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Access Numbers

Almost all calling cards intended for use from the United States provide toll free access numbers. Many calling cards also provide local access numbers that will supple lower rates per minute. Generally, if there is a local access number it will behoove you to use it. Even if the number is not local to you many people have nationwide calling plans on their cell phone. Meaning it won’t cost anything extra to call a local access number in a different area code.

If you plan to purchase a prepaid calling card to make calls while traveling, then you must make sure that the calling card you have selected has access numbers in the country your are traveling to. In addition you should check to see if it is a toll free or local access number in that country. Like in the United States, a local access number in a country will provide lower rates then the toll free number.

Calling cards are a great way for small business and home business to reduce their international long distance spending. Many calling cards on the market today also offer advanced features. Often these types of calling cards are referred to as dial around long distance services.

Common advanced dial around features include:

• PIN-less dialing
• Speed Dial
• Call Back
• International Access numbers
• Detailed calling records
• Automatic account recharge
• No fees associated
• Rechargeable

Generally, dial around long distance calling cards can be recharged, however most traditional calling ards do not offer this option. Recharges are great for people frequently using their card. It eliminates the hassle of having purchase a new card. Turn the auto account recharge feature on for your card, never have to bother with adding funds to your account. It can be done automatically.

Searching on the Internet or even in stores you will find there is wide variety of cards to choose from. There are the name brand cards. These are calling cards released from major carriers such as AT&T, MCI, IDT, Verizon, etc. Because they are name brand cards does not mean they the best. Often name brand cards offer more expensive rates per minute because you are paying a premium for the name. Calling cards offered from smaller carriers are often better alternatives to name brand cards. Having a smaller advertising budget allows them lower their rates. Large companies like AT&T must regain several million spent in advertising costs over the year and as a result pass expensive rates to their customers.

Selecting the right calling card for your needs should be a low involvement decision, however should require some thought to make sure you are getting an adequate product. The best way to find out about a good product is from someone that can give a testimony of its service.

Source: http://www.ldpost.com/telecom-articles/Selecting-the-Right-Calling-Card.html

Phone Cards

An easy quick guide to choosing the right prepaid calling card.

Figuring out how to select the right calling card in an over saturated market can be daunting task. It seems like there are so many options. Googleing the keywords "prepaid calling cards" will bring more then 12,000,000 different responses. Many people simply search for the card that will provide them the lowest rates. However, often don’t realize that these cards are actually the most expensive.

In three easy steps learn how to pick the right calling card for your needs. This will save you money and put you on the right track.

1. Identifying your needs.
2. Understanding your options.
3. Making a Selection.

Identifying Your Needs

With so many different cards to choose from its important to identify exactly what your needs are. This will assist when trying to decipher between cards.

Important things to consider when identifying your needs:

• Destination – Where are you calling?
• Duration – How long do you think your calls will be? Under 30 minutes or over an hour?
• Frequency – Is it a one time thing where you need to make an international call, or do you frequently make international calls?
• Connection Quality – do you need high connection quality, or are you simply looking for the cheapest way to place a call?
• Traveling – Do you need a calling card for when you travel, or is it for use in the United States?
• Business Use – Do you plan to use the card for business or personal use?
• Recharge – Are you looking for a phone card that can be recharged?

Understanding Your Options

It is extremely import to never underestimate how much calling time a dollar can by you. Call to places like Europe, Parts of Asia, South America and Australia for 40 minutes on just 1 dollar.

Now that you have identified your needs, it is important to understand your options. Make sure you read all of the details of the calling card before you purchase it. Many companies are very sneaky and add unforeseen fees. Resulting in a one time use from the card, expiring the minutes.

Fees

Many prepaid phone cards have hidden fees. Companies have designed all sorts of creative fees. Such as connection fees, maintenance fees, termination fees, disconnection fees, etc. Almost all wholesale rates to major destinations are the same universally. Calling cards displaying low rates tend to have that have fees associated with them as way to make up for the low rates.

Depending on your needs, fees might not necessarily be bad. If you have identified yourself, as someone who infrequently uses a calling card, however have purchased one to make an international call, you should be solely motivated by rates. This is true especially for people who only plan to use the calling card once or twice then, no longer need it. Purchasing a card with biweekly maintenance fee is beneficial because in two weeks, the user will no longer need the card. However, if you are someone who frequently makes international calls and regularly uses a card, then selecting a card with no fees would provide great benefit. While the rates may be higher, you won’t have to pay a connection fee or almost a dollar in maintenance fees.

Minute Rounding

Minute rounding is another tactic calling card companies have designed to seek the most amount of money from their customers. Most calling card use 1 minute rounding. However, there is a large selection of cards that use 2, 3 and 4-minute rounding. Minute rounding is how your calls are charged. 

Source: http://www.ldpost.com/telecom-articles/Selecting-the-Right-Calling-Card.html

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With more and more people staying away from their families nowadays for a variety of reasons, it is small wonder that the telecommunication industry is inundated with an ever increasing flow of traffic. The high frequency of calling can also be attributed to the convenience offered by the calling cards since many people use these cards in the present era to meet their calling requirements instead of opting for the standard methods. This propensity of people living away from people to call up using prepaid calling cards can be due to the following reasons:

• It is but natural for a person who stays away from home to feel homesick once in a while and the only way to appease this homesickness is to call up home and hear the voice of the loved one. But making long distance calls everyday could prove to be extremely expensive and therefore calling cards should be used in order to limit the phone bill while making calls.
• It is through the use of calling cards that one is aware of the time which is spent on the call and can accordingly make amends and requisite adjustments in the calling pattern which would result in savings.
• Many calling cards offer special privileges like unlimited nights and unlimited weekends which would enable the caller to enjoy extra calls at the same proffered price.
• Prepaid calling cards charge different rates which depend on the country in which the call has been placed and this should be checked by the caller while purchasing the card.
• Apart from the rate of international calling, the caller can check on the coverage provided by the company as well as the expiration date both of which result in savings while making calls.

The country of England consists of the island of Great Britain in addition to more than a hundred smaller islands and is separated from the continental Europe by the English Channel. With London as its capital city, England has been the place of origin of the English language, the Anglican Church as well as the English Law which are followed by most of the countries of the world today.

International calls to England can be made at low rates from prepaid cards which are specifically meant for England or from cards from which one can call up any country in Europe, including England. Since there are three types of calling cards, namely the international, the overseas and the domestic, the call to England can be placed by using the first two varieties only.

While making an international call to England one must remember that the country code for England is 44 and it should be dialed after the Access Code and the PIN but before the area/city code and the number to be called up. Since calling cards come in a variety of denominations which range from 5$ to hundreds of dollars, the caller can choose the one which is best suited to his requirements and thus make calls to England at cheap and affordable rates while not compromising on the quality of communication. Furthermore, cards offer a variety of schemes like PIN-less dialing, refilling and auto-refilling which lower the rate of calling even further. Refilling saves one the hassle of buying a new card every time since the talk time can be added further on the same card and with the same PIN and auto-refilling is an option provided by some phone card service providers and one just needs to click on the option to make use of this facility.

Those who make frequent international calls always look for a Phone Card.  This is because, a long distance call made through mobile or land line is quite expensive and the Phone Cards is the only alternative.  Then what are the advantages of a Phone Card?

At the outset, by selecting the right Prepaid Phone Card,   it is possible to reduce the expense on the telephone bills by about 50% to 80%.  This is because, per minute calling rate is always quite minimal.   Further, these are prepaid tariff plans and therefore normally, they do not have any hidden cost.  There are no connectivity charges.    Those who are frequent callers enjoy special discounts and many calling companies offer seasonal gifts too.

The second reason why people prefer calling card is that it is very easy to buy them.  It is available in most of the retail outlets like grocery shop, petrol bunk, coffee club, pubs and restaurants, news paper agencies etc. It can be bought online also.  There are no paper works like an agreement with the calling company, payment of minimum of deposit etc.

The third reason for buying Phone Cards is that it is very easy to carry them.  These are in the size of a credit or debit card and simply fit into the wallet. There enough security measures so that no one can misuse the cards.  Once the credit balance reduces, the caller can buy additional calling time and so the value of the tariff plan is restored to its original position.  All the calling companies have multi lingual helpline which is available for service 24/7. 

Having been the landmark invention of the nineteenth century, the telephone not only became the main form of communication throughout the world but also acquired the status of being the most preferred mode amongst the people. This bias towards the telephone is largely due to the speed and the convenience with which the message is conveyed as compared to the other forms of communication like letter writing and telegrams. The introduction of phone cards further acted as a catalyst in raising the popularity of the phone because of the numerous advantages which are associated with the use of such cards. Phone cards are definitely considered to be better and this is because they possess the following advantages:

1. A calling card is the most convenient device which can be accommodated easily and can be carried anywhere without being cumbersome. So for a parent whose child is staying away from home due to studies or work, a pre paid phone card is the most assuring method of communication which would help them to keep in touch even in the absence of other phone facilities.

2. Calling cards ensure a safe as well as secure method of communication because each individual card has a distinct activation number which acts as a security for that particular card only and prevents it from being used by others.

3. These cards are readily available at grocery stores, departmental stores and other shops and can be easily bought as they are available at a range of prices starting from the lowest to the highest. As a result, one need not spend a bulk amount at one point of time and has the choice of settling down for cards with lesser talk time which cost less.

4. One of the biggest advantages of a calling card is that it is fully suited to the present day concept of a global village. Nowadays, people travel between countries like they used to travel between regions a couple of years ago. Therefore, a card which offers standardized rates of call from most of the countries and is available in almost all major locations around the world can be considered nothing short of a boon in disguise because of the ease of keeping in touch from wherever you are.

5. Most calling cards are self explanatory and easy to use because they come with a set of simple verbal instructions which are conveyed in any language that the caller chooses to use.

6.  The phone card system is supported by an excellent customer care which is available at all times and anywhere. This makes it virtually impossible for a person using the card to be stuck unattended for long as help-lines are always open and responsive.  

7.  The calling card system boasts of a good connectivity and can be used in any telephone instrument be it a land-line, a mobile or a calling booth.

8. This system also maintains a steady rate of call which does not depend upon the time of the day, the area from which the call is made or the area to which the call is being made.    

Those who frequently make long distance calls to Australia are the ones who save a lot from Australia Phone Cards.   These prepaid cards are available across the counter in almost all retail outlets both in Australia and in most of the other countries.  They are available online too. 

Those who purchase Australia prepaid cards need not pay any connectivity charges which are as much as 80 cents per minute.  Apart from this, there are no hidden charges whatsoever.   Per minute calling rate is much less compared to postpaid tariff plans. There are innumerable long distances calling companies who offer unique rate for calling this country.  There are many companies who are specialized in Australia prepaid phone card.    A shrewd buyer will take much advantage of these varied tariff plans and can make a savings of about 50% to 80% on his long distance call telephone expenses.  That is a great savings. 

These are prepaid tariff plans, and with every call made, the balance in the card gets reduced.  Normally, the balance will have to be utilized within a specified period of time as stipulated therein.  However, there are many companies who allow transfer of unutilized balances to a new card purchased from the same company.  Thus, the caller saves a lot by this. There are many service providers who offer special rebate in calling rate for those who make frequent call to Australia.  It is advisable that the caller should select a reputed service provider who has dependable helpline which is available 24/7.  Most of the service providers have multilingual helpline which will greatly benefit foreign tourists or callers.

There is some uniqueness in the telephone numbers in Russia.  In most of the countries the area code remains the same for both the land line and the mobile phones.  But in Russia the area code differs.   Of course, this system has an advantage; that it is easy to identify whether the call is from land line or from mobile.  But it is convenient to the caller because he has too much remember; the PIN number of his calling card, then the country code, area code and then the telephone number in Russia.

Coming to call rate, long distance calls costs comparatively high in Russia. The person calling Russia should necessarily have GSM connection.  It is said that some of the visitors would prefer to purchase a new prepaid card in Russia than carrying their mobile phone. 

Those who want to call Russia and have GSM connection would take the Phone Card from their long distance service company.   But, they have to check the connectivity quality provided by the Company.  There are many service providers who offer competitive rates. 

On the other hand, buying a Phone Card in Russia is easier and much cheaper.  It is much more convenient to purchase the Card online when in Russia.  Once the purchase formalities are complete, the Card is instantaneously mailed.  Of course, the purchaser has to examine the suitability of the tariff before he purchases the Card.   There are many companies who offer special rate for calling certain areas in Russia like Moscow etc. These cards will have crystal clear dialing instructions and has many security measures to prevent misuse of the card by a stranger. Payment can be made from debit or credit card, PayPal etc.

People normally go to their nearest retailer to get the phone card although they can be purchased online.  This is because considering the credit card scam and such other scams people prefer to purchase from their retail shop.  But, the fact is totally different.   In fact getting it online is easiest and safest way.  Apart from this, it has several other advantages as well.

1. There are numerous service providers and the purchaser will have a wide range to tariff plans to choose from.  He can choose the tariff plan depending on his call habits and his budget.

2. It is easy to get the card online.  After selecting the service provider, the purchaser has to provide certain information.  Thereafter, the purchaser has to click the ‘buy’ button.  Now, the purchaser is asked to provide details of his credit or debit card.  After the payment is confirmed, the card is issued. 

3. Soon he is also assigned a PIN number.  This PIN number is issued by the computer automatically which ensures the security of the number so that it is not misused by any one else.  Most of the service providers have enough measures to ensure that the security measures are safe and that it in no way puts the caller to inconvenience. 

4. If the caller wants to recharge his card, he can do this also online.  Most of the online service providers allow carry over of balance from one card to the other which is purchased from them.  The caller can buy or recharge even while he is in travel.   There is no need for him to walk to the retailer for the purpose.

Save money with phone cards

Those who make frequent long distance calls or those who travel frequently will have to pay heavy telephone bills.  Many times, even the receiver of the long distance calls will be charged for the call he has received.  In such a scenario, any one who wants to save money on telephone bills will start to use Calling Cards. 

The first reason why people use Calling Card is that the rates are considerably cheaper.  Further, the caller will not get any monthly bill.  There is no hidden cost.  There is no tax or service charge or deposit amount.  There are several service providers and the rates offered by them are quite competitive.  It is said that by selecting the right type of Calling Card, the expense on telephone bill can be reduced up to 80%!  That would be a great saving. 

The calling cards are prepaid for its face value.   With every call made, the value in the card gets reduced automatically.  If the caller desires, he can get it recharged.  These cards are available in plenty at many retails outlets like petrol bunk, shopping malls, news paper vendors, grocery shop, and retail outlet of service providers.  These can be purchased online line also. In the light of its easy accessibility, use of Calling Card is becoming more and more popular. 

But, the one should exercise caution before its purchase. It is always advisable to approach a reliable service provider.  Even in prepaid cards, some times some hidden cost could be there.  So, one should read the terms and conditions before going in for it.