When They Care Enough to Call

Hallmark Cards, Inc., announced that it will market a line of greeting cards featuring a Sprint prepaid telephone card good for 10 minutes of domestic long-distance calls.

Hallmark is believed to be the first in the United States to put a greeting card and a long-distance phone call in the same envelope.

“This is a perfect tie-in between two forms of communication that enhances them both,” said Thomas E. Weigman, president of Sprint’s multimedia and strategic products services. “Combining . . . prepaid calling cards with Hallmark greeting cards turns a thoughtful communication into an imaginative and practical gift.”

The new product line will be tested beginning in November in five U.S. cities: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City and New York. The greeting/calling cards will retail for $6.