Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: heiby@mcdchg.chg.mcd.mot.com (Ron Heiby)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T Universal Calling Card Number Unhipness
Message-ID: <16074@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 15 Jan 91 00:04:32 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: Motorola Computer Group, Schaumburg, IL
Lines: 37
Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 39, Message 5 of 9


When I got my Universal "welcome" packet, the brochure strongly
implied that only AT&T would recognize the calling card number
associated with the card.  I had the opposite reaction to that of
Johnny Zweig.  I thought, "goody!  Now I won't accidentally get ripped
off by some AOS!"  Just in case, I called the 800 number on the card
to make sure I was reading it right.  The person at the other end was
very friendly (as on the other two times I've called them), but
wouldn't commit to the number being good *only* for AT&T.  She
maintained that it was still my responsibility to listen for the
"AT&T" identification and/or use the 1-0-ATT prefix.  Can anyone
confirm that the Universal card's calling card number is valid *only*
for AT&T service? 

celoni@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Jim Celoni) writes:

>A caveat about the Universal Card: the magnetic stripe has the credit
>card number, not calling card number, so if you swipe it into a public
>phone, your credit card will be billed *by whatever carrier the phone
>wants to use*, and even if it's AT&T you won't get the 10% off.

I don't think that this is accurate.  I believe that the stripe
contains both numbers on it.  I believe this because when traveling
last week I decided to test the theory that both numbers were there by
inserting it into an AT&T hotel lobby calling card phone.  (Pretty
nifty phone.  Black.  "data" port for a modem.  LCD alphanumeric
display.  card slot.)  I inserted my card and it asked me for my PIN,
just like for a normal calling card.  I don't think it would ask for a
PIN if I had used a regular MC/VISA card.  I called the Universal
folks to ask them about it.  They were very nice, misunderstood my
question, but their answer was informative.  They told me that many
public phones were not yet programmed to know about the Universal
card, and for those it would be important to key the number in
manually.  Of course, they also reminded me to listen for "AT&T". 


Ron Heiby, heiby@chg.mcd.mot.com	Moderator: comp.newprod