What Phone Card Should I Use?

This is the question I get asked most often. It is very simple to answer but it is not the same answer for every caller – it depends on a couple of things!

How long will you be calling for? If you are calling for longer than 25 minutes you should get a phone card that has a connection fee. If you are calling for less than 25 minutes get a phone card that has no connection fee. Generally a phone card that has a connection fee has lower call rates and phone cards without a connection fee have higher call rates. So when choosing your phone cards you need to consider the price based on the combined cost of the connection fee and the call rate not just the call rate. Generally the connection fee is equivalent to about a 15-20 minute call in terms of the call rate for the card.

What’s the call rate? Of course the lower the call rates the better but is it a peak or off-peak rate. You see 99.9% of comparisons are based on off-peak rates that are always very late at night, such as 2am. At all other times, when you actually want to use the phone card, the peak rate applies and the peak rate is not used in the comparison. So if the comparison is based on off-peak rates you will definitely buy the wrong phone card.

Do you only make a local call to access the service? To use the phone card you have got to call a local access number to enter your PIN. You need to be sure the phone card has a local access number in your local area or a 1300 number with no surcharge. Otherwise you can make very low cost international calls but the call to the local access number will cost you a fortune. Never use your mobile phone to call the local access number because you are charged by your mobile phone company at their rates which could be 30c/min!

Does the call rate stay the same throughout the call? Some phone cards have a call rate that varies. So after 5 minutes or more the call rate doubles. Make sure the call rate stays the same throughout your call – that it is a flat rate throughout the day and night.

How long will the card last? All phone cards expire of a set time whether you have used the entire card or not. The phone cards generally have a life of 2 to 4 months but some last as long as 12 months. It is often better to buy a small value card, say $10, rather than $50 so that you can use the card up quickly and don’t lose any unused minutes.

Are there any maintenance or service fees? Quite a few cards have service or maintenance fees that are charged daily or once a week. If your phone card minutes disappear without you using the phone card you are most likely being charged a maintenance or service fee! This is another reason you should by smaller denomination phone cards because you will tend to use them in one go.

Is there good customer support when you have problems with the card especially the billing? When is a minute not a minute? When it is a phone card minute! Make sure you can phone and speak to someone at customer service or that they respond to your email quickly. Try ringing their customer support number before you buy their phone card to see if they answer quickly. When something goes wrong with the card it is incredibly frustrating if you can’t get it resolved. Make sure they have good customer service.

Now you know what to look for next time you want to make a long distance international phone call using a cheap phone card.