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Phone
Cards
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.
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