Abstract: A public access network operating in conjunction with existing telecommunication lines to permit a caller holding a machine-readable credit card to make calls from any local station included in the network without having to deposit coins and without human intervention. The network is constituted by a master control central linked to a group of satellites installed at different locations, such as airport terminals. At every installation, the satellite acts as a hub for many local telephone stations each provided with a standard telephone set and a card reader adapted to scan the caller's credit card to derive therefrom a digital signal identifying the card, its number and expiration date. This signal from an originating local station is transmitted through the associated satellite to a verification processor at the central to test the card number against a stored table of invalid numbers and in other respects to determine the acceptability of the card.

Abstract: A public access network operating in conjunction with existing telecommunication lines to permit a caller holding a machine-readable credit card to make calls from any local station included in the network without having to deposit coins and without human intervention. The network is constituted by a management and master control central linked to a group of satellites installed at different locations, such as airport terminals. At every installation, the satellite services a plurality of local telephone stations each provided with a standard telephone set, a card reader adapted to scan the caller's credit card to derive therefrom a digital signal identifying the card, its number and expiration date, this signal being applied to a local processor to determine whether the card is acceptable to the network.