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There are a variety of products for making cheap international calls from Canada. These vary from those that can be used from any phone, like phone cards, to those that require an INTERNET connection like PC-to-Phone or VOIP. Although, in many case, INTERNET based products offer good value, they also require the user to have access to the INTERNET. In many cases they also require the user to pay a monthly fee for services even if no international calls are made. That is why many international callers are still using high quality phone cards and other prepaid calling products that can be used from standard or mobile phones to make international calls from Canada. Many of these products offer high quality, low cost and ultimate flexibility.

One product that is gaining popularity for making international calls from Canada is Tel3Advantage. It was introduced in Canada a couple of years ago and has steadily gained popularity among those people who make frequent international calls. Tel3 offers the highest call quality and some of the lowest rates. It is also one product that can be used from multiple phones (home, business or mobiles) and it is very convenient to use. They provide callers with an on-line account where they can track usage and make changes to their accounts. They also provide 24/7 customer service. It is also one of the only companies in the industry that has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Tel3Advantage offers some of the lowest rates and they do not charge a monthly fee for maintaining an account. They also do not charge hidden fees to make up for low rates which is common practice in the phone card industry. Tel3 offers some of the cheapes rates in the industry on international calls. For example, international calls from Canada to the Australia are only 1.4 cents per minute while calls to the USA are only 0.9 cents per minute with Tel3. These rates are good for the first 30 days if a new customer opens an account using the Tel3Advantage Triple Bonus offer. Tel3 makes these offers to entice people to try their service because they know that most customers will continue to use the service beyond the bonus period. Tel3Advantage is one of the most popular prepaid calling plans in North America because they offer high quality, low rates and some of the best customer service in the industry.

Science and technology has helped a lot in improving communication among people. After using old-fashioned telephones for communication, we are now witnessing rapid developments in telecommunication; one example is the arrival of VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol.

Today, with the ready availability of high-speed air transport, members of numerous families are scattered all over the globe. Not long ago, making calls to loved ones abroad was a very expensive affair. Many had to sacrifice communication for fear of spending large sums of money on phone calls. However, now with VoIP, you can talk cost-effectively with your family members wherever they live.

You can get VoIP services free if you are willing to put up with call restrictions and other inconveniences. If you would like a more customized and convenient option, you can register with a VoIP service provider offering low cost call rates. There are there are several websites that offer VoIP phone service, phone cards and other options for making cheap international phone calls. There is a variety of VoIP service providers with offering different packages so there is likely one to fit every need. To become a VoIP subscriber, you need to register online with these websites.

The following website provides information on VoIP phone services and information on other International Calling options:

Smart Global Call - This website provides information on cheap international calling options so it is a good source of information. They cover everything from phone cards to VoIP and PC-to-Phone services involving the internet.

The advantage of using VoIP services for cheap international calls is that it has made it possible to make calls for very minimal rates and even free with some service providers. To make free calls to a person, you should use your computer to call his/her computer. To do this, both you and the person at the other end will need a computer with a broadband Internet connection, a headset, along with an account with a service provider like Skype, MSN, yahoo etc.

Despite the advantages of VoIP, there are also some disadvantages. For example, you will need a high-speed INTERNET connection and the phone will not work if the INTERNET service is down. The international calling rates also vary a lot between countries and between VoIP service providers. Be sure and research plans so you can find the one with the best rates to the countries you call the most. Some VoIP providers also require long-term contracts and other commitments so be aware of these since some have penalties for early cancellations. Despite these small inconveniences, most people can save a lot of money by using VoIP. Especially if they already have a high-speed INTERNET connection.

There are various VoIP plans to choose from. You will have to pay a fixed subscription fee based on the package selected but these are low compared to similar service packages from the traditional phone companies. Each scheme covers a particular number of countries, so you can select the scheme based on the countries you want to call. And there is no chance of exorbitant billing as far as you stick to the countries that you have picked.

Most VoIP service plans include an array of other features at no additional cost. They typically include features like voice mail, call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID etc. With so many consumer friendly features, VoIP is indeed a better option compared to the usual land-line telephones. No wonders more and more people are going for VoIP communication. So, if you are searching for a cheap international calling option, it is as simple as finding a VoIP service provider that suits your requirements and you will never again have to worry about inflated telephone bills.

For anyone who’s traveled abroad for a significant period of time, the challenge of maintaining cost-effective communications back home is well-known. Despite the growth of global communications over the last decade, cellular networks are still nationally-based, resulting in high roaming surcharges when using cell phones abroad. While Voice-over-IP options are available, it can be difficult to get a wireless connection on demand. As a result, a growing number of global travelers are turning to international calling cards in order to lower their costs of inter-continental communications.

Understand the Cost Implications of International Calls from Your Hotel Room

While it may seem like placing a calling card call from one’s hotel room is a good option, there may be surcharges and connection fees which make it an excessive expensive way to make an international call. Check with the concierge at your hotel in regards to outbound international call rates before dialing up with your calling card.

Look for a Card with a Toll-Free Access Number

In order to connect with a pre-paid card service, you, generally, have to call an intermediary number. Seek out a card that allows a toll-free access number to limit your initial, access costs on the call.

Check the Reach of the Card Before Buying Once Domestically

All too often, global travelers will buy an international calling card at home, only to later realize that out-bound calls can only be made from their country of origin. Check into the restrictions and limits on any card before you make a final purchase decision.

Find a Solution for In-Bound Calls

Calling cards generally only provide a means to make out-bound calls, while not allowing for incoming calls at a discounted rate. As a result, make sure that anyone who needs to contact you from abroad has an e-mail address or hotel phone number through which they can contact you directly.

Compare Fees on International Calling Cards

Resist the temptation to make your purchasing decisions on the basis of the stated “per minute” fee alone, as most cards have different gradients of fees and expenses outside of the standard call rate. In particular, compare the bottom line price of calling after factoring in base cost, access fees and “maintenance” fees that may issuers levy on callers.

Maya Richard is a content writer, primarily blogging about Comcast deals.

A good thing to keep in mind when shopping for a phone card or other prepaid calling product is to think about how you plan to use it. Many phone cards have a limited number of local access numbers and charge extra when using a toll free access number. The extra charge for using toll free access can be 1 cent per minute or more. This may not sound like much money, but if you are calling a location that only costs 2 or 3 cents per minute to call, it is a significant additional charge. In order to avoid additional charges, shop for a phone card that has a local access number in the area where you plan to use the card. This may be from your home or it may be in cities you plan to visit while you are traveling. It is very important to check for access numbers if you are planning to use the phone card while traveling overseas since, in general, phone cards only have access numbers in specific countries. For international phone cards it is easy to use a search tool to find cards that have access numbers in all of the countries you plan to visit. Just visit an on-line phone card website and use the search tool to find a phone card that has access numbers in the countries you plan to visit. You will likely be able to find a phone card that will work from all of the locations you plan to visit.

In the USA it is not so easy since many phone cards only have local access numbers in large cities or they may be concentrated in specific regions of the country. One of the great features of Tel3Advantage is that it has a very wide network of local access numbers in the USA and Canada. They have local access that can be used from most small towns or suburbs which makes it a great product to use for making low cost domestic or international long distance calls while traveling in the USA or Canada. There are phone cards that have a similarly wide network of access numbers or do not charge for toll free access but these are less common.

Be sure and check for phone card access before making a purchase. This simple tip may save you a hassle and will likely save you money.

Most people understand that they use phone cards by dialing an access number which by-passes their high cost carrier in order to make low cost domestic or international long distance calls. Phone card users also know that they will usually pay a higher rate than the per-minute rate advertised because of so called hidden fees and taxes. What a lot of people don’t realize is that these hidden fees vary significantly between phone card suppliers, can take on different forms and, in some cases, they can be hard to spot when making a purchase and be just plain “tricky”. We don’t like these marketing practices and feel that hidden fees should be fully disclosed by phone card marketer’s in an understandable manner so a consumer will truely understand what it will cost to make a call. Therefore, we try to uncover and explain these “tricks” when we find them so consumers can spot them when making a purchase. A case in point is a “connection fee”.

As the name implies, a connection fee is a fee charged when a call is connected. Most phone card companies do not charge a connection fee these days but we found one major marketer (PennyTalk) that still charges a connection fee. When using these cards a caller will be charged a per-minute rate plus a connection fee for each call. PennyTalk advertises that international calls cost as little as 2 cents per minute but they also charge a $0.49 connection fee for each call and a 99 cent monthly service charge for each account. The connection fee may not sound very high but consider the following. If a 25 minute call is made from the USA to Germany the cost will be 50 cents (2 cents per minute) plus a 49 cent connection fee so the total cost will be 99 cents or almost 4 cents per minute. This is not cheap for a call from the USA to Germany these days. The same call made with a high quality phone card will cost between 1.5 and 2.5 cents per-minute and Tel3Advantage (prepaid long distance) only charges 1.5 to 3 cents per minute. So, in this case, the advertised 2 cent per-minute rate is one-half the actual charge and is deceptive. To be fair, PennyTalk includes a toll free access number at no additional charge but the other providers have a wide network of local access numbers that are also free.

Another problem with a connection fee is that it is charged for each call connected. It is fairly common for international calls to be disconnected during a long conversation and the connection fee will be charged everytime the number is redialed and connected. It will also be charged if the wrong number is dialed and connected or if the party being called is not available and the phone is answered. In other words, a seemingly small connection fee can add significant cost to the calls actually completed with a prepaid calling product. For this reason, we suggest consumers should not purchase a prepaid calling product that charges a connection fee.  Visit Prepaid Calling Blog to learn about phone card hidden fees and other tricks.