Phone service

Notes

General

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Access numbers

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Types of phones

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Time

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General

What is the STA Travel Connect phone service?

The STA Travel Connect phone service is a prepaid phone service that lets you make low cost calls from 150 countries to anywhere in the world.

You use the same prepaid account to make calls from any of the 150 countries, so you do not need to worry about buying separate phone cards or scratching around to find coins in the right currency.

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What does the STA Travel Connect phone service let me do?

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How do I access the STA Travel Connect phone service?

    1. Dial the access number for the country you are calling from.
    2. Enter your STA Travel Connect account number and press #.
    3. Enter your PIN, the press #.
      * You are presented with the main menu.

    See the online help for more details.

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    How do I make an international call?

    Before you can make a call you must have credit on your account. To make the call:

    1. Access the STA Travel Connect phone service, then press 2.
    2. Enter the country code, area code (without the 0), and phone number for the person you want to call.
      * There is a list of country codes on the STA Travel Connect website under Making calls > Country phone guide.

    See the online help for more details.

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    Can I receive calls via STA Travel Connect phone service?

    STA Travel Connect is primarily an outbound service. If you want other STA Travel Connect members to phone you, leave them a voicemail telling them the number from which you are calling. That way they can call you back.

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    Can I use the STA Travel Connect phone services to send a fax?

    Yes.

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    Can I make reverse-charge/collect calls using the STA Travel Connect phone service?

    Yes. You can reverse the charges if you are calling family and friends in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom*, Germany or Japan.

    To make a collect call, you need to dial the access number for the country you are in, then enter the collect call number. To find the collect call number, click Making calls in the side menu on the website.
    * This service is not directly available to everyone. If you cannot see the Collect Call number on the website, please contact STA Travel Connect Customer Service and tell them you would like to make a Collect. They will transfer you to a Collect Call operator.

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    Can I call mobile or emergency numbers?

    Yes. See the online help for details. On the navigation bar, click Help.

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    After entering my details into STA Travel Connect, how many phone calls can I make in a row?

    After you finish your first call, wait for the person you have called to hang up, then press and hold the # key to make another call. You can keep doing this until you run out of credit on your account.

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    What is the quality of STA Travel Connect phone connections?

    The quality is indistinguishable from traditional telecommunications lines and services and can be said to be of 'toll quality'.

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    Do I need to change my long distance carrier from home to use STA Travel Connect phone service?

    No. When you use the STA Travel Connect service you call the local toll-free access numbers, which are in no way related to your home long distance carrier.

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    Who is the actual carrier for my calls?

    eKit.com uses the best rates available and as such has relationships with many 'next generation' and traditional carriers.

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    Access numbers

    What are access numbers?

    Access numbers are the toll-free phone numbers you need to dial to access the STA Travel Connect phone service. STA Travel Connect has access numbers in 150 countries worldwide. This means you can use STA Travel Connect in all of these countries. Because access numbers are toll-free, you do not have to pay anything to call them.

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    What are local numbers?

    Local numbers are also access numbers but they are not toll-free. Although you are charged a local call charge for using local numbers, they offer cheaper per-minute rates than the toll-free access numbers.

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    Why do some countries have more than one access number?

    Some countries have more than one access number as a safety backup. If you cannot access STA Travel Connect using the first number, use the second. The second number usually costs slightly more to use.

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    What number do I call if I am in a country that does not allow toll-free numbers?

    You can call the International US number 1-213-927-0100. However, we do not recommend you use the STA Travel Connect phone service when your are in non toll-free country. If you do you will be charged full international rates to access the STA Travel Connect service.

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    Types of phones

    What type of phone must I use to call the STA Travel Connect service?

    Use touch tone phones only. The system does not detect pulse dialing.

    Not all push button phones are touch tone phones. Press a few numbers whilst listening and you can hear the difference. If the phone you are using is a touch tone phone you will hear tones, if the phone is a pulse phone you will hear clicking.

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    How can I make a call if my only phone option is not a touch tone phone?

    Use the pulse or rotary phone to dial the access number for the country you are in. Your call will default to Customer Service, who can connect your call via the operator for an extra charge per minute.

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    Can I make calls from any type of phone, for example a public phone?

    As long as the phone is a regular touchtone phone you can use it to use the STA Travel Connect phone service.

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    Can I use a mobile phone to make international calls?

    Yes. To make an international call using your mobile, you need to dial the STA Travel Connect access number for the country you are in. Please check with your mobile provider if you can make calls to a toll-free number and if any carrier charges apply.

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    Can I save money using my mobile phone to make international calls?

    You may not be able to save money while roaming using the STA Travel Connect service from your mobile. It will depend on where you are calling from, where you are calling too and the mobile plan you are on. Please check with your mobile carrier before you travel.

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    Time

    Is there a minimum time that I'm charged for?

    Yes. There is a 60 second minimum call charge.

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    How many seconds is the increment charge?

    Calls are charged in 60 second increments after the first 60 seconds.

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    How do I know how much time I have left on my account?

    After you dial the phone number of the person you want to speak to, STA Travel Connect tells you how much time you have remaining to make the call.

    You can also check your account balance using the website.

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    If you would like more help using STA Travel Connect, feel free to contact Customer Service by sending an email to shout@ekit.com

     

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