How To Use Telegroup GA Telecard



Using Global Access Telecard

You are guided through each step of using the card by voice prompts. You make selections by pressing the touch-tone keypad of their telephone.
NOTE: If calling from a rotary or pulse telephone, it is necessary to use a hand-held tone generator as our system will only accept tone signals.

Calling Procedure

  1. From a touch-tone phone, the customer dials the toll-free access number for the country from which the call is being placed. The back of the folding GA Telecard has a list of countries with their toll-free access numbers.
  2. After several seconds, a bong tone is heard followed by the voice prompt: "Please enter your authorization code followed by the star (*) key."
  3. After the code is entered, another bong is heard followed by the voice prompt: "Please enter the country code and number you wish to call followed by the star (*) key. The country code for the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean is 1, or press 9 followed by the star (*) key for more options."

    Additional Points
    • The caller should not press 011 to dial an international call from the U.S.
    • In several countries, hotels and pay phones sometimes block the use of toll-free numbers.
    • In many countries, pay phones require some form of payment just to get a dial tone.
    • It is not necessary to listen to the voice prompts completely before entering the authorization code or outbound number. When the bong tone is heard, the caller can start entering digits, then press the star (*) key. Pressing the star (*) key tells the system that the caller is done entering a number and speeds things along, reducing waiting time. If the caller does not press the star (*) key, the system will wait four to five seconds and then start.

Special Functions

  • Sequential Calling
    The caller uses this feature to make additional calls when there is a busy signal, no answer, or the caller is finished talking. The user presses the # key twice (##), waits for a bong tone and then enters the new number to be called. The caller does not have to re-dial a toll-free access number and re-enter the authorization code.
    NOTE: Some voice mail systems, may require a caller to press the # key several times in a row. This may cause the calling card to think the user wants to dial another number and may disconnect from the voice mail system. It is often possible to avoid being disconnected by allowing 4 to 5 seconds between each press of the # key.
  • Call Completion
    The caller is given the option of leaving a 60 second message if the number called is busy or doesn't answer after a minute and a half. The GA Telecard will attempt to deliver the message four times an hour for the next six hours. Once the phone is answered, the called party will hear, "Please hold for a recorded message" and then the voice message is played. If the message is not delivered, the card balance is not charged.
    NOTE: If an answering machine answers, the first part of the message may not be recorded.
  • Re-dial
    The caller presses 1 followed by the star (*) key, instead of dialing an outbound number, to re-dial the last number called.

Using The Enhanced Features

The customer dials the toll free access number and enters an authorization code. After the bong tone, the caller presses 9 star (*). Comprehensive voice prompts guide the caller through all of the options. To return to any previous menu or option, the caller can press the star (*) key at any time. The voice prompts sequence for enhanced features is as follows:

"Press 1 to dial a number."– After the bong tone, the customer enters the country code and number to call.

"Press 2 for available credit."

  • The customer can hear the balance left on his or her monthly credit limit.
  • Monthly credit limits are automatically reset at the first part of every month.
  • To raise or lower the credit limit, the customer can call Telegroup at (U.S.) 800-338- 0225 or +1-515-472-5000.

"Press 3 for conference calling."

  • The customer enters the country code and number of the first person to call.
  • Once connected, the caller presses star (*) 1 to add a new line. While dialing the next person, the first person is automatically put on hold until dialing is completed.
  • A maximum of six lines may be connected.
  • If there is a busy signal, no answer, or one of the people being called is not available, the customer presses star (*) 3. The system will drop the last line called but keep everyone else connected.
  • Charges: The card balance is charged for all connected conference calls based on the origination and termination of each call.

"Press 4 for speed dial options."

  • The customer can create up to 75 two-digit (01-75) speed dial codes by following voice prompts to create, change, or deactivate speed dial codes.
  • To use speed dial, the customer enters a two digit speed dial code followed by the star (*) key, instead of dialing an outgoing phone number.
  • Charges: When a customer adds or modifies speed dial codes, the card balance is charged for a call made to the U.S.

"Press 5 for messaging functions."– Anyone can leave the customer a voice message or fax by dialing +1-212-256-6000 and entering the customer's voice mailbox number (option 6 below). Customers can find out if they have any messages by dialing the international access number for the country they are calling from, entering their GA Telecard's authorization code, and pressing 7 star (*) after the bong. They can also find out if they have messages by selecting "Retrieve Messages" as indicated below:

  • "To retrieve messages, press 1." The customer can save, replay, or delete their messages. The date and time the message was sent is automatically heard (in U.S. Eastern Standard Time). If there is a fax message, the customer will be asked to enter the fax number they want to forward it to.
  • "To record your voice mail greeting, press 2." The customer follows the voice prompts. Customer greetings as well as incoming voice messages can be only 60 seconds long. The customer records his or her name and how long the caller can speak: "Hi, this is (customer name), you can leave me a message of up to 60 seconds in length." If the customer does not choose to record a greeting, the system will use a default greeting.
  • "To activate the system's greeting, press 3." If the customer changes back to the system's default greeting from a personal greeting, the caller will hear, "Please speak your message at the tone. Press # when finished."
  • "For pager notification, press 4." (U.S. and Canada only). If the customer has a pager, the GA calling card can be programmed to notify the pager whenever someone leaves the customer a message or fax.
  • "For call forwarding press, 5." Callers who dial +1-212-256-6000 and enter the customer's voice mail box number can be forwarded to a different number to leave a message.
  • "To learn your voice mail box number press, 6." The customer can hear his or her voice mail box number as well as information on how to use the messaging functions.
    Charges: When the customer selects any of these messaging functions, the charge is the cost of a call to the U.S. In addition, whenever a fax, call, or page is forwarded, the charge is the cost of a call from the U.S. to the destination of the message. There is an additional 5¢ a minute charge when the customer checks or retrieves voice mail.
    NOTE: All voice and fax mail messages, including saved messages, are deleted after 14 days from the time they were left whether they are retrieved or not.

"Press 6 for message delivery."

  • "For message delivery, press 1."
    The customer enters the phone number of the person to leave a message for and speaks the message. Telegroup tries to deliver the message four times an hour for the next six hours. The start of message delivery can be delayed from 0 to 9 hours from the time it is left (available 8/1/96).
  • "To send messages to other card holders press 2."
    The customer follows the voice prompts and enters the mailbox number of another Telegroup card user. The system not only delivers the message, but it announces the sender's mailbox number and the time of the call. In companies that have many card holders, messages can be broadcast to groups of card holders. If you have a customer wanting to use the broadcast messaging function, you must coordinate with Telegroup to have all the customer's cards issued at the same time. Telegroup issues a block of cards with random authorization codes but with sequential mail box numbers. To broadcast a message to all the card holders, the caller enters the beginning and ending mailbox numbers only, leaves a message, and the card platform delivers the message to all the mailboxes within that range.
  • "To program a wake up call press 3."
    The customer enters the telephone number where the customer wants to be called, the time in hour and minutes to be called at, and whether it is a.m. or p.m. All times are U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
    Charges: When Message Delivery Options are selected, the card balance is charged at the rate for a call made to the U.S. from the customer's location.

"Press 7 for faxed information."– The customer can receive a fax of the current rates, international access numbers, and dialing instructions.
Charges: The customer is charged for the cost of a call from the U.S. to wherever the customer wants the four pages of information faxed.

"Press 8 for language options." - The customer can choose voice prompts by pressing:

  1. for Arabic
  2. for Cantonese
  3. for Dutch
  4. for English
  5. for French
  6. for German
  7. for Hebrew
  8. for Italian
  9. for Japanese
  10. for Korean
  11. for Mandarin
  12. for Portuguese
  13. for Russian
  14. for Spanish
  15. for Vietnamese

NOTE: The first prompt, "Please enter your authorization code followed by the star (*) key, " is always in English as is the voice prompt, "Enter the voice mail box number you wish to leave a message for," when a caller calls +1-212-256-6000 to leave a voice/fax mail.

"Press 9 for the cost of calling card options." - The caller hears an overview of the costs to use the various calling card options.

Customer's Responsibilities

The welcome letter contains the following information about the customer's responsibilities:

"Use of this card is an extension of credit and you agree to pay for all card charges incurred until Telegroup is notified that the card is lost, stolen, or compromised. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL in public areas like airports, bus terminals and hotel lobbies where people might record your Telecard number and then use it illegally. If the card is lost or stolen, immediately call the worldwide hot line at +1-212-256-6000 and enter the mail box number 88888888 (8 eights) to cancel it. If you have any questions regarding your GA Telecard, require changes in the dollar limit or need to order additional cards, please call Telegroup customer service at +1-515-472-5000 or 1-800-338-0225 from the U.S. or Canada."


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