If you travel, have family or friends who live overseas or in another state you might find keeping in touch with a long distance calling card an advantage. You can use a calling card almost anywhere in the world. You are not tied down by a service on a specific land line or service carrier. There are some things to look for when comparing cards:

Card Name or Brand – not necessarily relevant except that it is a way to remember the card and keep track of your favorite brand

Connection Fees – this is a fee that is charged for each call your make and merchants may give it another name

Service Fees – are sometimes referred to as taxes but that is really not an appropriate name. These fees are applied at the end of a call and are a percentage fee. If you do not use up all your available minutes on the card you should consider this part of the cost per minute rate when selecting between cards.

Maintenance Fees – are charged weekly, bi-weekly or monthly and deducted from the cards balance. If a card has a high maintenance fee they generally offer lower rates per minute and will be of value if you plan to make many calls in a short time.

Rate – the is the per minute charge that is subtracted from the card when you place a call to a destination.

Rounding – used in calculating the cost of international calls. Look for the lower rounding as it is in your favor. For example, if the rounding is one minute – a 2 minute 10 second call will cost the same as a 2 minute 50 second call; a three minute rounding will mean a 9 minute 25 second call costs the same as an 11 minute 55 second call.

Rechargeable – this allows you to purchase more time or credit without obtaining a new pin number.

Pin numbers – and the access code you need to use your cards minutes

There are many cards available for you to choose from. Some offer preferred rates for certain calling areas, others offer permanent pin numbers or pinless calling and prepaid and non-rechargeable cards are some options to choose from.

Calling cards are found in gas stations as well as online. Look for promotions that are offered to find the best deal. Offers of free minutes if you complete a form or survey can give you a good deal more value for your money. If you know someone in an area that you are going to be doing a good deal of calling to you should get their recommendations.

Treat your calling card like cash or a credit card and keep them safe. As they are the same as cash or a credit card they are subject to theft and fraud. Ensure that you keep your account and pin numbers in a separate area.

Whether you are on a business trip or on vacation a calling card comes in handy if you need to call long distance.

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You might be surprised to know that the first phone card was introduced in 1976 in Italy due to a shortage of coins available for pay phones. Cards had a magnetic strip that was inserted into the pay phone and calls were places. After thirty years advancements in cards includes the use of smart chips instead of the magnetic strips. By 1992 most phone companies offered phone cards of their own and by 2000 phone cards became available almost anywhere. You can purchase phone cards at gas stations, groceries, and post offices and on the internet.
Pay as you go is the cheapest way to go if you don’t use it too much. Services can be provided for local and international calling with different rates and plans available. When purchasing a plan you need to be sure it suits your needs.
Phone cards are offered through many providers from AT&T to a multitude of online companies. All have different charges and fees and you need to be sure that there are not hidden surprises in charges in service, maintenance or connection fees. Most cards charge a rate per minute or a per call fee.
When looking at the different cards and plans and review all the charges prior to making your purchase. Some cards have low surcharges but high call rates. Comparing all the fees and knowing how you are going to use the calls or minutes will help you in making a good choice.

You have the use of phone cards around the clock for any phone you have access to use. They are slim and handy to carry in your wallet. They are just like cash and you need to treat them as such. It is easy to misplace these cards due to their small size.

Look out for scams and fraud associated with phone cards. Do not give out your card information out and look out for companies who charge more or have hidden fees.

There are many choices available that allow you to use your phone card for long distance and international calling. There are many different rates that apply to international calls and all phone cards make clear what their rates are for the different countries or regions. You can find cards that offer better rates if you know you are only going to call one specific country or geographic location.

When choosing a phone card you should determine if using it will save you money and allow you the access to call where you need to call. Be sure to check for expiration dates and some cards allow you to add funds to continue to use the same numbers and pins.

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