Method and assembly for providing telephone calling credit in combination with a greeting card

A method for enabling a consumer to provide telephone calling credit to a recipient through a greeting card to enable the recipient to selectively and interactively communicate with a person, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a prepaid account having a calling credit associated therewith;
• providing a combination comprising a greeting card and an envelope having an inside pocket adapted to receive and hold the greeting card;
• providing a unique visually-discernible calling card access identifier with the combination prior to purchase of the combination by the consumer, the access identifier designating the prepaid account having a predetermined amount of telephone calling credit against which telephone calls can be charged;
• and
• sending the combination and the access identifier to the recipient with instructions to use the access identifier to call a telephone number selected by the recipient, the call to be charged against the credit in the prepaid account.

A method of providing access to long distance telephone services, the method comprising:

• providing a greeting card;
• providing an envelope having an inside pocket adapted to receive and hold the greeting card;
• providing a liner having a first and second portion, the second portion of the liner being movably secured to the first portion of the liner;
• securing the first portion of a liner to the envelope;
• affixing a unique, visually discernible calling card access identifier to the second portion of the liner, the access identifier designating a prepaid account having a predetermined amount of telephone calling credit against which telephone calls can be charged;
• forming perforations on a section of the second portion of the liner that surrounds the calling card access identifier, the surrounding section being selectively removable from the liner at the perforations;
• and
• forming an opaque covering on the liner over the calling card access identifier to hide the access identifier, the covering being selectively removable from the liner for allowing viewing of the access identifier.

A method of providing access to telephone services, the method comprising:

• providing a greeting card;
• providing an envelope having an inside pocket adapted to receive and hold the greeting card;
• providing a liner having a first and second portion, the second portion of the liner being movably secured to the first portion of the liner;
• securing the first portion of the liner to the envelope;
• affixing a unique, visually discernible calling card access identifier to the second portion of the liner, the access identifier designating a prepaid account having a predetermined amount of telephone calling credit against which telephone calls can be charged;
• affixing a unique product reference identifier to the envelope for providing inventory information related to the envelope;
• and
• assigning to the calling card access identifier a specific dollar amount or time allotment of long distance services and printing the same on the liner.

A greeting card assembly constructed to enable a recipient designated by a sender to remotely credit telephone charges against a prepaid account thereby enabling the recipient to selectively and interactively communicate with a person by telephone, the greeting card assembly comprising:

• a greeting card;
• an envelope having an inside pocket adapted to receive and hold the greeting card;
• and
• a calling card, inside the envelope, having an access identifier thereon, the access identifier designating the prepaid account having a predetermined amount of telephone calling credit against which telephone calls can be charged.

A method for enabling a consumer to provide telephone calling credit to a recipient through a greeting card to enable the recipient to selectively and interactively communicate with a person, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a combination of the greeting card and an envelope sized to receive the greeting card;
• providing prepaid calling credit for use with the combination, the prepaid calling credit being associated with a calling credit account identified by an access identifier, said credit being adapted to be used by the recipient of the combination to make a telephone call to a telephone number selected by the recipient;
• and
• maintaining the access identifier secret at least until the combination is purchased by the consumer.

A method for enabling a consumer to provide telephone calling credit to a recipient through a greeting card to enable the recipient to selectively and interactively communicate with a person, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a combination of the greeting card and an envelope sized to receive the greeting card;
• providing prepaid calling credit for use with the combination, the prepaid calling credit being associated with a calling credit account identified by an access identifier on an object, said credit being adapted to be used by the recipient of the combination to make a telephone call to a telephone number selected by the recipient;
• secreting said object in a place remote from the greeting card to thereby conceal the access identifier prior to purchase of the greeting card by the consumer;
• and
• combining the greeting card and said object at the time of said purchase.