| Name | CREDITPHONE |
| Date | 1987-2000 |
| Manufacturer | Alcatel / STC for Telecom Australia |
| Usage | Supervised locations |
Development of the Telecom CREDITPHONE
| CreditPhone (Cardphone) – Introduced 1987 Introduced in 1987, the CreditPhone—commonly referred to as a cardphone—represented a shift towards modern digital telecommunications in Australia’s public phone network. These units required users to swipe an EFTPOS, credit card, or Telstra Calling Card through a built-in reader before placing a call. Uniquely, CreditPhones featured two separate keypads: one for dialling and another for entering banking information such as a PIN and account type. They were connected via two independent phone lines—one for voice communication and the other for data transmission. The data line verified the user’s card credentials and PIN before enabling the call. Technicians could access diagnostic information via a test code, which would display metrics such as: -Card Calls -Card Metering Pulses -Service Calls However, if the phone displayed the message “Service Calls Only,” these tests would not function—indicating a fault. If the system encountered deeper internal errors, it would show “System Fault” on the display. Certain numbers, such as 013, 1100, and 000, were programmed into the phone as “service calls” and could be dialled even under restricted conditions. These sophisticated phones were manufactured by Alcatel/STC, and they reflect an early step toward the integration of telecommunications and electronic payment systems. |
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