Editing Telephone card (section)

===Accounts without a card (Virtual phonecards)===
Since the early 2000s calling card service providers have introduced calling accounts not associated with a physical card. Calling accounts can be purchased over the Internet using credit cards and are instantly delivered to the customer via e-mail. This e-mail contains the PIN and instructions for using the service. The service may be prepaid, or may take payment from a credit card or by [[direct debit]]. Some prepaid card companies allow accounts to be recharged online manually or automatically via a method called auto-top-up.

Some virtual cards offer [[Personal identification number|PIN]]<nowiki>less</nowiki> Dialing, either by dialling a number unique to the customer, or by recognising the telephone number which originated the call by [[Caller ID]] and relating it to the appropriate account. Some virtual phone cards allow customers to view their call detail reports (CDRs) online by logging into their account.<!--Example of PINless dialling and viewing call reports with details at http://www.call18866.co.uk/index2.php. Not linked in article as this is a specific service which shouldn't be advertised here.-->

The virtual phonecard has become a multi-billion US dollar industry as of 2009{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}, with a number of large corporations and smaller dot com companies.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.sfgate.com/business/press-releases/article/The-Best-Way-to-Make-International-Calls-4753020.php| title = Eliminating the Calling Card &#91;SFGate&#93;}}</ref> While long-distance inland calls have been offered by calling cards, by the mid-2000s conventional carriers reduced their rates to be competitive; however in many countries calling-card type indirect services can be much cheaper than normal calls.