§ 49.4251-4. Prepaid telephone cards.

Transferee means the first person that is not a carrier to whom a PTC is transferred by a carrier.

Transferee reseller means a transferee that purchases a PTC for resale.

Unit card means a PTC other than a dollar card.

Untariffed unit card means a unit card other than a tariffed unit card.

(i) On May 1, 2000, A, a carrier, sells a card it calls a prepaid telephone card at A's retail store to P, an individual, for P's use in making telephone calls. A provides P with a PIN. The value of the card is not denominated in dollars, but the face of the card is marked 30 minutes. The sales price is $9. A tariff has not been filed for the minutes on the card. The toll telephone service acquired by purchasing the card will be obtained by entering the PIN and the telephone number to be called.

(ii) Because P purchased from a carrier other than for resale, P is a holder. The card provides its holder, P, with a fixed amount of communications services (30 minutes of toll telephone service) to be obtained by means of a PIN, for which P pays in advance of obtaining service; therefore, the card is a PTC. Because the value of the PTC is not designated in dollars and a tariff has not been filed for the minutes on the PTC, the PTC is an untariffed unit card. Because it is transferred by the carrier to the holder, the face amount is the sales price ($9).

(iii) The card is a PTC; thus, under section 4251(d), the face amount is treated as an amount paid for communications services and that amount is treated as paid when the PTC is transferred from A to P. Accordingly, at the time of transfer, P is liable for the 3 percent tax imposed by section 4251(a). The amount of the tax is $0.27 (3% × the $9 face amount). Thus, the total paid by P is $9.27, the $9 sales price plus $0.27 tax. A is responsible for collecting the tax from P.

(i) The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that instead of selling a card, A gives a 30 minute card to P.

(ii) Although the card provides P with a fixed amount of communications services (30 minutes of toll telephone service) to be obtained by means of a PIN, P does not pay for the service. Therefore, the card is not a PTC, even though it is called a prepaid telephone card by A.

(iii) Because the card is not a PTC, section 4251(d) does not apply. Furthermore, no tax is imposed by section 4251(a) because no amount is paid for the communications services.

(i) After using the card described in Example 2, P arranges with A by telephone to have 30 minutes of toll telephone service added to the card. The sales price is $9. P is told to continue using the PIN provided with the card.

(ii) Because P purchased from a carrier other than for resale, P is a holder. The arrangement provides its holder, P, with a fixed amount of communications services (30 minutes of toll telephone service) to be obtained by means of a PIN, for which P pays in advance of obtaining service; therefore, the arrangement is a PTC. Because the value of the PTC is not designated in dollars and a tariff has not been filed for the minutes on the PTC, the PTC is an untariffed unit card. Because it is transferred by the carrier to the holder, the face amount is the sales price ($9).

(iii) The arrangement is a PTC; thus, under section 4251(d), the face amount is treated as an amount paid for communications services and that amount is treated as paid when the PTC is transferred from A to P. Accordingly, at the time of transfer, P is liable for the 3 percent tax imposed by section 4251(a). The amount of the tax is $0.27 (3% × the $9 face amount). Thus, the total paid by P is $9.27, the $9 sales price plus $0.27 tax. A is responsible for collecting the tax from P.

(i) On May 1, 2000, B, a carrier, sells 100,000 cards it calls prepaid telephone cards to Q, an auto dealer, for $50,000. Q will give away a card to each person that visits Q's dealership. B provides Q with a PIN for each card. The face of each card is marked $3. The toll telephone service acquired by purchasing the card will be obtained by entering the PIN and the telephone number to be called.

(ii) Because Q purchased from a carrier other than for resale, Q is a holder. Each card provides its holder, Q, with a fixed amount of communications services ($3 of toll telephone service) to be obtained by means of a PIN, for which Q pays in advance of obtaining service; therefore, each card is a PTC even though Q's visitors do not pay for the cards. The value of each PTC is designated in dollars; therefore, each PTC is a dollar card. Because the PTC is a dollar card, the face amount is the designated dollar value ($3).

(iii) The cards are PTCs; thus, under section 4251(d), the face amount is treated as an amount paid for communications services and that amount is treated as paid when the PTCs are transferred from B to Q. Accordingly, at the time of transfer, Q is liable for the 3 percent tax imposed by section 4251(a). The amount of the tax is $9,000 (3% × the $3 face amount × 100,000 PTCs). Thus, the total paid by Q is $59,000, the $50,000 sales price plus $9,000 tax. B is responsible for collecting the tax from Q.

(i) On May 1, 2000, C, a carrier, sells 1,000 cards it calls prepaid telephone cards to R, a convenience store owner, for $7,000. C provides R with a PIN for each card. The value of the cards is not denominated in dollars, but the face of each card is marked 30 minutes and a tariff of $0.33 per minute has been filed for the minutes on each card. R agrees that it will sell the cards to individuals for their own use and at a price that does not exceed $0.33 per minute. R actually sells the cards for $9 each (that is, at a price equivalent to $0.30 per minute). The toll telephone service acquired by purchasing the card will be obtained by entering the PIN and the telephone number to be called.

(ii) Because R purchased from a carrier for resale, R is a transferee reseller. Because R's customers will purchase other than for resale, they will be holders. Each card sold by R provides its holder, R's customer, with a fixed amount of communications services (30 minutes of toll telephone service) to be obtained by means of a PIN provided by the carrier, for which R's customer pays in advance of obtaining service; therefore, each card is a PTC. Because the value of each PTC is not designated in dollars and C sells the PTCs to R subject to an arrangement under which the price at which the PTCs are sold to holders will not exceed the designated number of minutes on the PTC multiplied by C's tariffed price per minute, each PTC is a tariffed unit card. Because the PTCs are tariffed unit cards, the face amount of each PTC is $9.90, the designated number of minutes on the PTC multiplied by the tariffed price per minute (30 × $0.33), even though the retail sale price of each card is $9.

(iii) The cards are PTCs; thus, under section 4251(d), the face amount is treated as an amount paid for communications services and that amount is treated as paid when the PTC is transferred from C to R. Accordingly, at the time of transfer, R is liable for the 3 percent tax imposed by section 4251(a). The amount of the tax is $297 (3% × the $9.90 face amount × 1,000 PTCs). Thus, the total paid by R is $7,297, the $7,000 sales price plus $297 tax. C is responsible for collecting the tax from R.

(i) On May 1, 2000, D, a carrier, sells 10,000 cards it calls prepaid telephone cards to S, a convenience store owner, for $60,000. D provides S with a PIN for each card. The value of the cards is not denominated in dollars, but the face of each card is marked 30 minutes. A tariff has not been filed for the minutes on each card. S will sell the cards to individuals for their own use for $9 each. D also sells a card that provides 30 minutes of the same type of communications service at its retail store for $9. The toll telephone service acquired by purchasing the card will be obtained by entering the PIN and the telephone number to be called.

(ii) Because S purchased from a carrier for resale, S is a transferee reseller. Because S's customers will purchase other than for resale, they will be holders. Each card sold by S provides its holder, S's customer, with a fixed amount of communications services (30 minutes of toll telephone service) to be obtained by means of a PIN provided by the carrier, for which S's customer pays in advance of obtaining service; therefore, each card is a PTC. Because the value of each PTC is not designated in dollars and a tariff has not been filed for the minutes on the PTC, each PTC is an untariffed unit card.

(iii) The PTCs are untariffed unit cards transferred by the carrier to a transferee reseller. Thus, the face amount is determined under paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section, which permits D to choose from three alternative methods. Under paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(A)(1) of this section, the face amount of each PTC would be $9, the highest amount for which D sells to holders purchasing a single PTC. Alternatively, under paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(A)(2) of this section, the face amount of each PTC would be $8.10, computed as follows: 135% × the $60,000 sales price ÷ 10,000 PTC's. Finally, under paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(A)(3) of this section (assuming the PTCs are of a type that ordinarily is used entirely for domestic communications services), the face amount of each PTC would be $9 ($0.30 × 30 minutes).

(iv) The cards are PTCs; thus, under section 4251(d), the face amount is treated as an amount paid for communications services and that amount is treated as paid when the PTCs are transferred from D to S. Accordingly, at the time of transfer, S is liable for the 3 percent tax imposed by section 4251(a). Assuming that D chooses to determine the face amount as provided in paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(A)(2) of this section, the amount of the tax is $2,430 (3% × the $8.10 face amount × 10,000 PTCs). Thus, the total paid by S is $62,430, the $60,000 sales price plus $2,430 tax. D is responsible for collecting the tax from S.

(i) On May 1, 2000, E, a carrier, provides a telephone card to T, an individual, for T's use in making telephone calls. E provides T with a PIN. The card provides access to an unlimited amount of communications services. E charges T $0.25 per minute of service, and bills T monthly for services used. The communications services acquired by using the card will be obtained by entering the PIN and the telephone number to be called.

(ii) Although the communications services will be obtained by means of a PIN, T does not receive a fixed amount of communications services. Also, T cannot pay in advance since the amount of T's payment obligation depends upon the number of minutes used. Therefore, the card is not a PTC.

(iii) Because the card is not a PTC, section 4251(d) does not apply. However, the 3 percent tax imposed by section 4251(a) applies to the amounts paid by T to E for the communications services. Accordingly, at the time an amount is paid for communications services, T is liable for tax. E is responsible for collecting the tax from T.