PREPAID PHONE CARDS FAQ

Balance and Recharge
10. How long will it take before my Telesmart account is available for use?
11. How do I recharge my account?
12. Does my Telesmart account balance ever expire?
13. How do I check my account balance?

Activating Phone Numbers
14. How do I activate my account?
15. What is a Primary Phone Number?
16. How many phone numbers can I activate to my Telesmart account?
17. How do I change one or more phone numbers activated to my Telesmart account?
18. Can I use my Telesmart account to make calls from phone numbers that are not activated?

Telesmart Rates
19. Where can I check the most current domestic and international rates?
20. What are the rates if I call a cellular phone overseas?
21. Will I still get charged for minute usage from my cellular provider?
22. Is there a service fee associated with Telesmart long distance services?

General

Q. What are the things to watch with prepaid cards?
A. Read here: Things to watch with prepaid cards.

Q. How is the Telesmart Account different from other long distance providers and calling cards that I have used?
A. Unlike other calling cards and long distance providers, the Telesmart card and services are designed to save you money on long distance calls made on your cellular, office and home phone. This service does not replace your existing cellular and local calling plans; it simply allows you to stop paying the high long distance rates charged by your cellular and local long distance provider. Unlike other calling cards , the minutes you purchase with the Telesmart card will never expire and there is no monthly fee, maintenance fee or connection fee.

Q. Do I need a special phone to use Telesmart?
A. No. You do not require a special phone or additional equipment of any kind. As long as the phone you are using has Touch Tone service, you are ready to use your Telesmart account.

Q. Do I require a PIN to use my Telesmart account?
A. You are not required to use your PIN when placing a call from an activated phone number. If you are making a call from a non-activated phone number or from an activated phone but you are outside of a local calling area, you will be required to enter your PIN.

Q. Can I change my PIN?
A. No. You can only change your PIN if there are security concerns associated with using the number. The new PIN will be a computer generated PIN. For security purposes, you can not choose your own PIN number.

Q. What happens if I forget my PIN?
A.See customer care box.

Q. Do I have to cancel any existing services before my Telesmart account will work?
A. When you use Telesmart , our system knows you are a customer by recognizing any of your activated phone numbers each time you dial into the service. If you have the Call ID Blocking feature on any of the activated lines, you will have to disable that feature in order to use your Telesmart account or alternatively keep the Call Blocking service active and use your PIN. If you are unsure of how to disable the feature, please contact your cellular provider or refer to your phone manual.

Q. Are there any contracts or agreements to sign?
A. No. You are not required to sign any contracts or agreements.

Q. What happens if I lose my access numbers?
A. click here for a list of access numbers

Q. Will I be able to use the address book or scroll feature on my cellular phone to make long distance calls?
A. Yes, the address book feature should work with this service, on all phones. To use it you will need to program a separate entry for each destination number you would like to call. Each entry will include the local access number for the city you are making the call from, a pause and 1 + the area code and destination number of the person you are calling.
For example, if you are making a call from Toronto, your entry will look like this: 416-642-8023-Pause-1-514-555-1234. If you are unsure of how to program pauses into your phone, please refer to your phone manual. Please note that each phone is different and some phones may not have this feature or it may be referred to under a different name, for example, space or link mark. To confirm that you have programmed the access number and pauses correctly, you should hear the following message prior to your call going through: "For this destination you have X minutes remaining." If you are unable to use your address book with this service, you will always have the option to enter each number manually for all calls.

Balance and Recharge

Q. How long will it take before my Telesmart account is available for use?
A. Your Telesmart account will be available for use immediately after you activate the service.

Q. How do I recharge my account?
A. Online or see customer care box.

Q. Does my Telesmart account balance ever expire?
A. Your Telesmart account and account balance will not expire. Even if your account balance is depleted, we will keep your Telesmart account open so that you can make a deposit the next time you have the need to make a Long Distance call.

Q. How do I check my account balance?
A. Each time you use the service, you will be given your balance before your call is connected.

Activating Phone Numbers

Q. How do I activate my account?
A. Online or see customer care box.

Q. What is a Primary Phone Number?
A. The Primary Phone Number is the main phone number that you wish your account to be identified with (also referred to as Account Number). We recommend that you activate the phone number that you use most often, and that you will most easily remember, as your primary phone number. The primary phone number will also be used to retrieve your account information online and when making deposits to your Telesmart account.

Q. How many phone numbers can I activate to my Telesmart account?
A. You can activate up to 8 separate phone numbers on each Telesmart account. The 8 phone numbers are comprised of your Primary Phone number and 7 additional phone numbers that you choose. You do not have to activate all 8 phone numbers. Phone numbers you wish to activate can be any combination of personal and business cellular phone numbers as well as any residential or business landlines.

Q. How do I change one or more phone numbers activated to my Telesmart account?
A. You can retrieve your account information online to add or delete activated phone numbers. However, for your security and protection, if you wish to change your Account Number (Primary Phone Number), you will have to contact Telesmart Customer Service. See customer care box.

Q. Can I use my Telesmart account to make calls from phone numbers that are not activated?
A. Yes. You can make long distance calls from non-activated phone numbers. Please refer to the list of Local Access Numbers for Non-Activated phones. If you are making a call from a non-activated phone you will be required to enter your PIN.

Telesmart Rates

Q. Where can I check the most current domestic and international rates?
A. You can check rates online by clicking here or you can see the customer care box.

Q. What are the rates if I call a cellular phone overseas?
A. For rates to cellular phones overseas, please click here.

Q. Will I still get charged for minute usage from my cellular provider?
A. Yes. Placing a long distance call through Telesmart will use your airtime on your cellular plan but you will not be charged any long distance charges from your cellular provider.

Q. Are there any hidden fees associated with this service?
A. No hidden fees!!!.