How to Choose a Calling Card?

Phone card market is full of calling card companies that offer their products at different rates and conditions. Although prepaid calling cards are a cheap way of making phone calls there are a lot of opportunities to reduce you expenses on phone calls by choosing the right types of calling cards. At the same time all the benefits you might reach will be cross out in case of a scam or fraud.

There are several issues you should pay attention to when choosing a phone card.

The first thing you should do is to ensure that you buy a calling card at a reliable calling card company. It's your calling card company that determines your calling rates and the fees you are charged with. But sometimes the company that sells you a phone card is not the telecommunication company that provides phone service. The you should know both the name of the seller and the name of telecommunication company that is responsible for phone services.

You can face unexpected troubles while using your phone card and then you will need to contact your calling card company. What are you going to do? For that purpose you should know the local number or the toll-free number that allows reaching the companies office and getting technical assistance.

When buying a calling card ask for instructions how to activate and use the phone card.

Local calling rates are usually the same at different calling card companies but the cost of international calls vary greatly. Rate comparison will give you an opportunity to choose international calling cards with best calling rates.

Calling cards may have the expiration date – calling cards are only valid during a specified period of time (3 month, 6 month, etc). If you are not sure that you will use the card till the expiration date buy a phone card with a lower face value.

Find out whether calling cards you buy have additional charges and fees. There must be a balance between additional fees and the calling rates. Connect charges are paid after you are connected to the party you are calling. If you are to make long calls but not multiple short phone calls you can buy phone cards that have low calling rates but include connection fees. You may also be charged with service fees that are taken monthly, twice a week or monthly. Find out whether service fees are deducted form your prepaid calling card balance at the beginning of the month or at the end. Try to use the calling card before the date when service fees are taken off.