without requiring an Internet connection or data plan.
Calling cards may be pre-paid or post-paid and work as follows:
- Customer calls a local access number
- Customer authenticated by Caller ID (PINless)
- Or prompted for PIN
- Optionally, the balance is read out
- Prompted for a number to call
- Customer connected to called party
The rate the customer pays is far lower than the cost of the same call using either a payphone, the incumbent telephone company or cellphone operator, this is particularly true of international calls.
Solutions
PIN authenticated Calling Cards
PIN based calling cards, sold in bulk via resellers and agents. The customer dials the access number then enters a PIN from the calling card to authenticate.
Smartphone Dialers
Dialer applications installed on smartphones automatically route the call through the access number without the customer having to do anything different to dialing direct. No internet connection is required as the call is routed to the calling card platform via the cellphone operator.
Call-Shops
Customers purchase a pre-paid calling card over the counter and are directed to the nearest phone booth where they make a call then enter a PIN. The call is automatically disconnected when the credit has expired.
PINless Calling Cards
The customer is recognised on the basis of their caller ID doing away with the need to remember a number to access the service.
Sim Dialers
Many companies supply replacement SIM cards for cell phones which automate the process of of dialling the access number, making using calling card services invisible to the customer.
Core Features
- Flexible charging options including stepped charging, connection and disconnection fees and service charges.
- Pre-paid or post-paid support
- Bulk Creation of phone cards
- Phone card expiry options increasing breakage and profitability
- Customer Web Portal for payments and account activity
- Online Sign-up via a web page.
- Automatic provisioning via phone call
- Paypal Integrated
- Top-up with voucher via IVR and Customer Portal
- Commission Agent & Reseller support
- Multi-Language IVR and Customer Portal
- Multi-Currency support
- Follow-on calls and last number redial
- Speed Dials
- Flexible configuration options
- Detailed reporting and Statistics
Products to consider
The A2Billing Switch is a full featured phone-card and calling card platform with flexibility to create a range of phone-card products and services and can be installed on a single server to allow hundreds of concurrent calls, or on a multi-server system allowing almost unlimited numbers of concurrent calls.
The A2Billing Switch also supports VoIP, DID resale and call-back services.