BT scraps phonecards after slump

They were once an essential item in everyone's wallet, but now BT is scrapping its phonecards after 21 years.

At their peak, BT sold £74million a year worth of the cards, which pay for calls from public telephone boxes, but now they have been killed off by mobile phones, the company says.

Sales slumped to only £7.2 million last year, when 92 per cent of phonebox calls were made with coins.

BT telephone boxes will still accept calls made using the BT Chargecard, a credit card which bills calls to a nominated home or business account.

BT will withdraw the phonecards from sale from October and they will continue to work until their expiry dates next year.