Calling cards: Tips for using your international phone cards

"Money saving tips for using your calling cards and international phone cards; save between 50%-70% with your phone cards"

Here are Edith's best tips to using your international phone cards.
Note: Email is the cheapest way to communicate with your folks in Belize, we ourselves save a lot of money by emailing to Belize. If you are not already doing this you are loosing a lot of money. However, for those times when only a long distance phone call will do (e.g. your folk in Belize don't have email or for Mother's Day or at Xmas time) we recommend the following tips when using an international phone card.

Look for a calling card that doesn't charge a connection fee or monthly fee, or tax. Fees take away minutes from your calling card. You can still take advantage of the low rates on these cards by using them up in "one lick" to avoid loosing minutes.
Try to use your phone card up in one or two long calls. Why? Because minutes are rounded off, so too many calls on one card adds up quickly or should I say takes away from your balance. Also, some cards do not charge an initial connection fee, but some cards will after you use the card after two or more times.


Do you want to keep your calling card for longer without loosing minutes in the form of fees? People who love to chat for endless hours (and that is now possible with calling card rates getting cheaper every day) with their folks in Belize usually buy the cards with the cheapest rate and use up their cards in one long call, so they don't have to pay a weekly or maintenance fee. However, you want to keep your card longer and not pay any additional fees while you keep your card. For your situation, you need to buy a card that doesn't have any maintenance, weekly, or other fees. You will pay a higher rate/min but in the long run you still save because minutes (in the form of fees) aren't being taken away from your card while you sleep. Do remember that most cards expire in 90 days.
Don't use your calling card at a pay phone. If you can, call from home instead because payphones have a surcharge (about 50 cents). Of course this doesn't apply if you are at the airport trying to reach Belize.
When you buy your card online choose delivery method by email vs. postal mail. Why? Because there will be a shipping charge added for postal mail (about $2). Email delivery is free.
If you plan on visiting Belize you can save money by buying a Belize to USA card. The only drawback is that in Belize these international phone cards can only be used at payphones and from hotels and not from residences. Also when you visit Belize don't burden your folks there with a high phone bill. You can now buy your own prepaid phone cards in Belize.
If you order online be sure to create an account. The advantage is that you will not have to re-enter all your info every time you return to buy more cards. Don't forget your username and password.
Most people will want to use up their phone cards down to the last minute and we are no exception. Let your party on the other end know that you are using a phone card, therefore, "just in case" you run out of minutes before you can say goodbye, then tell them 'bye ahead of time and "just in case" you do get disconnected then let them know ahead of time, that you will call again some other time. I mention this because while some cards will let you know ahead of time when there's only one minute left on your card, but some other cards won't.
Don't use your international phone cards for domestic long distance. Why? Because your international card is optimized for international need and may not have the best rate for domestic long distance. Instead, use a pre-paid long distance card with the best rate for your particular situation.
If you have a great way of saving on your international calls to Belize and would like to share it, email your tips to us.

What is rounding?
Some calling cards round to the nearest second, minute, others 3 minutes etc. Rounding means they measure your talk time in increments. For example if a card is advertising 3 min rounding and you talk for 1 minute the telecom company will round up to 3 minutes and charge your card for 3 minutes of talk time. If you talk for 5 minutes the company will round up to 6 minutes and take away 6 minutes from your card, if you talk for 20 min the Telecom company will take away 21 minutes from your card and if you talk for 12 minutes they wont take away any additional minutes because 12 minutes is an exact increment of 3. The lower the rounded minutes or seconds the better the value of the pre-paid calling card.

International Calling Cards - Breaking Boundaries

With the advent of calling cards, it's easier to be in touch with the relatives and friends living abroad. These cards are simply a pre-paid card and could be easily bought from different online shopping portals. The international long distance calls are proving to be far cheaper than ever before and credit goes to varied impressive phone cards by reliable companies. Before selecting any phone card check the phone rates, reliability, hidden fees, rollover minutes and quality of call offered by the calling card providers.

Domestic as well as international calling cards ensure cost-effective and hassle-free communication over IP network. These cards support VoIP technology and are applicable in making calls to different countries. Order for phone cards according to your requirements or choose from the varied ranges available online. Save money by comparing tariff plans and rates quoted by different phone card providers. Enjoy the exquisite features like voice mails, ID caller and 3 way conferencing by generating and managing the PINS numbers.

Go for cheap calling cards, if needed for few weeks. Look for the best rates and deals by different companies and add more minutes, depending upon your needs. Best ones serve both domestic and international customers and are applicable in cellular and land-line based phones. After you have used the number of minutes, you can go for other calling cards. You can also add minutes to the existing card by recharging.

When you are going for buy cards, see if there are hidden fees to the rate per minute. Especially see the total cost per minute. The international long distance call rates are getting cheaper day by day with several competitors offering smoother connectivity on fiber optic cable networks. Browse online shopping portals and find all sorts of calling cards with attractive discounts. By a single click of a mouse, receive your PIN number, manage accounts and recharge your phone card.

Fletcher Mak is the author of this article. You can get more information about international calling cards and other fax machine. review some home telephones.

Why Teenagers Prefer Prepaid Phone Cards

Communication is very important in our world today. One could never imagine living without a mobile or landline phone. In the past, the sole means of communication was through writing letters. But today, communication has improved and has expanded even more. Even the way we make calls are given an option these days. Through prepaid phone cards, we are able to make calls locally or globally. What's even better is we get them at incredibly low prices!

Today, teenagers are considered to be the constant customers of prepaid phone cards. It was known that youngsters use these cards more than the adults do. To know why, read the sections below and get some answers.

Prepaid Phone Cards Are Convenient To Use

Teenagers, being adolescents, prefer to pay ahead of time rather than wait long lines. Because prepaid cards are actually "PRE-PAID", they are not obliged to line up every month to pay for monthly dues. Prepaid phone cards are more convenient for teenagers and thus become their reason of using them.

Cheaper Call Rates

Making calls with prepaid phone cards a lot cheaper compared to using postpaid lines. Because teenagers are on a tight budget, they prefer using these cards to avoid any monthly obligations. They buy prepaid phone cards when they have the money and avoid using them if they're running out of finances. Prepaid phone cards actually give them the option to save more. Because they offer the cheapest call rates, your tight budget can definitely afford these cards.

Availability And Accessibility Reasons

Prepaid phone cards are also very accessible. They are found in many shopping malls and can be bought from several shops. At times, prepaid phone cards can be bought from machines situated in streets, parking lots, and many other places. Since teenagers visit different spots each day, they prefer the type of communication that's easily accessible.

Quick And Easy Instructions

Teenagers - let's all face it -- have the tendency to become more impatient than the adults. For this reason, products or practices that are quick and easy are always acceptable. Since prepaid phone cards provide easy instructions and quick to use services, they are preferred by many teenagers.

Almost all prepaid phone cards have standard instructions too. Meaning, a card's instruction may look almost as similar as the previous one you have bought. So even if a teenager uses several prepaid phone card brands or types, beginning to use them would be an easy task because of familiarity with the instructions.

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Phone Cards - Tips and Hints

Shopping around for a new calling card is not an easy task. Firstly there are so many providers that tout rates as low as 1 cent/minute and other such wonderful rates, and secondly there is simply so much choice how do you know what is good and what is bad?

Here, at InternationalCallingCard.com we provide you with the information you need to mak an informed decision about which calling card is best for you.

Tip #1 - If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is!
When you start searching for a card, you will see adverts for rates as low as 1 cent/minute to destinations around the world. If you see this, be cautious as rates this low are too good to be true.

Tip #2 - Check the Connection Charges
Always look at the "more information" or "more detail" links on websites to see what the other charges there are. One of the most common charges is a connection or disconnection charge which will deduct anything from 10 cents to a few dollars simply for connecting or disconnecting the call. Be careful!

Tip #3 - Check for other hidden charges
Some cards have other hidden charges such as monthly or weekly service fees, or maintenance fees. These fees can range from a few cents a week to a few dollars a week depending on the card - and before you know it you balance is wiped out without even making a call

Tip #4 - What billing increments does the card use?
The billing increments is the timescale you are billed at when you make calls. The best increment to get is per second billing or per minute billing - both of these will stop you being billed for time you have not used. If you have a card that offers 3 minute or 5 minute billing, be aware! For example, if you have a card that offer 3 minute billing, and you use only 1 minute on a call then you will still be billed for 3 minutes!

Tip #5 - When does the card expire?
Some cards will have an expiry date on it, so once you have passed that date the card is dead and it cannot be used anymore. Try to look for a card that never expires, so you can use your minutes when you want to!

Tip #6 - Look for added features
The sign of a good calling card is one that offers other features apart from just the usual calling service. These features could include online account management, speed dial, voicemail, etc... If a provider has taken the time to add these services, it can often be a sign they have a very strong, solid product.

Tip #7 - Email them!
If you see a calling card you like, send the company an email to see firstly how quickly they respond and secondly to check that the website has a real person behind it - you will be surprised how many websites are not attended to regularly!

We hope these tips will help you to locate a great calling card - if you do have any further questions please email them to helo2talk@yahoo.com

Why Prepaid Phone Cards Can Cut Your Phone Bill In Half

Using a prepaid phone card offers many advantages over more traditional calling means with consumers "jumping on board the bandwagon" and making the switch.

Going online has opened up even more avenues for shoppers to save. STi phonecards have been one of the online trendsetters, not just offering a prepaid phone card service but also excellent advice in purchasing cards online. If you are still "a little wet behind the ears" when it comes to using prepaid cards then the following tips will give you plenty of reason to switch from more expensive traditional methods.

Advantages Of Prepaid Phone Cards

- You can save a lot of money using phone cards. Phone bills can be cut by up to 50%. Companies such as STi Phone Card suggest the saving can be up to 80%.

- Prepaid phone cards are excellent as a means of saving on long distance and overseas calls. Whether for travellers who find them convenient, especially from hotels or simply calling from home, then costs can be cut significantly.

- People migrating to other countries can now stay in touch with family and friends much more cheaply today than 20 years ago.

- Prepaid phone cards eliminate the need to use money, particularly handy when you don't have any change and need to make a call urgently.

Are there any disadvantages? Sure, but these are few and far between. With some cards there may be hidden costs associated with phoning from public places such as hotels. Generally, you have a time limit on how long you can use your phone card. In most instances, cards will expire after three months. Balance transfer of minutes left is also usually disallowed.

Finding A Reputable Company

The phone card industry was rife with unscrpulous operators several years ago however, tighter security restrictions have helped clean it up significantly. It's strongly advised to stick with the major players when you go online. Bigger operators such as STi Phone Cards have strong security controls and stricy privacy policies.

Check a sites recommendations. Scan the web page and look for security seals and recommendations such as from the Better Business Bureau. The more you find the better the signs are the company is on the level.

It's a big plus if a company has a live customer support base. It's even better if you can get to them right away and 24 hours a day. Avoid dealing with email only companies and if you do, send them an email and and look for a response within 24 hours.

Hidden Costs

Watch out for hidden costs. This is the biggest issue with prepaid phone cards and one where many people have difficulty with. Always ask and always get it in writing. I know reading terms and conditions is mundane and boring but they are there for a reason and usually, any extra costs with a card were clearly listed in the terms and conditions.

Prepaid phone cards will save you money in the long run but perform a little due diligence initially and you'll have a happy experience using them.

Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. Find out why you should stick with established companies like STi Phone Card when shopping for prepaid phone cards. Plus read the latest news and reviews at:http://www.phonecardsinter.com