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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.
Back to Travel Tips Menu
**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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