Wegmans Markets Prepaid Cards
od Markets, Rochester, N.Y., has begun offering a Wegmans private-label prepaid telephone card, available in 15, 30 and 60 minutes. Supplied by ATCALL here, the chain displays the sample cards throughout the store. Customers bring them to photo or customer-service counters to exchange them for live cards.
With the addition of Wegman's and other retailers, ATCALL has increased its presence in the marketplace by almost 400 stores, said Kristen Bailey, an ATCALL spokeswoman.
MCI WorldCom Offers Multilingual Card
ATLANTA -- MCI WorldCom International has issued a new international prepaid telephone card with voice prompts in seven languages -- English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Portuguese -- printed dialing instructions in eight languages (those listed above, plus Mandarin), and multilingual customer service.
The new international prepaid card "fills a major void for consumers who make international calls," said Charles Wiggs, vice president and general manager of MCI WorldCom Prepaid Markets. Wiggs said the international card targets "the rate-sensitive international user, while offering competitive margins to convenience stores and mass merchants."
Domestic per-minute rates will be 30 cents, while international calls will be priced in sub-units that deplete the card's balance in tenths of units rather than rounded-up whole-unit amounts.
Prepaid cards "are now the No. 1 nonfood growth category in the grocery industry," added Wiggs.
Polaroid Focuses On Kids' Camera
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Polaroid is adding more fun and creativity for kids with its Polaroid PhotoMaker Instant Camera Kit, priced at $39.99. The kit comes with a brightly colored green-and-blue instant camera; a pack of AlterImage instant film, designed to write and draw on; stickers to decorate the camera and photos; and colored pencils.
"Designed for ages 8 to 13, the PhotoMaker camera and film kit was developed especially for kids to express their creativity, " said Nancy Marks, Polaroid's marketing manager. "Polaroid instant photography allows kids to be in control of the situation; the camera is easy to use and kids don't have to depend on their parents to develop pictures."
The midnight-blue and emerald-green plastic-body PhotoMaker camera takes photos from a distance of 2 feet and beyond, and features a close-up lens.
