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Phone Cards for international Calls

phonecards — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:35:45 +0200

Phone cards for international calls and long distance calls – talk for a while and yet save money

There was a time, before phone cards, when long distance and international calls – even to friends and relatives - required a good amount of preparations. Everyone making international calls had to back-calculate:

• How much money do I want to spend on this international call?
• How many minutes does it give me?
• And what do I need to talk for this many minutes?

Sound funny?

Yes it does in today’s world, where phone cards are making long distance and international calls cheaper day by day. Phone cards were first introduced to make long distance calling easy and convenient. One could make long distance and international calls from any phone using these cards. Then came the price war between the long distance operators and the cost of calling using phone cards started coming down significantly compared to post-paid phone connections.

Phone cards offered today come with different facilities and operating modes:

• Some need a PIN to activate.
• Some need a call to be placed from pre-registered numbers.
• Some need a call to be placed on a toll-free number first to dial long distance, or
• A combination of two of more of the above.

Modes of payment also differ from operator to operator:

• Some cards can be used only as pre-paid ones. Once the minutes allocated for the value of the card are over, the card is of no use.
• Some cards come with the facility of “filling in minutes” by paying an additional amount once the allocated minutes are consumed.
• Payments are generally accepted over the Internet or in collections centers in cash or via credit cards.

Phone cards have, no doubt, made international calls more accessible and cheaper. But still, differences in service and rates offered by various operators exist. Hence, it is advisable to shop around a little before buying a phone card. Some of the factors one needs to consider are:

• Reliability of the operator: Many fly-by-night operators also came in to the phone card business looking at the response rate and the market size. Avoid them.
• Service quality of the operator: Check if the calls can be connected at any time and if the line and voice quality is really clear.
• Rates: Rates offered by operators differ from state to state and country to country. They may also depend on the time when you call – higher at the time of peak traffic. Hence, check out where you are likely to call most and then decide on your operator.

Cheap rates for long distance - UK calling cards.

Why Prepaid Phone Cards Can Cut Your Pho...

phonecards — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:22:21 +0200

Using a prepaid phone card offers many advantages over more traditional calling means with consumers "jumping on board the bandwagon" and making the switch.

Going online has opened up even more avenues for shoppers to save. STi phonecards have been one of the online trendsetters, not just offering a prepaid phone card service but also excellent advice in purchasing cards online. If you are still "a little wet behind the ears" when it comes to using prepaid cards then the following tips will give you plenty of reason to switch from more expensive traditional methods.

Advantages Of Prepaid Phone Cards

- You can save a lot of money using phone cards. Phone bills can be cut by up to 50%. Companies such as STi Phone Card suggest the saving can be up to 80%.

- Prepaid phone cards are excellent as a means of saving on long distance and overseas calls. Whether for travellers who find them convenient, especially from hotels or simply calling from home, then costs can be cut significantly.

- People migrating to other countries can now stay in touch with family and friends much more cheaply today than 20 years ago.

- Prepaid phone cards eliminate the need to use money, particularly handy when you don't have any change and need to make a call urgently.

Are there any disadvantages? Sure, but these are few and far between. With some cards there may be hidden costs associated with phoning from public places such as hotels. Generally, you have a time limit on how long you can use your phone card. In most instances, cards will expire after three months. Balance transfer of minutes left is also usually disallowed.

Finding A Reputable Company

The phone card industry was rife with unscrpulous operators several years ago however, tighter security restrictions have helped clean it up significantly. It's strongly advised to stick with the major players when you go online. Bigger operators such as STi Phone Cards have strong security controls and stricy privacy policies.

Check a sites recommendations. Scan the web page and look for security seals and recommendations such as from the Better Business Bureau. The more you find the better the signs are the company is on the level.

It's a big plus if a company has a live customer support base. It's even better if you can get to them right away and 24 hours a day. Avoid dealing with email only companies and if you do, send them an email and and look for a response within 24 hours.

Hidden Costs

Watch out for hidden costs. This is the biggest issue with prepaid phone cards and one where many people have difficulty with. Always ask and always get it in writing. I know reading terms and conditions is mundane and boring but they are there for a reason and usually, any extra costs with a card were clearly listed in the terms and conditions.

Prepaid phone cards will save you money in the long run but perform a little due diligence initially and you'll have a happy experience using them.

The Features To Look For In Prepaid Inte...

phonecards — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:46:11 +0200

There are a number of prepaid international calling cards to choose from, all of which have their own features and system that they use.

Some of their features and benefits include conveniences such as pinless dialing and speed dialing, recharge and auto recharge, and no hidden charges. If you are one that uses these prepaid international calling cards for personal or professional purposes, then choosing the best prepaid international calling card company is essential for you, especially if you want to get the most out of your money.

The use of prepaid international calling cards is now becoming a popular option for callers, however, not everyone knows exactly what features to look for when choosing which prepaid phone card service to sign up with.

One feature that can help make a prepaid international calling card more appealing is if it is very easy to use. Callers will feel a lot less hassled if the prepaid international calling cards that they are using are very simple to use, and not that complicated to operate.

There are some calling cards that eliminate the need for you to dial the pin number in every call, making the whole process a lot simpler. All you have to do is register, and that would be enough. Some even eliminate the need for you to dial the destination number when you make an international call.

Another feature that helps make it more appealing is if it does not cost you a lot just to get the service. Having no extra fees and charges for getting it connected, and having no penalty charges for canceling the service, is a feature that helps set a prepaid international calling card apart from other calling cards that does not have this particular feature. These extra payments, which include the connection and maintenance fees, are the hidden charges that are usually paid after the initial fees after you have subscribed to a particular service.

Finding a company that can offer and provide you security regarding your account and account information is a must in any service. A customer’s privacy should be kept, and your account information should be protected from other callers, especially if you are joining an online service. Make sure that your prepaid international calling card is able to provide you with the security for your account that you may need.

Having a very reliable and accessible customer care service is also a great feature to have for prepaid international calling cards. It gives the callers the opportunity to be able to manage their accounts, and at the same time, get the service that they need whenever they may need it. Having help documents readily available in the net is also a good feature, especially for those that offer services online.

Whatever prepaid phone card service you may decide to sign up with, it is important to remember that it must meet all of your needs, so make sure that you check all of the features that it has to offer and check if it fit your needs.

Basic Buying Tips for Prepaid Calling Ca...

phonecards — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:32:35 +0200

In just the last ten years, the calling card industry has exploded into a four billion dollar per year business with an estimated 500 million cards sold annually. The cards are available just about everywhere today. They can be purchased in most stores including gas stations and convenience stores. You can also purchase them online. There is a wide variety of rates and services offered and the wise consumer needs to have a basic understanding of them in order to find the best rates.

Most people think that this is an easy thing to do. The price per minute is usually featured prominently on the card and its advertising. However, the problem is that the price per minute does not necessarily reflect the best rate. There are several surcharges that can be added to the cost of a call. In fact, the general rule is that the lower the per minute charge, the higher the surcharges. Some cards have a large connection fee that is charged for each call. This connection charge alone is enough to bring the actual per minute cost much higher. Another surcharge that comes as a big surprise too often is the pay phone surcharge. This is a charge as much as 50 cents more for each call made from a pay phone.

Many phone cards have an International call surcharge. This can be as high as $3.00 per call. Other surcharges include “taxes”, which can be as high as 25% and a weekly maintenance fee. The weekly maintenance fee can sap the remaining minutes in your card if you do not use them quickly. Another hidden charge is rounding. Although most cards will round calls up to the closest minute, some use six minute rounding so that a one minute call will be charged as six minutes.

The way to select a card is to have a good understanding of how you are going to use the phone, and where and when your calls are going to be made. Armed with this information, you can assess which surcharges will impact you and which ones will not make any difference. For example, cards with low per minute rates and high surcharges are usually better for calls that run from 10 to 15 minutes or longer. If your calls generally run less than 10 minutes, the high minute, low surcharge car is better. You should make sure that you receive all the information on how the card is used, how it is recharged, what its surcharges and limitations are, and when it expires. If you have trouble finding this information you should be looking for another card.

A prepaid phone card is a tremendous advance in communication, and a cheap prepaid phone card can save much money in emergencies or while traveling. The prepaid international phone card has brought the world closer together. It has made communication better and safer, but do not be afraid to shop around for the right card. They are not all the same, and the money saved makes a bit of research a wise investment.