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Collect
calls, credit card calls, third-party calls - history. The
easiest, simplest, and most importantly cheapest way to
make calls while on the road is by using a phone card.
Why?
- No more pumping unfamiliar coins into a machine - Eliminate
or reduce exorbitant hotel surcharges - No more collect,
operator-assisted, and third-party hassles and surcharges
- Less expensive
- You know what you're paying - often just picking up a
receiver can patch you to a price gouging reseller
When?
You can use a calling card at any time; many people have
found that the competition and price-cutting in calling
card rates is so fierce that it pays to use them exclusively
for any long distance calls, including from their home!
(Others opt to pay a little more so not to be bothered with
the long strings of access codes all the time.) On the road,
however, there are times when a calling card is your very
best option.
During Hotel Stays
In Costa Rica, for example, a local call from a payphone
or using a phone card could cost you up to 20 times more
from your resort hotel. A recent visitor to Orlando made
three brief calls to her home in New Jersey from her hotel
room without using a calling card. Cost: $65!
Most hotels apply exorbitant surcharges to both local and
toll calls. In the case of local calls, they usually charge
a flat fee for each call; for toll calls, they often charge
a percentage of the cost of the call.
When Traveling Internationally
A pass through the guidebooks answers this question unanimously:
always. The vagaries of long distance billing here at home
are complicated enough; add to this government vs. free
market issues, language barriers, unfamiliar currency, extreme
variance in communications infrastructure, and plain old
ease of use, and the calling card is almost a must-have
when traveling internationally.
A pass through the better guidebooks can offer considerable
assistance in this area. You can find quite a bit of information
in the Basics section for many countries at roughguides.com.
When Traveling Domestically
Even in the United States, using your credit card at a pay
phone can be risky business. Many long distance resellers
pay for the right to service public phones, then charge
exorbitant surcharges that you might easily know nothing
about at the time you place your call.
Which Type Card?
There are numerous card types:
Prepaid cards are usually for a set amount or number of
minutes: $20 worth of calls, or 100 minutes. In these cases,
you either swipe the card, or punch in an access code, and
the card is valid until your money or time runs out.
In some locations, you'll find multiple card types - one
that can be swiped, and others with dialing codes.
Standard, or non-prepaid cards are billed to a credit card
or your calling card account, and require a PIN number.
There can be slightly greater risk when using these cards,
as if someone swipes your PIN number, they can use your
card at will without limit, at least until you discover
the number has been stolen.
Standard cards are usually available from your telephone
company, your company, or come with your long distance service.
Swipe cards
The upside of using these cards is time saved; no need to
enter a string of dozens of numbers every time you make
a call. The downside is that they often can't be used on
all phones, but only on those phones serviced by a specific
phone company. If you are going to be in one place for a
while, or using a specific phone, these work well, and save
you time.
Dialing Codes
In almost all cases, I buy only dial-code cards; they are
more versatile, and I don't have to go scrounging around
for a telephone that accepts my swipe card.
Which Card to Buy?
Especially stateside, this issue is complicated by the sheer
abundance of calling card companies. Our advice: buy from
a reputable, well-known company or outlet, or from a vendor
you trust. Additionally, you can choose from prepaid or
standard (non-prepaid) calling cards.
It's worth some investigation: take a look at Compare-Phone-Rates.com
or http://longdist.net/
for a neat comparison application. (Note that these folks
are in the business of selling phone cards, so let the buyer
beware.)
Overseas, you may find your choices are limited. If you
understand the rate system, and it looks reasonable, you're
likely okay. In many places, it's worth doing a little comparison
shopping.
In Russia, for example, you'll want to use phones and buy
cards that are run by the city phone network, some private
companies charge much more than the government does for
using their phones and phone systems.
On the Internet
There are literally thousands of calling card offers on
the Web. One that looks interesting, and offers abundant
freedom of choice, is http://www.affordablechoices.com/
The Big Guys
Typically, the large telcos (Sprint, AT&T, MCI) charge
similar rates; their prepaid cards usually come in substantially
cheaper than their standard calling card rates. However,
many calling card offers beat the big guys by quite a bit
on price. Shop around!
Here are links to the big guys:
- AT&T prepaid cards
- Sprint prepaid calling cards
- MCI Worldcom card
Keeping Time
Most reputable card companies will tell you how much you
have used at the beginning and end of each call, and many
phones will count down the remaining time on your card on
a digital clock on the phone itself.
Free Calling Cards
Credit card companies, phone companies, football teams,
airlines, hotels, Web sites, you name it; all have offered
free calling cards to customers at some point. Keep your
eyes open for these deals.
Where to Buy Phone Cards
Many phone cards can be found in airport dispensing machines,
which often take only cash, so you may need some local currency
first.
Also, convenience stores, newsstands, and small local shops
in or near train stations, airports, or a bank of phones
often carry phone cards. In Spain, for example, you'll find
them in tobacco shops; in Australia, at food stands and
in machines; in Russia, at newsstands (kiosks) and in post
offices.
Countless cards are also available on the Web; again, be
sure to buy from reputable vendors with clear price information,
including minimums, service charges, and other hidden restrictions.
Also, we've seen cases where disreputable dealers will sell
used cards, then claim you don't know how to use them and
refuse a refund. This is an unusual circumstance, but again,
buyer beware.
Read the Fine Print
A traveler we know learned the hard way about a condition
of her calling card plan with one of the Big Guys. If she
dialed "0" and the number, then put in her calling
card code for payment, she was billed up to $9/minute! Only
if she dialed 1-800-225-5288 (you've seen the commercials)
did she get the advertised $0.30/minute rate.
Additional Considerations
Many phone cards allow you to dial several numbers in a
single "session;" listen to the options or read
card directions to determine if this is available. This
can save you money in some cases. For example, if a hotel
charges a single, one-time surcharge for you to call the
calling card company's 800 number, and you can make several
calls in that single calling card session, you save big.
Certain phone cards are also "rechargeable;" that
is, you can buy more minutes when you run out without having
to change access codes, PIN numbers, etc. This can be especially
helpful when using the card for Internet access, as you
will not need to type a new access code into your modem
dialing strings.
"Collect Them All!"
One interesting offshoot of the boom in phone cards is their
new status as collectibles. Many calling cards are decorated
with regional, national, event-specific, or other interesting
imagery. This is not our bailiwick, but some folks have
a deep interest in this element of the biz, and we thought
it worth mentioning. |
**Companies
or websites listed above are for reference only.
We do not endorse them or make any promises about their services.**
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