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Posts Tagged ‘Making International Calls’

The Real Truth About Prepaid Phone Cards

In these days of information overload I prefer to keep it quick and brief in taking a simplistic look at what you need to know when purchasing a prepaid phone card. The three basic factors to consider when purchasing a prepaid phone card are;

1. The total cost of using the card
2. Features offered by the card
3. Reputation for the company selling the card

1. Let’s break these three factors down quickly. The total cost of using the card includes the rate per minute for domestic or international calling, and any additional fees or surcharges for using the card. Generally speaking a lower rate per minute typically increases the chances of a hidden surcharge. If the rate per minute seems too good to be true it probably is. However, rates per minute for making International calls can be substantially lower when using a prepaid phone card. Calling card marketing plans are very focused, so shop around and find the best rate plan for your calling needs. Look for hidden surcharges like connection fees, 3 minute rounding, and monthly maintenance fees that all add to the total cost of using the card.

2. Some calling cards today offer great features that make them very convenient to use. They include Pin-less dialing, auto recharge, and speed dial to name a few. Pin-less dialing allows you to register your PIN, when you call back for future calls the system recognizes your phone number or ANI in the phone world, which allows you to make calls without entering your PIN number. Auto recharge allows you to set up a pre determined recharge on your card. I.E. at 2.00 recharge my card back to $20.00 this way a call is never interrupted at an inconvenient time. Speed dial allows you to register frequently called numbers for quick convenient dialing.

3. There are many options today in buying prepaid calling cards. With choice comes risk. Although I am somewhat biased as a Product Manager for a major Telecommunications company I think the reputation of the company you buy from is important. Many companies come and go in this business. Shop the major Telecoms as your basis for determining what is a good deal. Then ask yourself is it worth the risk for this rate? Will this company be in business next week? We see many companies offering cards below our cost, and we sell them the time on our lines for the long distance?? Generally speaking the major retailers that sell cards use the major Telecommunications companies as the backbone for the long distance time on the card. Shop around and find the best plan for you and don’t forget the reputation for the company. MCI offers great low rates on phone cards without hidden fees. We offer features that make our cards easy to use. Look for our cards at major retailers near you.

In making a call from the streets of Australia to a friend who is drinking coffee in a café located in an avenue in France, one may consider using a prepaid phone card that you can easily get with the help of the world-wide-web. Why go for online prepaid cards, you ask? Let us count the ways.

For one, prepaid online phone cards are way convenient to get. You simply turn on your personal computer, choose from a number of vendors and supplier websites where prepaid phone cards are offered and register in. Make your order and in minutes, you will get an email with the personal identification code or reference number which you can use to load your phone with the credits it needs to make calls. No more driving to the nearby grocer or going to the phone card store to buy one. No dodging with traffic, no expense on fuel cost and there is minimum or less effort on your part. Your fingers basically do the walking so your feet get to rest on their laurels, figuratively speaking.

The convenience of prepaid online phone cards does not stop there. They generally can be used to contact your friends or relatives who may be anywhere in the world. They are flexible enough to accommodate calls not just within your local range but across the seas as well. Being able to hear a friendly hello or a birthday greeting from a special loved one on the other side of the globe may not be impossible and that difficult to obtain with the help of online prepaid phone cards. And you might be surprised to know that international rates are not that high with online prepaid phone cards. Because these online vendors are saving on marketing and other operational costs thru their internet shops, the customers are also able to benefit from their savings. It is noted that with prepaid phone cards, one may be able to avoid the cost of taxes which come with the use of standard telephones in making international calls.

Most people avoid making international calls because they are afraid to look at the high charges that they get billed for at the end of the month or billing period. But with online prepaid phone cards, this nightmare of a scene can now remain within the realms of delusions and hallucinations. This is because there is no such thing as monthly phone bills when it comes to online prepaid phone cards. Since the cards are prepaid, we get to control our phone spending budget and limit our calls to the basic and the important. After each use, we can check the balance of our phone credits and plan on our future calls. With this feature, we can monitor and track our call history as well. There are no contracts for us to sign so we need not worry that we might have neglected to read the fine print that could cause us to pay for other additional charges and fees.