Int'l Phone cards over the internet? Advise Needed

[dex]

I find myself in need to make an international call from the USA to Europe. I could use my cell phone for 1.50/minute. But I see you can can a phone card over the internet.
Phone Cards and International Calling Cards from NobelCom
Any recommendations or security issues? Those are more important concerns versus price.

Is there any reason I should just go with the lowest price? I don't see a way of evaluating the service on the above site

I did notice the incremental billing, maintence fee and expiration can be factors - so the low per minute charge is very deceiving.

txs

[Disappointed]

In CA you can use dial around service such as 1019898 - then 011 then country code - area code - phone number. There is a 10 cents connection fee but their per minute is extremely competitive (often at 1/2 cent per minute). Sometime they run promotion to UK, just the connection fee of 10 cents and 0 cent per minute. They bill through my regular phone bill, almost no tax on the calls.


Perhaps there is the same type of service for where you live? Their website is 1019898.com.

Prepaid phone cards ususlly have many hidden costs including short expiration date from the first use.

mP

[dex]

thanks for the infor - it was helpful - I found out they car called Dial Around
Compare 10-10 phone rates and save on long distance service!
this might be an indipendent siteI
I might just get a phone card after reading this blog
International Calling Blog - Phone Cards and Prepaid Calling Products: 1010 Dial Around Plans

[Texas Proud]

I use a phone card to call over there....

Cost me 2 cents per minute.... I got one that does not charge a fee per week, or a connect charge (watch out for those)... also charges by the minute (some have a minimum, so if you do not connect... still pay)..

It let's me input some numbers so I can quick dial... like 2# will call ALL the numbers needed.. so it is quick...

The problems... sometimes the connection is pretty bad... but that could be the lines and not the service.. and there are times it will just disconnect... so I have to call back again...

However, it is so much cheaper, I put up with the 'bad' and work around them...

You can also refill the card so you do not lose your preset numbers..

[Disappointed]

My experience on the Dial Around 1019898 is quite different from the blog you linked to. There is a connection of 10 cents per call but to call Thailand, it is 1/2 cent per minute. I used to call England for 10 cents and 0 cent per minute. No other hidden cost ever.

Like any low cost alternative, from time to time you may get a bad connection.

I am wondering if the blog is written by the prepaid card seller. I used to use prepaid card (and still do when I travel outside of CA), but now I exclusively use the Dial Around.

mP

[dex]

Disappointed - I thought the same thing about the blog after I made the post.

[lucija]

I have been pretty happy with Tel3 (Tel3.com - Cheap International Calling Card – Long Distance Calling Phone Service). I have been with them for a while (couple of years at least). From my experience: good service, decent rates (they keep on dropping), clear connections, no surprises. You can have it linked to a credit card (for auto recharge).

However, I imagine lots depends where the calls are actually going...

[Texas Proud]

I just checked...

callingcardplus . com

they sale many different 'kinds'.... look for the one that is best for you...

[Bree]

I used to use calling cards to call from China to Canada regularly.

I've now found that Skype is a much better option which gives me very clear calls at a cheaper price and I can easily add credits to my account instead of needing to go to a convenience store to pick up the card.

It's a little bit awkward to get used to wearing a headset to do a call and having a hands-free but as you're likely be calling from home anyway it's not really a big deal to just sit in front of your computer and do the call.

Another reason that I like Skype is that it gives me great rates to almost anywhere in the world that I want to call to. When you buy a calling card often you'll get one that is good for your home country to your destination country only for example USA to England however if you try to use the same card to use USA to France you get a pretty brutal rate.

Skype official website – free download and free calls and internet calls

also if the person you're calling has a Skype account and the Skype software installed on their computer you can do free computer to computer voice and video calls.

Cheers

[Lancelot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bree I used to use calling cards to call from China to Canada regularly. I've now found that Skype is a much better option which gives me very clear calls at a cheaper price and I can easily add credits to my account instead of needing to go to a convenience store to pick up the card. It's a little bit awkward to get used to wearing a headset to do a call and having a hands-free but as you're likely be calling from home anyway it's not really a big deal to just sit in front of your computer and do the call. Another reason that I like Skype is that it gives me great rates to almost anywhere in the world that I want to call to. When you buy a calling card often you'll get one that is good for your home country to your destination country only for example USA to England however if you try to use the same card to use USA to France you get a pretty brutal rate. Skype official website – free download and free calls and internet calls also if the person you're calling has a Skype account and the Skype software installed on their computer you can do free computer to computer voice and video calls. Cheers

Agree with the above post. Skype is a great way to keep in touch, both at home and abroad. Just open a Skype account, charge your account up -$10 US lasts me for months- and you are all set

[MJ]

I still have an account with skype but have been using yahoo messenger for the last year my calls to the US. While skype cost .021 a minute, yahoo charges .01. It may not matter in terms of pennies but I am sometimes on for 30 minutes to over an hour. The pennies add up. Of course, both provide toll free calls in the US. Yahoo's software appears to be more user friendly. I am surprised that skype hasn't lowered their rates to be more competitive.

Yahoo! Voice - Make Free and Low Cost Calls From Your PC

Hi Lance

MJ

[Bree]

Nice MJ - didn't even know that Yahoo had a calling service.

One thing I do like about Skype is the Pamela addon which allows me to do recordings of the calls that I do. Sometimes for work I need to interview people and the Pamela addon makes this dead simple.

Cheers.

[zxxxt]

I use Onesuite.com for all my long distance calls. Saves me a bunch compare when I use my local phone provider service.

Onesuite has voip feature too aside from the regular prepaid phone card service. Online access and pinless dialing makes it easier to use.

I only use Yahoo if I want to chat or voice chat with some that using Yahoo at the moment but if I want to talk to someone not using an internet then I use either Onesuite voip or Onesuite phone card.