If you are planning on traveling overseas in the near future, whether for business or pleasure, you will no doubt want to keep in contact with loved ones or business contacts in other countries. If you are traveling for pleasure then you might want to share all your new experiences with friends and family at home, or just let them know that you are doing ok. International calls are extremely important when it comes to business. You may find yourself traveling to meet new clients and need to touch base with the office but don’t want to pay the extortionate international call rates.
Using your cell phone from another country can get very expensive, very quickly so how do you avoid getting hit by huge bills once you’re back in the country? International calling cards are the answer. You can use your calling card pretty much wherever you are; use it with landline phones, phone booths and even your own mobile phone. Not only are calling cards convenient and easy to use, they are still the cheapest way to make international calls by a long stretch.
Phone cards are easy to pick up with most airports and convenience stores stocking them, so you can pick them up just before you go to jet off. The phone card set up may seem like an old system but it continues to work well so why change it? The phone card works like a credit card and is available in various amounts so you can keep an eye on your spending. You pre-pay for the card and the amount of money you spend correlates with the amount minutes you are given.
When you purchase your phone card you will be given a PIN number which you dial before dialing the phone number of the person you want to call. The card will connect via an access number which is either toll-free or local access. Once you have used up all the minutes on the card you can just dispose of it and buy a new one. Some cards are even refillable and you can top them up over the phone.
Calling cards are great for those traveling abroad. They make it easy to stay in touch with friends and family whilst still moving around. The other option is to apply for a long distance plan or service but this can sometime tie you up to a contract and aren’t as convenient as the simple phone card. You can take the card with you wherever you travel and use it through your cell phone or any landline phone.
When choosing the best calling card for your travel make sure you take into consideration all the various options that are available on the market. Look out for cards with added convenience features and don’t get caught out by any additional carrier fees. Also make sure that customer services will be available for you wherever you are in the world should anything go wrong with your phone card.
For more information on keeping the cost of international calling down whilst traveling, visit the Smart Global Call website.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
How To Save Money On Your International Phone Bill
Many people all over the world are paying far too much for making international calls. A great way of saving money and still keeping touch with loved ones or business associates whilst traveling is to use an international phone card. These phone cards, or calling cards as they are sometimes known, work on a prepaid account basis enabling the user to make calls without worrying about any hidden charges.
Most phone cards work on a prepaid basis nowadays, as this means that you can keep in touch with people all over the world whilst still enjoying very competitive prices. The prepaid card works on the basis that you pay for the full value of long distance rates or for a certain number of minutes, in advance of using the card. The best place to get a good deal on an international calling card is the internet. Here you will find that the rates are at their most competitive due to low overheads and fierce competition between companies offering the same service.
When it comes to cheap international calling with prepaid phone cards then you need look no further than Smart Global Call. They are committed to finding you the cheapest rates on international calls and their site makes it easier for you to compare rates, phone card features and lots more. Smart Global Call is your one-stop shop for phone cards with a wide range of products that can be used in over 130 countries.
Phone cards are a great for those looking to make cheap domestic and international long distance phone calls. They are simple to use and can be used from any kind of telephone to help keep your international phone bill down. Whether you are a student, off on your travels, military personnel or just someone looking to cut down on costs on international phone calls then you need a phone card.
You’re probably not alone if you think of a phone card as something that is quite old fashioned. But if it has been a while since you’ve actually used one you will see that they have improved drastically. Many of the old cards would have cheap rates but the call quality was terrible. Some also had hidden fees that you had to watch out for. Nowadays, you can get some really high quality phone cards that combine top quality connections with competitive tariffs. These are perfect for those who find themselves traveling a lot and simply have to make important international calls but don’t want to be hit with huge fees.
If you don’t like the idea of using a phone card then another option to keep the cost of international calls down is a prepaid long distance calling plan. There are lots of plans out there to choose from but they all work on the same basis of making international calls cheaper. You can make your call from any phone in the USA or Canada without out even needing to change companies. The calls go through a low cost network by dialing a local or toll free access number. With most networks there is no charge to open and maintain an account.
Most prepaid calling plans have extra features to enjoy as well. This will differ between networks of course, but look out for these add-ons as they will more than likely benefit from having them.
For more information on lowering your international phone bill, why not visit the Smart Global Call website and see if you can save yourself some money!
Most phone cards work on a prepaid basis nowadays, as this means that you can keep in touch with people all over the world whilst still enjoying very competitive prices. The prepaid card works on the basis that you pay for the full value of long distance rates or for a certain number of minutes, in advance of using the card. The best place to get a good deal on an international calling card is the internet. Here you will find that the rates are at their most competitive due to low overheads and fierce competition between companies offering the same service.
When it comes to cheap international calling with prepaid phone cards then you need look no further than Smart Global Call. They are committed to finding you the cheapest rates on international calls and their site makes it easier for you to compare rates, phone card features and lots more. Smart Global Call is your one-stop shop for phone cards with a wide range of products that can be used in over 130 countries.
Phone cards are a great for those looking to make cheap domestic and international long distance phone calls. They are simple to use and can be used from any kind of telephone to help keep your international phone bill down. Whether you are a student, off on your travels, military personnel or just someone looking to cut down on costs on international phone calls then you need a phone card.
You’re probably not alone if you think of a phone card as something that is quite old fashioned. But if it has been a while since you’ve actually used one you will see that they have improved drastically. Many of the old cards would have cheap rates but the call quality was terrible. Some also had hidden fees that you had to watch out for. Nowadays, you can get some really high quality phone cards that combine top quality connections with competitive tariffs. These are perfect for those who find themselves traveling a lot and simply have to make important international calls but don’t want to be hit with huge fees.
If you don’t like the idea of using a phone card then another option to keep the cost of international calls down is a prepaid long distance calling plan. There are lots of plans out there to choose from but they all work on the same basis of making international calls cheaper. You can make your call from any phone in the USA or Canada without out even needing to change companies. The calls go through a low cost network by dialing a local or toll free access number. With most networks there is no charge to open and maintain an account.
Most prepaid calling plans have extra features to enjoy as well. This will differ between networks of course, but look out for these add-ons as they will more than likely benefit from having them.
For more information on lowering your international phone bill, why not visit the Smart Global Call website and see if you can save yourself some money!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Special Rates on Calls to India for Diwali Holiday
Rebtel has announced a special promotion on calls to India for the 2010 Diwali Holiday. The rate will be only 1.5 cents per-minute which is one of the best rates around on international calls to India. That is one reason why India is the most popular calling destination for Rebtel and it is one of the most popular prepaid calling products used by people who frequently call India. Rebtel is a nice, high quality product that can be used to make cheap international calls from any kind of telephone from more than 60 countries.
In addition to the low rate to India. People who sign-up for Rebtel before January 31, 2011 and deposit as little as $10 can get $5 in Free Calls by using Promo Code REBTEL5. Those interested in more information on Rebtel should visit Call to India for only 1.5c
for more information.
In addition to the low rate to India. People who sign-up for Rebtel before January 31, 2011 and deposit as little as $10 can get $5 in Free Calls by using Promo Code REBTEL5. Those interested in more information on Rebtel should visit Call to India for only 1.5c
Monday, October 25, 2010
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Prepaid Phone Card
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a Consumer Alert in July, 2010 covering Prepaid Phone Cards. The title of the alert is "When Minutes Matter: Choosing a Pre-paid Phone Card" and it contains some valuable tips for consumers. Some of there are summarized below.
The FTC indicates that "some" calling cards come with hidden fees that will reduce the minutes of talk time purchased. In our opinion, most phone cards come with hidden fees or taxes that will reduce the minutes purchased or increase the advertised rate per-minute to a specific location. Consumers should be aware of this and try to find a phone card with a fee structure that works best for them. A few phone cards have very low fees or, in some cases, no hidden fees but these are relatively rare and usually have higher advertised rates in order to make up for their lack of hidden fees. A couple that come to mind are the AT&T Phone Card and the Tel3Advantage prepaid calling plan. Both of these prepaid products have no hidden fees or taxes but higher advertised rates per-minute. Not all hidden fees are bad, there are other international phone cards with low fees but the fee structure tends to vary between phone cards so consumers should understand how these work so they can find the optimum prepaid phone card for their situation. The FTC advised that consumers should ask the following before making a phone card purchase:
Are fees going to decrease the value of the phone card? Some common fees to look for:
The FTC indicates that "some" calling cards come with hidden fees that will reduce the minutes of talk time purchased. In our opinion, most phone cards come with hidden fees or taxes that will reduce the minutes purchased or increase the advertised rate per-minute to a specific location. Consumers should be aware of this and try to find a phone card with a fee structure that works best for them. A few phone cards have very low fees or, in some cases, no hidden fees but these are relatively rare and usually have higher advertised rates in order to make up for their lack of hidden fees. A couple that come to mind are the AT&T Phone Card and the Tel3Advantage prepaid calling plan. Both of these prepaid products have no hidden fees or taxes but higher advertised rates per-minute. Not all hidden fees are bad, there are other international phone cards with low fees but the fee structure tends to vary between phone cards so consumers should understand how these work so they can find the optimum prepaid phone card for their situation. The FTC advised that consumers should ask the following before making a phone card purchase:
Are fees going to decrease the value of the phone card? Some common fees to look for:
- Post-Call, Disconnect or hang-up fees: these are charged each time a user hangs up the phone after using the card.
- Maintenance fees: charges deducted from the value of the card shortly after using the card and at regular intervals thereafter.
- Pay Phone Surcharges: charges deducted if you use the card at a pay phone.
We would like to add a few common hidden fees that the FTC failed to mention.
- Many cards charge a connection fee: This is a charge made each time a call is connected using the card. In our opinion, this is one of the worst hidden charges because the same charge is made for short or long calls and for calls made to a mis-dialed number.
- Phone Cards use a rounding interval for billing purposes: This hidden charge is hard for most individuals to understand. Phone cards use a rounding interval for billing purposes. These range from a few seconds to 6 or even 10 minutes. What this means is that the length of the call will be increased to the next rounding interval and the customer will be charged for that many minutes. An example will help explain the process; Assume a person makes a 30 second phone call using 3 phone cards with different rounding intervals. These are cards with 1, 3 and 6 minute rounding intervals for billing purposes. The caller would be billed for a one minute call using the first phone card (rounded to the next 1 minute), a 3 minute call using the second phone card and a 6 minute call using the third card. It is easy to see how this can make a big difference in the cost of a call and is a well disguised hidden fee that even the FTC did not mention.
- A long call fee: Some phone cards will charge an extra fee for calls that last over a certain number of minutes.
- A user fee: Some cards simply charge a user fee. This is applied like a sales tax that will be charged as a percentage of the charge for the call. These fees typically range between 15 and 30% so they can significantly increase the cost of a call.
We agree with most of the comments made by the FTC in their consumer alert. We especially believe that consumers should look for a phone card merchant that has a toll-free customer service phone number and that consumers should purchase phone cards they are not familiar with in small denominations. We would like to add one more piece of advice. Be especially suspicious of phone cards that advertise extremely low rates relative to the competition. These may offer very poor quality connections or have some well disguised hidden charges, in any case, the old adage even works with phone cards "if it seems too good to be true than it probably is not true".
Sunday, October 17, 2010
How to make Cheap International Calls to Asia
With large Asian immigrant populations and booming economies, the countries in Asia have quickly become one of the most popular calling destinations from North America. The international calling cost to most locations in Asia has come down in recent years and is now very cheap. It is easy to find prepaid calling products with rates that are lower than 2 cents per-minute on international calls from the USA to major countries such as China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea. Several sources list options for making cheap calls to Asia and other locations so it is relatively easy to find low cost prepaid calling products to any location in Asia.
Rates on calls to some countries is Asia are still relatively high. For example, a good rate on an international call from North America to the Philippines is still around 9 cents per-minute and calls to countries like Afghanistan, Myanmar and Nepal can be much higher. We did find a great rate on calls to the Maldives from the USA and Canada. Tel3Advantage offers a rate of only 8.9 cents per minute (plus up to 101 free minutes) through their Triple Promotion for new customer's. This rate includes all fees and taxes and is far better than anything else on the market. It is only good for the first 30 days but it may be all that some people need. Those interested in the Triple Promo rate to the Maldives and any other location should visit Tel3Advantage or call 800 441 0321 for details. They have some of the best rates on international calls to Asia and other locations from the USA and Canada. Tel3Advantage is also very easy to use. It can be used from any phone with any existing phone service (land-line or mobile) and does not require monthly fees or a contract. A customer simply deposits some money and uses the service whenever they like and any unused money will simply stay in the account. High quality service, convenience and flexibility has made Tel3Advantage on of the most popular prepaid calling service providers in North America.
Rates on calls to some countries is Asia are still relatively high. For example, a good rate on an international call from North America to the Philippines is still around 9 cents per-minute and calls to countries like Afghanistan, Myanmar and Nepal can be much higher. We did find a great rate on calls to the Maldives from the USA and Canada. Tel3Advantage offers a rate of only 8.9 cents per minute (plus up to 101 free minutes) through their Triple Promotion for new customer's. This rate includes all fees and taxes and is far better than anything else on the market. It is only good for the first 30 days but it may be all that some people need. Those interested in the Triple Promo rate to the Maldives and any other location should visit Tel3Advantage or call 800 441 0321 for details. They have some of the best rates on international calls to Asia and other locations from the USA and Canada. Tel3Advantage is also very easy to use. It can be used from any phone with any existing phone service (land-line or mobile) and does not require monthly fees or a contract. A customer simply deposits some money and uses the service whenever they like and any unused money will simply stay in the account. High quality service, convenience and flexibility has made Tel3Advantage on of the most popular prepaid calling service providers in North America.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Prepaid Phone Cards for Mobile Phones
Mobile phone service providers charge extremely high rates for international long distance calls so many mobile phone users rely on prepaid phone cards for saving money on overseas calls. Other mobile phone users save money by using prepaid cell phones where they only pay for the minutes used each month. Some online merchants sell prepaid cell phone recharge cards at a discount so users can save even more money. In either case, prepaid phone cards are becoming more popular with mobile phone users.
Mobile phone service providers typically charge $1 or more per minute for international calls while the same call can be made for a few cents per minute with a prepaid phone card. A very popular prepaid calling plan used by mobile phone users in the USA and Canada is the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan. It can be used to make cheap international calls from any cell phone without changing companies and with no long term contract or other commitment. It is a simple to use prepaid service that can be used on a short or long term basis. Tel3Advantage does not charge any service fees, taxes or other hidden charges so the rate per minute advertised on their website to a destination is the actual rate charged (rounded up to the next minute). They even provide customers with an on-line account where they can view the details for each call made from their account so their billing is completely transparent. Tel3 also offers an application (TEL3Apps) so SMART phone users can make international calls from their phones without calling an access number or dialing any extra numbers. That is one reason why Tel3Advantage is one of the most popular prepaid calling plans for making international calls from mobile phones.
Prepaid phone cards are also a popular means of making international calls from mobile phones. A wide selection of international phone cards can be conveniently purchased on-line and can be used to make low cost international phone calls from almost any location in the world. They offer convenience, flexibility, low cost and a wide range of features. On-line phone cards are also stored in a users account and several premium cards also have features like call history, PIN free dialing and auto-recharge which makes them a convenient alternative for international calling. Rates and hidden fees vary widely between phone cards so care should be taken when shopping for phone cards. In most cases the advertised or listed rates per-minute for calls do not include all fees and taxes so read the fine print before making a purchase. In any case, the rate charged for international calls using prepaid phone cards will be than that charged by a mobile phone service provider.
Mobile phone service providers typically charge $1 or more per minute for international calls while the same call can be made for a few cents per minute with a prepaid phone card. A very popular prepaid calling plan used by mobile phone users in the USA and Canada is the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan. It can be used to make cheap international calls from any cell phone without changing companies and with no long term contract or other commitment. It is a simple to use prepaid service that can be used on a short or long term basis. Tel3Advantage does not charge any service fees, taxes or other hidden charges so the rate per minute advertised on their website to a destination is the actual rate charged (rounded up to the next minute). They even provide customers with an on-line account where they can view the details for each call made from their account so their billing is completely transparent. Tel3 also offers an application (TEL3Apps) so SMART phone users can make international calls from their phones without calling an access number or dialing any extra numbers. That is one reason why Tel3Advantage is one of the most popular prepaid calling plans for making international calls from mobile phones.
Prepaid phone cards are also a popular means of making international calls from mobile phones. A wide selection of international phone cards can be conveniently purchased on-line and can be used to make low cost international phone calls from almost any location in the world. They offer convenience, flexibility, low cost and a wide range of features. On-line phone cards are also stored in a users account and several premium cards also have features like call history, PIN free dialing and auto-recharge which makes them a convenient alternative for international calling. Rates and hidden fees vary widely between phone cards so care should be taken when shopping for phone cards. In most cases the advertised or listed rates per-minute for calls do not include all fees and taxes so read the fine print before making a purchase. In any case, the rate charged for international calls using prepaid phone cards will be than that charged by a mobile phone service provider.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Global Calling using a Single Phone Card
Most international phone cards offer competitive rates to a single country or region of the world so international callers need to shop around in order to find a card with good rates to the countries they wish to call. There are only a few prepaid calling products that offer competitive rates to all locations and even these have limitations. We discuss two popular global calling products below.
The first product is Tel3Advantage. It can be used to make cheap long distance calls (domestic or international) from the USA or Canada. This includes Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Tel3Advantage is a popular product with frequent international callers because it offers low rates and superior call quality to almost all locations. Tel3Advantage also offers a nice signup bonus for new customers. Those who are interested should visit the Tel3Advantage Promo post for more details. Tel3Advantage can be used to make calls without dialing a PIN code or account number from multiple registered phone numbers in the same account. It also has an App (TEL3 Apps) which allows SMART phone users to directly dial international calls from their phones without dialing any extra numbers. Tel3Advantage provides customers with an on-line account where they can monitor activity in their account and easily make changes to their preferences. It comes with a complete array of features like speed dial, call history. PIN free dialing, toll free access and a wide network of local access numbers in the USA and Canada. It also does not charge any hidden fees or taxes. For these reasons, Tel3Advantage is one of the most popular international calling products in North America with over 500,000 active customers.
Another product that is similar to Tel3Advantage is the continental phone card. The continental card offers similar rates, quality and features with the added advantage that it can be used to make calls from over 60 countries. It also has other built in products which makes it much more than a standard phone card. For example, it can be used to make conference calls, as a callback phone to make cheap international calls from any country in the world, to set-up a personal toll free number in the USA and for PC-to-Phone service. The continental phone card is one of the most versatile phone cards on the market. It has low fees and also comes with a variety of popular features like speed dial, call history and PIN free calling. For these reasons the continental phone card is one of the most popular on-line phone cards sold in the USA.
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