Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: optilink!cramer@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Fictious Account Numbers: A Useful Service of Pacific Bell
Message-ID: <3548@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 5 Feb 90 18:07:51 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 78, message 4 of 13


I've had two phone lines into the house for a couple of years, one a
residence phone, the other the business line for my software business.
Because the volume of software business hasn't exactly been
overwhelming, I've wanted to disconnect that service, and save the
$17/month minimum service charge.  At the same time, it's convenient
to have business calls for my various side businesses separate from my
personal phone bill, so I've been reluctant to discontinue service on
the business line.

I called Pacific Bell, and they have a service called "fictious
account numbers" which allows one phone number to have several credit
card numbers, each of which is subtotalled separately on your phone
bill, making it easy for me to keep the expenses of the firearms
business, the software consulting business, and the writing business,
separate for tax purposes.

They have no problem giving several such account numbers on one phone
line.  (Of course, if you are dialing from home, you'll need to do
credit card billing using the fictious numbers, but that's a small
nuisance).

This would seem like an ideal way to handle the traditional "end of
the month roommates figuring out the bill" problem.



Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer
Democracy is freedom only when the majority are tolerant -- which is never.
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Disclaimer?  You must be kidding!  No company would hold opinions like mine!