Phone Cards FAQ - Frequently asked Questions

What is a prepaid phone card?
Prepaid phone cards are used to make long distance telephone calls, local as well as international calls. Phone cards are prepaid by the purchaser online with a credit card and offer the consumer the convenience of making long distance calls without using cash or telephone credit cards.

Calls are made by accessing the 1-800 (Toll Free) number on the carrier's connecting switch and are activated by using a Personal Identification Number (PIN). If you sign up online for your phone card you account number and pin are available immediately and you can be making calls within minutes of signing up.

The cards provide long distance minutes based upon the specific rates set by the carrier. As calls are made, the usable minutes are automatically deducted from the card balance, which is either recorded on the card itself or on a central computer through which the long distance calls are routed. Some cards are also re-chargeable, allowing the user to add more calling time by dialing a toll-free number or accessing a web site and using a major credit card.

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How do I use a phone card?
Each phone card has an access number and it's own PIN number. You are to call the access number and follow the voice instruction. You will be prompted for your pin number and the phone number you wish to dial. Generally, after you input the pin number, you will be told of the balance of your phone card.

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What is the best phone card?
That's a million dollar question!
All suppliers claim that they have the best cards, but that is not always the case.

General rule is the higher you pay per/minute the better the card is!

Avoid calling on Weekends as that is the time traffic is the highest.

New cards are always better because the customer base is small.

Some suppliers are exceptionally good.

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How long is my phone card good for?
Each phone card varies in when they expire. Some are 6 months, 90 days or 4 weeks from the first day of use. That's why it's important to read the disclaimer and terms section carefully before purchasing a phone card.

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Is there any extra fee when using calling cards from a pay phone or from privately owned phone networks?
Yes. Unfortunately some phone companies charge the phone card companies to use their phones, which is normally passed on to the consumer.

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What are the additional charges associated with Prepaid Phone Cards?
When you purchase a phone card, you need to pay attention to several common hidden charges, or the card can turn out to be a lot more costlier.

Following are some of the hidden charges associated with a phone card.

Connection Fee:
Also called first minute surcharge. It's charged when a telephone call is connected. It varies between 25 cents to as high as $3. The easiest way to evaluate whether a phone card with connection fee is worthwhile or not is to estimate the average time for your phone calls. If you make 10 mins calls, a card for 5 cents/min with $0.50 connection fee is actually more expensive than a card for 9 cents/min with no connection fee. It's better to use a phone card without connection fee if you are not sure the person you are calling is there, and the phone call may trigger an answer machine. Phone cards with high connection fee is good for the case when you know your party is there and you intend to talk for a long time.

Minutes Rounding:
This is the basic unit to record the length of your phone calls. Industry standard is one minute rounding, as in the case of your residential telephone services. Prepaid phone cards can be rounded to one, two, or even three minutes. If it rounded to 3 minutes, your 30 seconds or 2 minute phone call will be considered as 3 minute phone call and your 4, 5, 6 minute phone call will be considered as 6 mins phone call. So unless you are planning to talk for a longer time try to avoid using phone cards with more than one minute rounding.

Maintenance Fee:
Maintenance fee will be deducted from your phone card if there is still enough balance. It won't be charged on your credit card. Some phone cards will start to charge a maintenance fee either when the first phone call is connected or after the first phone call is finished. The maintenance fee can be charged every month, every two weeks, or every week.

So the Bottom line is read the fine lines very carefully before you make a purchase.

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This phone card used to work great for me. Why its quality is not as good as before?
This is a common issue with pre-paid phone cards, quality is usually good at the beginning when there isn't that many people using the phone card. Then the quality drops when the customer base grows bigger and bigger.

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What if I have a problem using my card?
Generally All the phone cards have a 24X7 customer service phone number. Call this number and you can get prompt, help (sometimes waiting is long). In addition, phone card support information is available at the Web site of the phone card supplier.

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Why are cellular rates using a Phone card so much higher?
Calling overseas to a cellular phone is more expensive because in all countries (other than the US and some countries), the calling party pays for the cellular service being used. In addition, the rates the cellular carriers charge long distance companies can change daily.

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What are the things you should know before buying a prepaid phone card?

Confirm the rate: How much are you paying for a minute of conversation time? Look for rates for both domestic and international calls. Don’t be swayed by advertisements!

Read about all the charges: Before you purchase the card, be sure to read the fine print about all the charges. These charges often include activation fees, access fees, weekly or monthly service fees, and additional charges for calling from a pay phone. Avoid buying prepaid phone cards that make no disclosures.

Do the math: After you have read all the fine print, do the math to figure out what you will actually be charged. The actual costs may be significantly higher than the advertised rates.

Is there a toll free customer service number? If you experience a problem, the number displayed on the card should be of assistance. Try calling the number before you purchase the card. A busy signal on the customer service line could be a tip off of problems to come.

Find out if there’s an expiration date on the card. Some firms issue cards without expiration dates, but many cards expire. You need to be sure the card you’re buying won’t expire within the time you plan to use it.

Ask around. You may have friends or relatives who have used the card. Some of the questions you might consider: Were they charged for a call when there was no answer or when the line was busy? Was there a minimum charge for each call? Was the access number not available because of a constant busy signal?

Buy a small denomination: If the carrier is a company you’ve never heard of, or you don’t know someone who can vouch for the card, buy a small denomination card first and see if you like the service.

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