❤︎ Pucca CNC Telephone Cards (2002) ❤︎
Here is a set of four officially licensed prepaid calling cards issued by China Netcom (CNC) that feature early Pucca character artwork!
I stumbled upon these cards a few months ago now and didn’t think much of them at first. After I bought them and took a closer look I soon realised that these cards (dated 2002) hold a significant value in terms of early Pucca history!
In the early 2000s, physical phone cards, often referred to as "Calling Cards," were a practical way for people who could not afford mobile phones to call each other using payphones or landlines. Calling Cards were especially used for long-distance or international calls, with the user often listening to advertisements to earn more minutes. Cards such as these were designed both as functional telecom products and collectible character merchandise.
Pucca entered the Chinese market in 2002, (earliest mention I could find is February 2002), followed by Europe in July 2003. As this set of cards was manufactured on 16/09/2002, this makes them another significant example of the early commercialisation phase of Pucca in mainland China!
❤︎ “CNC 中国网通”（China Netcom）
❤︎ “201 电话卡”（201 Telephone Card）
❤︎ Serial numbers and access instructions
❤︎ Printed Validity Date： 有效期至 2003年8月31日 （Valid until August 31,2003）
❤︎ Customer service number 189
These calling cards date to a transitional period in China's telecommunications history, when prepaid calling cards were still widely used alongside the early expansion of mobile phones. At this time, character licensing frequently targeted telecom products such as calling cards, SIM accessories, and mobile phone charms and decorations.
The 2002 manufacture date places these cards among the earliest known officially licensed Pucca items, alongside the first phone charms and books I found. This aligns with contemporary reporting that Pucca’s first commercial products were phone-related accessories released in September 2001.
As these items predate large-scale retail expansion and the later “Funny Love” merchandising era, they can be reasonably grouped within an early “first generation” phase of Pucca merchandise! Isn’t that neat!?
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