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NCR Charge Phone Credit System

©2009-11, 17 paulf.  All rights reserved.
(What's this copyright notice?)

Info in the first section of this page is from "The NCR Electrical Credit System Type 'F'," NCR Company, 1949.
Find a copy in the TCI Library here:
https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/search?q=ncr+credit


The credit system has been especially designed for coordinating "charge authorization" with the Cycle Billing operations.  It provides fast, pleasing service for the customer ... with safety and economy for the store.



NCR Stamping
                Phone, 10-button
(Phone in the JKL-1 Museum)
NCR Stamping Phone

Distributed throughout the store in the various departments, stamping phones are used in the selling departments by the clerks or wrappers in getting a printed authorization on the sales-slip and a perforated authorization in the address labels.  The phones should be placed near the wrapping desks so that the clerks can conveniently reach and answer the phones while wrapping the purchased aricles.  The stamping phones are equipped with a one-line printing device and a perforating die.


Phones were configured with from 1 to 10 intercom pushbuttons to ring the appropriate credit specialist in the back room.  Each button was coded for the range of customer last names handled by each credit authorizer.  Pushing the button buzzed the authorizer, who looked up the customer's credit limit on paper files and, if appropriate, authorized the credit sale.

Instructions -
                found inside drawer (repro)
Reproduced by Stan DeOrsey -- Thanks!

Operating Instructions were often found glued to the bottom of the receipt drawer, if a drawer was present (left).

Occasionally a card was attached to the top of the set or on the lower front edge (below).

Instructions attached to
                    top of set
Instructions for 4-button phone

Instructions on lower
                    front edge
Sales-slip stamped
When the authorizer pushed a button, the sales slip was stamped and perforated, providing an unchangeable record of the authorization on both original and duplicate copies of the sales slip.

The original was usually filed in the bottom drawer and collected periodically for posting to the customer's account, while the copy was given to the customer.
NCR Credit Authorizer Phone
(Phone in the JKL-1 Museum)
NCR Type C Authorizer's Master Phone

Stores with small credit departments had this simple phone at each credit verification station in the back room.  Buttons were configured to connect to the major departments on the sales floor, as needed.  
Phones were configured with from 1 to 10 intercom pushbuttons.

The authorizer answered a call by selecting the department button next to a lit lamp.  The voice link was used to get the customer name and transaction amount.

When a sales slip was properly inserted in the sales clerk's phone, the red light would glow.

If the account was in good standing, the authorizer pressed the "Stamping" button to activate the stamping unit in the sales department.

A buzzing button was provided to turn on or off an audible sound when a lamp was lit.

A ringing button permitted the authorizer to signal the sales clerk.
Large Store Switchboard
NCR Credit Authorizer Switchboard

Large stores with many authorizers and departments typically needed more complex equipment.  This switchboard unit was placed between two authorizer stations, so it was near the cycle billing files for the group of accounts it was intended to serve.

Calls were answered by inserting a connecting plug in the hole beside the lit lamp.
Credit authorizer position Typical authorizer position with paper files between multiple switchboards in a large retail store credit department.



Earlier sets were made for many years, using different equipment configurations and handsets.


Early perforating
        upright desk stand
Early stamping phone in the JKL-1 Museum

NCR Class 100
                Register with electrical stamp attachment
NCR Class 100 Register with telephone and electrical stamp attachment for handling credit sales in department stores.

From an undated NCR flyer, ca. 1909.
NCR Type 100
                Register - Clerk Calling Cashier inspector telephones to credit clerk customer's name, address and amount of sale and receives decision by telephone if not O.K.
Switchboard
                for Class 100 Registers


Central station and switchboard for Class 100 registers in credit clerk's office.

The credit clerk can O.K. a credit slip by simply pressing a lever.
1909 sample
                NCR credit authorization stamp Sample credit authorized stamp dated 1909.

1927 NCR Type
                B Authorizer's Switchboard
Type B Switchboard
Authorizer's Switchboards


Type B Switchboard -
Accommodates 1 - 20 terminals and one authorizer.

From a NCR flyer dated 1927.
1929 NCR Type A Authorizer's
                  Switchboard
Type A Switchboard
Type A Switchboard -
Accommodates 20 - 200 terminals and multiple authorizers. Multiple units can be used together.

From a NCR flyer dated 1929.

1926 NCR
                      Credit System
NCR Stamping Phone with Western Electric 1001 handset and multiple authorizer positions.

From an undated NCR flyer, ca. 1926.
   1926 NCR
                400-line Credit Verification Installation
Large store installation supporting 400 terminals.

From a NCR flyer dated 1926.

NCR Charge set
                internal wiring
Wiring for a 10-button set.
 
     (A better copy would be nice.)


The labels on the bottom three wires appear to be:

  ---RINGING AND STAMPING

  ---TALKING

  ---COMMON



Stamping phone
          using WE 1001 handset   Back of phone
Stamping phone using Western Electric 1001 handset - only one credit department call button.
Fancy paint job!

(Phone in the JKL-1 Museum)


Please send comments or photos of your favorite phones to: 

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©2009-11, 17  paulf.  All rights reserved.