According to that analysis, when prepaid phone cards are used to obtain phone airtime provided by the company that supplied the card, they are not covered by the Directive. However, they are covered by the Directive when the electronic value stored on them is used to purchase products and services other than traditional communications, offered by third parties ("merchants") rather than directly by the phone companies.
En revanche, elles relèvent de son champ d'application lorsque la valeur électronique qu'elles contiennent est utilisée pour acheter des produits et services autres que des communications classiques, proposés par des tiers («négociants») et non par les opérateurs de téléphonie mobile eux-mêmes.