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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.

Options of Cheap International Calling

phonecards — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:20:24 +0200

The World has become a much smaller place in the last decade. The isolation is fast fading as advances in communication have made it possible to talk to people on the other side of the globe without a great deal of expense. The internet is the main driving force behind this trend. The ability to communicate with people by means of written messages or chat rooms on the internet has led to a desire to speak to people on the telephone also. There has always been a need for international calls for business purposes, but now personal reasons have become important as well.

The telephone industry has been forced to deal with the cost issue of international calls. The introduction and wide spread use of VoIP phone service has been the reason. VoIP stands for "voice over internet provider", and it converts the analog phone signal to a data signal for transmission. Several companies are now offering international calling for a low per minute rate. VolP phone service has some advantages over conventional phone service. Since you are using your computer as your phone receiver, you can receive calls anywhere you happen to be as long as you can connect to the internet. However, this is also one of the disadvantages because the phone service is dependent on the reliability of your internet provider, and subject to such things as power outages that impact the internet. Despite this, there are many who predict that VolP phone service will eventually replace the old fashion analog phone providers.

Another option is the prepaid phone card. There are many of these cards available and they are very competitive in their pricing and in their extra services. It is a good idea to shop around a bit when considering a prepaid phone card because of this wide price range. Many of the cards are easily rechargeable and some do not even require the use of a pin number. Prepaid phone cards are certainly a safer way to make international calls. You do not have to worry about running up excessive charges.

The established phone companies are feeling the competition, and have responded with International phone call plans that allow lower rates to most countries. It most cases a small monthly fee is paid to join the plan and qualify for the reduced charges. International calls are no longer the expensive luxury that they once were, and each passing day brings the expense down even further.

Natalie Aranda writes about technology. The telephone industry has been forced to deal with the cost issue of international calls. The introduction and wide spread use of VoIP phone service has been the reason. VoIP stands for "voice over internet provider", and it converts the analog phone signal to a data signal for transmission. Another option is the use of prepaid phone cards. There are many of these cards available and they are very competitive in their pricing and in their extra services. It is a good idea to shop around a bit when considering a prepaid phone card because of this wide price range.

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.