What You Are Paying For With a Calling Card

Calling cards are considered to be one of the most convenient and cheapest methods of making phone calls including international phone calls as international calling cards are available. Still calling rates can vary from calling card company to calling card company and comparing different calling rates you will be able to save on your phone calls.

Prepaid calling cards are purchased with a certain amount of currency value in it. When you need to make a phone call you enter a PIN code written on your phone card and then you can dial the place of destination. Long distance calling cards are designed to make phone calls to remote places. Thus the first thing you pay for is the cost of the phone call itself that depends on the place of destination and calling rates charged by your calling card company.

However phone cards include hidden charges and fees. If calling card companies declare they have the lowest calling rates that does not necessarily mean that you will pay less. Calling card company may low down the cost of the phone call itself but raise the charged fees to get some profit. Therefore you should be aware that the advertised price does not always coincide with what you are paying for. Hidden charges of calling cards increase the actual sum you pay.

There are several additional fees that can be charged by your calling card company:

Surcharge is a fee added to the per-minute rate. The percentage added as a surcharge is different for various phone cards.

Connection fee is a flat amount of money that is deducted from your prepaid phone card account after you are connected to the place of destination.

Maintenance fee is the amount that is deducted from your calling card balance periodically notwithstanding whether you use the card or not. For instance if the calling card has the maintenance fee of 30 cents per week you will pay 30 cents per week even if you do not use your phone card at all.

Service Charge is a specified fee deducted from your prepaid calling card balance after a specified phone call duration

Rounding charge is a fee that you are charged with in case your phone calls are billed in certain blocks (blocks of 2, 3, 5 or whatever minutes).

International calling cards have the same hidden charges as local calling cards or long distance calling cards. Besides international phone cards have different calling rates according to the place of destination and the actual distance between you and the party you are calling is not the only factor that determines calling rates.