| General
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| Pennytel
Service - Basics |
|
Pennytel
Service - Basics
PennyTel's PennyCard service offers a rechargeable,
prepaid account through which you can place
low rate international, long distance and
mobile phone-to-phone calls. Upon opening
an account with PennyTel you will receive
an email containing your PIN number. The
PIN number is used for placing international
calls using our access number. You can easily
recharge your account online with any amount.
PennyTel also offers Broadband phone services.
More details about these services are available
through our website www.pennytel.com
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| How
do I get assistance if I have a problem? |
|
How
do I get assistance if I have a problem?
There are various ways in which you can
contact our Support Team:
By Phone: 1300 0 PENNY (within Australia)
By Email: support@pennytel.com
Through the User Portal: Support Center
> Support > New Request Through the Website:
Click on ‘Live Assistance Online’ to chat
with a Customer Service representative
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| Do
you have different calling rates depending
on the time of day? |
|
Do
you have different calling rates depending
on the time of day?
No.
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| What
countries can I call and what are the rates? |
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What
countries can I call?
With the PennyTel, you can call to anywhere
in the world. The rates for each destination
for PennyCard can be found here.
The rates for each destination for the Broadband
Phone service on a Free Access Plan can
be found here.
Broadband Phone service on an Untimed Plan
enjoy further benefits like free 65 calls
and 8c untimed rate to specified
countries.
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| How
do I place a call using PennyCard? |
|
How
do I place a call?
Here are the dialing instructions for placing
a call:
- Purchase a PennyCard
calling card.
- Dial the access number
1300309741.
- At the prompt enter
the PIN you have received after registration;
- After confirmation
from the system dial the number you wish
to call followed by the (#) button.
- After you complete
the call, you may dial the pound button
twice (##) to start a new call.
Please, use the following dialing format:
For international: 0011
+ international
number +
area number +
phone number
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| How
long do you keep user call history records? |
|
How
long do you keep user call history records?
We keep history records of your calls for
the last 3 months.
|
| Broadband Phone
Service |
| What
is a broadband phone? |
|
What
is a broadband phone?
A broadband phone works just like your
traditional analogue phone, only better.
Using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
technology, broadband phones allow us to
provide better rates and other value added
services.
VoIP and broadband phones are the way of
the future, just as most analogue mobile
phones are being superseded by digital so
too will the Analogue Land Line.
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| What
do I need to use the broadband phone service? |
|
What
do I need to use the broadband phone service?
All you need is a Broadband Internet connection,
then you can visit our online shop, choosing
a plan and phone to suite your needs.
|
| What
is a broadband internet connection? |
|
What
is a broadband internet connection?
Broadband is high-speed Internet access
such as through a Cable or DSL modem. As
a general rule, if you're getting speeds
of 90 Kbps or better, you probably have
a broadband connection.
|
| Why
do I need a broadband internet connection? |
|
Why
do I need a broadband internet connection?
High-speed Broadband services are better
suited to transferring live voice conversations.
|
| Why
use a broadband phone? |
|
Why
use a broadband phone?
The main advantage of using a Broadband
phone is the savings, with PennyTel you
can save 90% and more. Calls between any
PennyTel Users are free no matter where
in the world they are.
With a PennyTel Broadband phone you will
also have many more features.
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| What
features exist? |
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What
features exist?
Features such as:
- Do Not Disturb
- Automatic Diversion
- Call all phones
- And Many More
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| What
is the PSTN? |
|
What
is the PSTN?
PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)
also know as the POTS (Plain Old Telephone
System), they are the old analogue phones,
you are most probably using the PSTN now
at home or work.
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| Can
I call other people that do not have a Broadband
Phone? |
|
Can
I call other people that do not have a Broadband
Phone?
Yes, with your PennyTel Broadband Phone
you can call any phone in the world, broadband
phone or not.
|
| Is
the sound quality the same as my old analogue
phone? |
|
Is
the sound quality the same as my old analogue
phone?
Yes if not better. The only factor that
can affect the quality of your calls is
the quality of your internet connection.
|
| How
do I make calls with my PennyTel Broadband
phone? |
|
How
do I make calls with my PennyTel Broadband
phone?
You make calls just as you would normally,
just pick up the phone and dial!
|
| Are
the calls made with PennyTel Broadband Phones
secure? |
|
Are
the calls made with PennyTel Broadband Phones
secure?
Yes.
|
| What
phones are available to use with the PennyTel
Broadband phone service? |
|
What
phones are available to use with the PennyTel
Broadband phone service?
You can use a softphone, an IP Phone or
an ATA which allows you to use your old
analogue phone. You can view these at our
website www.pennytel.com.
Please note that while any device supporting
the SIP standard will work with our service,
our technical support staff can only support
devices listed on our website.
|
| Can
I use my old analogue phone with a PennyTel
Broadband phone? |
|
Can
I use my old analogue phone with a PennyTel
Broadband phone?
Yes our ATA (analogue telephone adapters)
allow you to use your old phones with our
Broadband phone services. It is a simple
as plugiging your old phone into the adapter.
|
| What
broadband phone plans are available? |
|
What
broadband phone plans are available?
We have a range of plans available to suit
all calling habits, FREE ACCESS PLANS and
also UNLIMITED PLANS. Some offering PennyTel
IP Phones numbers, shared access numbers
and Traditional phone numbers in the city
of your choice.
|
| What
is a PennyTel IP Phone Number? |
|
What
is a PennyTel IP Phone Number?
This is a number that only PennyTel customers
are able to call, if you want to enable
people to contact you from a non PennyTel
broadband phone you will require a Traditional
Phone Number.
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| What
is a Shared Access Number? |
|
What
is a Shared Access Number?
The access numbers are numbers in your
country that allow people to call your PennyTel
Broadband phone from a number any phone
in the world. When someone rings any of
the access numbers they will be prompted
to enter your PennyTel account number.
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| What
is a Traditional Phone Number? |
|
What
is a Traditional Phone Number?
A traditional phone number is a phone number
that is attached to your PennyTel Broadband
Phone Account. When someone rings this number
the call will go directly to your broadband
phone, without having to dial the shared
access number. Anyone in the world can call
your Traditional Phone Number just like
your existing PSTN number.
|
| Can
I still surf the internet while using my
broadband phone? |
|
Can
I still surf the internet while using my
broadband phone?
Yes.
|
| What
happens if my internet goes down? Will my
phone work? |
|
What
happens if my internet goes down? Will my
phone work?
Usually not, unless you have one of our
products with PSTN failover or back up included.
|
| Do
I have to have my computer switched on to
us my PennyTel Broadband phone? |
|
Do
I have to have my computer switched on to
us my PennyTel Broadband phone?
If you are using a Softphone then your
computer will have to be on, however if
you are are using an IP phone or an ATA
your computer may not be needed.
|
| I
thought all broadband internet phone (VoIP)
calls are meant to be free? |
|
I
thought all broadband internet phone (VoIP)
calls are meant to be free?
Calls to any PennyTel users are FREE, however
PennyTel has to pay other phone companies
to make calls to other phones. Since almost
everyone still uses a PSTN landline or mobile
to receive calls PennyTel has to pay for
all these calls. PennyTel is constantly
negotiating for the lowest rates for all
our customers.
|
| Can
I replace all my old phones with Broadband
Phones? |
|
Can
I replace all my old phones with Broadband
Phones?
Yes, see our website www.pennytel.com
for more details. We have a variety of plans
and prices to suit your needs.
|
| What
is a failover or PSTN backup? |
|
What
is a failover or PSTN backup?
PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)
failover lines are used as backup connections
in the event your internet connection goes
down. These are optional ports on ATA devices
or IP phones that connect directly to the
analog PSTN lines coming from the telephone
company. This setup requires having both
regular analog telephone lines and a Pennytel
Broadband Phone account.
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| How
will my PennyTel broadband phone account
billed? |
|
How
will my PennyTel broadband phone account
billed?
Your account is prepaid via credit card
- simply click the 'Recharge' link in the
upper right of this screen. You will need
your Credit Card and Username handy while
completing the form.
|
| How
can I view my call records? |
|
How
can I view my call records?
To check your call records, log into this
website using the 'User Login' area at the
upper right of this screen. Your Username
and Password are provided in an email during
the sign-up process. If you have forgotten
your Username or Password please click here.
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| Is there any test number I can call to test the service? |
|
Is there any test number I can call to test the service?
Yes, from your PennyTel phone you can call the test number at 775. Alternatively, you can go to your Pennytel login, click on Support Center > Diagnostics, and you will be able to have your device called by clicking on ‘Call Me’. |
| When I verify my home number for CLI feature it asks for 9 digits? |
|
When I verify my home number for CLI feature it asks for 9 digits?
When verifying your number to use for outgoing CLI, you will be asked to enter the 9 digit code but only be provided with 6, in this case you can just enter the 6 digit code you received followed by the # key. |
| Why am I having problems registering my device/softphone to PennyTel? |
|
Why am I having problems registering my device/softphone to PennyTel?
There are numerous factors causing your device not to register to the network. If you are experiencing registration issues check the following:
1. That your password is incorrect. You will need to use the original VoIP password we provided you in the email you received from us when you first signed up. This password does not change.
2. You have entered in your account number incorrectly. You will need to copy the exact PennyTel number as it appears in the email we sent you when you first signed up.
3. You are behind a firewall. In this case you will need to have UDP ports 5060-5061 and 16384-16482 (default RTP ports for Linksys devices) open and forwarded to be able to register and use the service.
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| Can I use my cordless phone with my ATA? |
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Can I use my cordless phone with my ATA?
Yes you can, you will just need to set the preferred codec to G726a. |
| Do you support STUN or T.38 protocols? |
|
Do you support STUN or T.38 protocols?
No. |
| Payment &
Billing |
| What
payment methods do you accept? |
|
What
payment methods do you accept?
Pennytel accepts credit cards when recharging
your account - Visa, Mastercard, American
Express and Bankcard are all accepted.
|
| How
am I billed? |
|
How
am I billed?
You pay only for the minutes you talk.
Call charges calculated in per second increments.
You can check our call rates here.
There are no hidden monthly, installation,
activation or connection fees for the use
of the FREE ACCESS plans. You will pay for
what you use.
Billing is prepaid. Once you signup for
an account, you can recharge and check your
balance online. You will need to verify
your credit card before you can recharge.
To verify, login and go to the Profile page.
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| How
can I check my balance? |
|
How
can I check my balance?
To check your balance, log into this website
using the 'User Login' area at the upper
right of this screen. Your Username and
Password are provided in an email during
the sign-up process. If you have forgotten
your Username or Password please click here.
|
| Are
there any hidden costs? |
|
Are
there any hidden costs?
No. You pay for the time you talk. There
are no monthly, installation, or activation
fees, unless you have signed up to a monthly
plan, where the costs are defined on our
website and at the time of activation.
|
| Could
I be asked to fax my credit information? |
|
Could
I be asked to fax my credit information?
No. We need you to go through the verification
process.
|
| How does the credit card verification process work? |
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How does the credit card verification process work?
When you first register your card on your Pennytel account, we will deposit two small amounts onto your credit card. Once these two amounts show up on your statement you will need to enter these on the ‘Verify My Card’ page, found under the Profile tab. Once you enter the two correct amounts you will then be able to make payments to your account and then start making calls. The time in which the two amounts appear is dependent on your bank and can sometimes take up to 3-5 working days or more depending on your card issuer. This diagram summarizes the process. |
| Is there a way to speed up the verification process? |
|
Is there a way to speed up the verification process?
Yes, if you are located in Australia and are able to provide us with your Australian ISP email we will be able to email you the two amounts. Or you may signup using your Australian ISP email. |
| The amounts showing are in a foreign currency, how do I verify? |
|
The amounts showing are in a foreign currency, how do I verify?
If you received the two verification amounts in a currency other than Australian Dollars, you will need to contact your bank and ask them to provide you with the two original amounts at the time of transaction. |
| Could I be asked to fax my credit information? |
|
Could I be asked to fax my credit information?
No. We need you to go through the verification process. |
| Why
was my credit card declined? |
|
Why
was my credit card declined?
There are several reasons why your credit
card might be declined by our system. The
most common reasons are:
- Incorrect expiration
date - check to make sure you have the
correct expiration date;
- Incorrect credit
card number - make sure that you are entering
the correct 16-digit credit card number
along with the CVV2 security code;
- Incorrect billing
address - make sure the billing address
you enter matches the address where your
monthly credit card statements are mailed
each month;
- Insufficient Funds
- make sure the amount you are trying
to purchase does not exceed your credit
card limit;
- Credit card reported
missing or stolen. Credit card fraud;
- We prosecute credit
card fraud to the full extent of the law.
If you are unsure why your credit card
was declined by our system, please contact
your issuing bank for further information.
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| How
do you charge the Monthly Subscription Fee? |
|
How
do you charge the Monthly Subscription Fee?
If you have more than $10 in account credits
on your account, this fee will be taking
from your account balance, otherwise it
will be charged to your credit card.
|
| Why
am I still being charged the monthly fee
if I have Auto Recharge setup? |
|
Why
am I still being charged the monthly fee
if I have Auto Recharge setup?
Monthly subscription fees are charged to
the user's credit card regardless if auto-payment
is set or not, unless your account balance
is more than $10.
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| What are the delivery charges if I purchase an ATA or IP Phone? |
|
What are the delivery charges if I purchase an ATA or IP Phone?
The delivery charges is estimated at AUD$15 + 10% GST within Australia. The checkout process will inform you of the actual cost of delivery. Once you have ordered your device you should receive it within 2 business days (if within Australia).
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| Why am I being charged for my 65 free calls? |
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Why am I being charged for my 65 free calls?
On the Untimed Call Plan, your 65 free calls will be deducted at the time of the call, though you will be refunded the total amount at the end of your monthly billing cycle. Your monthly billing cycle begins on the first day of usage.
*Please note that for some countries the mobile and special numbers may not be included.
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| I have just received a new credit card with only a different expiry date, why did my auto-recharge stop working? |
|
I have just received a new credit card with only a different expiry date, why did my auto-recharge stop working?
You will need to update your details in your Profile, you will not be asked to verify again but you will need to make one manual payment before you can setup auto-recharge with your new card details. |
| PennyTel Features |
| How do I enable Multiple Calls? |
|
How do I enable Multiple Calls?
To enable multiple calls you will need to click on Profile, and then click on Call Features where you can click ‘Enable’. You will need to have your auto-recharge setup to have this feature.
|
| How do I verify my numbers to use as Outgoing CLI? |
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How do I verify my numbers to use as Outgoing CLI?
You will first need to Add your number to the My Numbers list under Profile. Once you have added the number you wish to verify, click on Verify Now next to the number and you will receive a call immediately to the number to be verified. At the prompt enter the 6 or 9 digit code as shown followed by the # key.
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| How do I send Worldwide SMS? |
|
How do I send Worldwide SMS?
When using the SMS feature you must use the full international format for the mobile you are sending it to. You can also choose to send to your contacts simply by clicking the check box next to their name under 'My Contacts'.
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| What is Web/ANI Callback and how does it work? |
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What is Web/ANI Callback and how does it work?
The Web Callback allows you to establish calls online by entering the two numbers you wish to establish the call between. You can also schedule a web callback to call at a certain date and time. You will be charged for both legs of the call.
ANI Callback can be used if you do not have access to the internet, where you can call the access number in which it will be a busy tone, and call you back immediately. You will not be charged for the call to the access number. Once you are called back you will be prompted to enter the number you wish to connect through to, or if set up, you can access your speed dial.
|
| When
I call the ANI callback number, it says
‘Network Busy’ and doesn’t call me back? |
|
When
I call the ANI callback number, it says
‘Network Busy’ and doesn’t call me back?
If its "Network Busy", we are not receiving your call at all so we have no way of calling you back. If it is "Number Busy" or "Busy", that’s the message we return if we receive your call. So if you get a "Network Congestion" or "Network Busy" (this message may differ from phone to phone), just try again until you receive a "Number Busy" or "Busy".
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| What is Call Forwarding? |
|
What is Call Forwarding?
Using the Call Forwarding feature allows you to forward calls made to your PennyTel number to any number you specify. You can set your forwarding to be active either “Always” or when you are unavailable. You can also choose to have it forward to more than one number at a time, having them ring simultaneously, in order or randomly. This way you will never miss a call made to your PennyTel number. You will be charged the PennyTel rate for which the call is forwarded to.
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| How can I use Voicemail? |
|
How can I use Voicemail?
People who wish to call your number when you are not available can also choose to leave voice mail on your PennyTel number. Once it has been setup, you will be able to retrieve messages either through your PennyTel phone by dialling 778, or have it forwarded to your email address where the message will be available to download as an audio file. You can also choose to be notified via email of new Voice Mail messages.
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| How does Fax to Email work? |
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How does Fax to Email work?
With PennyTel Fax to Email service you are able to receive faxes straight from your email inbox without the need for a fax machine. Faxes can easily be sent as per normal where your PennyTel Fax number is dialled and the fax is sent through, you will then receive the fax as a downloadable PDF document in your inbox.
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| What are the features in the Live Address Book? |
|
What are the features in the Live Address Book?
The Live Address Book allows you to easily manage your relationship with your contacts. Your contact’s details, calls and SMS’ are all viewable in one screen. With Calls, you can view the date and time in which the call was initiated as well as the call duration. The SMS tab allows you to view the history of SMS sent to each contact as well as the message text sent. Through the Live Address Book you are also able to send SMS’ directly to the contact in which you are viewing.
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| What is a Dial Plan? |
What is a Dial Plan?
This feature allows PennyTel customers to set up dial plans based on a specified regional location. Once it has been set up, you will dial numbers in a familiar way. For example, local numbers can be called using 8 digits only instead of specifying area code. International numbers can be called using the international dialing prefix you are familiar with. For example, 0011 in Australia or 00 in Malaysia.
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| How do I set up a Dial Plan? |
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How do I set up a Dial Plan?
Changing your dial plan is easy. Log in to PennyTel account > Profile > Call Features > select your preferred region. A brief description of the dial plan will be shown for your reference.
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