Frequently Asked Questions

 Who uses your telecom products and why?

Prepaid telecom was long considered the only option for the credit challenged and the most cost effective option for immigrant workers. However, this has changed tremendously, we are now seeing the largest demand for our products coming from people in the $50k+ income range. These are people who wish to simplify their expenses and have begun using our pre paid programs as a tool in their budgeting strategy.

Prepaid telecom services represent the most cost effective national and international long distance services available today. Postpaid services are much more expensive, due to the inherent cost of billing which generally costs 5% to 9% to your bill as well as the allocated cost of bad debt (you absorb the cost when other customers don’t pay their bills) which adds another 6%-10% to your bill. This amounts to an additional cost to you of 11%-19% on top of the cost of supplying telecom minutes. For example a typical 10 min call to England with one of the big five post paid companies will cost you around $1.40 plus taxes and tariffs (22%-32%) as apposed to $0.55 with our Platinum card. This includes tax and tariffs.

 I do not call Internationally what about long distance in the USA?

The same additional cost factors apply to domestic long distance. However, there are a few extra details of which you should be aware. If you are calling out of state you will generally be charged less than when you are calling in your same state calls. For example, one of the major long distance providers advertises a rate of $0.05 for long distance calls but actually charges $0.25 for calls made in the same state. This example is true for all the major, traditional postpaid long distance providers. All Tessara products charge the same rate in and out of state. All with no additional fees or charges.

 Is there a difference in the quality of the sound? And will I have to give up my present service?

That's the core strength of prepaid telecommunications: We use the same lines and networks as the regular phone companies. All of your calls are of the same quality as your present long distance supplier the only difference is that we save you money! You keep your current service and just use ours when you wish to save money!

 Do I have to buy a card every time or can I create an account with you.?

You have a number of options. If you wish to use our service from home and on the road we suggest you purchase a rechargeable calling plan. These plans work by Tessara supplying you with a $50.00 or $100.00 PIN and a toll free access number which you can use as much as you want. You do not need to worry about running out of time as it will automatically recharge when it hits a $10.00 balance. You may cancel at anytime with out penalty.

 Can I use your products from my cell phone?

Yes! A high percentage of the international calls we carry are originated from cell phones. Even with the cost of airtime from your cellular provider, our International rates are saving our customers up to 80% over international cell rates!

 How can I benefit from Tessara services?

Tessara offers substantial savings off your long distance and international calls. There are no hidden charges or fees! You will be charged for only the calls that you make. Our convenient and affordable service is perfect for consumers who want to budget their phone bills monthly with the ease of on-line purchasing. There is no actual physical card. All you need is a PIN and you are ready to dial and save!

 What is a PIN?

Your PIN is your Personal Identification Number. It allows our computer to recognize your account when using our services. Your PIN must be entered in order to place calls.

 When will my Tessara calling card expire?

If you purchase an ePIN product from Tessara Communications, it does not expire. These products will automatically recharge when the balance falls below a predetermined amount. Please reference the product details for specific recharge thresholds.

Physical calling card products from Tessara, which you may purchase at many retail locations, will be valid for 3 months after your first usage or from the date of your last recharge. As long as you continue to recharge your account before it reaches a zero balance, your PIN will remain active.

 Can I call 500, 700, 800 or 900 numbers using Tessara services?

Tessara services can be used to place the following types of calls: domestic long distance, out-bound international calls from the Continental U.S., and International/global access capability. It cannot be used to place calls to 500, 700, 800, 900 numbers; or any special service, toll-free, or directory assistance calls.

 Do I need to switch my long distance carrier to Tessara Communications?

No, you do not need to cancel or switch your present Long Distance Carrier. Tessara offers pre-paid long distance service that enables our customers to save enormously on long distance calls while avoiding any monthly, connection, and service fees at the same time. You may use Tessara's service in conjunction with your normal Long Distance Carrier.

 Can I use Tessara's services in other countries beside the US?

Tessara will be offering international origination services in the very near future. Watch our home page for an announcement when these services become available.

 Will my account be charged for unanswered calls?

No, your account will not be charged for calls that are unanswered. If your destination number has an answering device or voicemail service, the call might incur a charge to your account.

 Can I make purchases with a check?

Tessara accepts personal checks, money orders, and traveler's checks. The minimum purchase for such transaction is $50.00 payable to "Tessara Communications" Mail the check as well as your contact information to Tessara Communications LLC, 20555 Via Campanas, Suite 101, Yorba Linda, CA 92886. Please allow 3-7 business days to process your order upon our receipt of your payment.

 What if I lose my PIN?

If you happen to forget your PIN number, please contact us via email at support@tessara.net. Verification of your full name, home telephone number, and home address is necessary in order to disclose confidential information.

 How can I update my account information?

You may email us at support@tessara.net with the corrections. We will complete your request within 24hrs.

 My account balance is low - how do I add more money to my account?

You can order a card or PIN recharge from our web site. Simply choose the Recharge product from the list with the amount you wish to add to your card. On the checkout page, fill in the necessary information and provide us with your PIN number. Once your transaction has been completed, an online confirmation will appear and the update will immediately reflect on your account.

 Is there an automatic feature to recharge my account?

Yes, Tessara has an automatic recharge option for your convenience. With this feature and you will not have to worry about running out of minutes ever again. This feature is available only on select ePin products.

 What will happen if my account runs out of balance in the middle of a conversation?

You will hear a warning system prompt when you have one minute remaining in your account. Please try to finish your conversation immediately. Your call will be automatically cut-off when your balance reaches zero. To prevent this, please make sure you have more than enough balance before you place a call.

 What should I do in case I find a billing error?

If you find an error in your account billing, please report the error to support@tessara.net. Please include a detail account of the problem that occurred. An experienced customer relations representative will be in contact with you within 24-hours.

 How are my calls calculated and billed?

Calls are calculated based on sub-minute increments, typically 30 seconds. Any usage will be rounded up to the next increment (a 45 second call will be rounded to 60 seconds). All minutes used are deducted according to each country rate from your account balance Note: Calling to mobile phones may result in a higher rate.

 Will it cost extra to use your service from a payphone?

FCC regulations require payphone operators to implement a surcharge for pre-paid calling card users. The payphone will send a signal to our computer system informing the computer to charge for the connection. Some university dormitories and hotels are also sending the same signal to our computer system, which then implements a surcharge upon connection. Payphone surcharge is $0.55 per call.

 How do you protect my security and privacy?

Tessara has taken steps to ensure that your credit card or other sensitive information is never sent unprotected over the Internet. Through the use of a security protocol known as Secure Socket Layers (SSL), we encrypt your order information prior to transmission over the Internet so it cannot be read in transit. This works to keep your Internet transactions private and secure. Your name, address, and credit card numbers - or anything else about your order - cannot be read by anyone else as the information travels from your computer to ours.

When you purchase Tessara products and services, we request that you use a credit card to order online. When this is the case, we require you to enter your credit card number each time you place an order, since we don't store your number on our Web site. Your credit card information is only used to process your order. We believe this provides you with the most secure shopping environment.

It is our company policy to protect the privacy of our customers in our business operations. Tessara has the responsibility to protect the confidentiality of the content of any information transmitted over the Tessara network and safeguard the use of information that customer may reasonably expect us to keep private.

 Do you provide customer service?

Tessara is as committed to excellence in customer service as it is to quality communications. We have Customer Service Representatives who are trained in and dedicated to the job of understanding and meeting your communication needs.

With millions of calls being made on our network on an average business day, we're always hard at work making sure that all your calls go through. Whether you need help making calls, finding the right product and service for you, getting answers to your questions or answering questions about your account, our Customer Service Representatives are here to help you.

If you have any further questions regarding pre paid products please feel free to email them to support@tessara.net