Things to avoid when getting and using a phone card

March 25, 2010

Prepaid calling cards are great: they give you low rates, great line quality, plus you can easily use them from any phone. However, there are a few things you would better avoid when using prepaid phone cards. Usually, you'd be able to figure these things out on your own, as you go. But learning about these beforehand might save you a few pennies. So here's our top 3 things to avoid when using prepaid calling cards:

1. Small denomination calling cards ($2 cards)
If you get an offer promising hundreds of minutes for only 2 or 3 dollars, better go ahead and read the small print as well. This is a common fact with calling cards that are offered for purchase in stores, but can also happen with online calling cards. The catch is that those minutes are only available in one single call. So if you get a phone card promising to deliver let's say 300 minutes of talk time for only $2, and you use it to place a call of only 30 minutes, then that's that; you've used up the card. You cannot use the same card again, because it was designed to be used for just one call.

On the other hand, if you need a cheap calling card to place just one very long international phone call, then go ahead and get a card like this. However, there's no guarantee on the quality of your line (unless it comes from a trusted provider); so if the call drops after just 100 minutes, again - that's that. You can't dial again with the same card.

In all other cases, you're better off avoiding this kind of prepaid calling cards and just stick with the honest ones, offering more than decent rates and reliable service.

2. No customer support
When you're looking into getting a new calling card, make sure the provider can supply the necessary customer support. As far as customers have said, there's nothing worse than needing a refund or having some trouble using your product - and finding out there's no one to talk to! That's why it's best to pick a provider that will offer good, reliable customer support service.

Also, good customer support means a reliable company, which is fair on the market and has trust in its products. It's only worth buying from these kinds of companies.

3. Avoid public phones (or payphones)
Yes, public phones might be great when you need to make a quick call and have no phone at hand, or your cell phone's battery died. However, you might want to stay away from these while using your calling card. When using your prepaid phone card with a payphone, you will be charged an extra fee of up to $1 for every call you make. That's the charge the payphone companies are applying for use of their devices. However, this amount will be charge from the calling credit on YOUR phone card; and this only means you get less minutes for your international calls!

Taking into account these three things will help you have a more pleasant experience using our prepaid calling cards - and will also save you a few extra dollars.