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The UK is one of the most popular calling destinations from the USA and Canada. It is also one of the lowest cost destinataions. It is relatively easy to find an international prepaid calling plan or high quality phone card with rates of 1 or 2 cents per-minute on calls from North America to UK land-lines but cell phones are another mater. Typical rates on calls to UK cell phones range from 10 cents per-minute to 25 cents per-minute or more. Even Vonage World, which boasts free calls to the UK, lists a 28 cent per-minute rate on calls to UK cell phones. Not exactly free, especially when one adds in taxes and other fees.

We have done some research and found that there are some options for making cheap calls to UK cell phones. It appears that the best options involve the use of prepaid phone cards or other prepaid calling products. One option is Tel3Advantage which charges only 10.5 cents per-minute (triple promo rate) on calls from the USA or Canada to cell phones in the UK. Tel3advantage does not charge added fees or taxes so this is an all inclusive rate if a local access number is used to place the call. Another good option is the Simply international phone card. It lists a rate of 11.4 cents per-minute but it does charge service and maintenance fees so all costs should be taken into account when making a decision.

These are both good options for making cheap calls to UK cell phones which could save callers a significant amount of money over the holiday season.

Many people want to make cheap international calls to cell phones and there are several options available today. The best or cheapest option depends on several factors so one option is not the best for every caller. Things like the location of the caller, the destination called and the type of phone the caller intends to use (land line, INTERNET or cell phone) are all important factors to consider when shopping for the international service. Most people are looking for an option that is high quality, cheap and convenient to use so we reviewed the pros and cons of a few popular options. These included two International VoIP calling plans, a PC-to-Phone service, a popular prepaid long distance phone service and a high quality phone card. The results of our review are presented below.

Several VoIP service providers now advertise that they include free international calls to several countries with their phone service. Vonage and Lingo offer two of the most popular VoIP services. In most cases, the free calls included with these plans are to landlines not cell phones, as shown later; in most cases, international calls to cell phones are not cheap with these plans. Vonage indicates that they include free calls to 60 countries with their new Vonage World plan and Lingo advertises that free calls to 75 countries are included with their Lingo World Max service. Vonage charges around $32.60 per month (including taxes and fees) for their service and Lingo charges about $31 per month (including fees and taxes). In addition to the monthly service fees, users also need to pay for a high-speed INTERNET connection so neither service is actually free. Both calling plans also require a service contract (Lingo requires 2 years and Vonage requires 1 year) and charge an early termination fee if a customer chooses to stop using the service, so they are not a convenient option for short-term users. However, both phone services are good quality and one of them may be a good deal for those who want low cost home phone service and the ability to make frequent international calls to one or more of the countries covered by their plans.

Skype offers a very popular personal computer based phone service. It can be used to make free PC-to-PC calls worldwide so it is very popular with students, international business travelers and expats living around the world. Skype can also be used as a PC-to-Phone service where users can make calls to landlines or cell phones from their PC but there is a fee for this service. As shown later, Skype PC-to-Phone rates are not that cheap and Skype is not a very convenient option since calls are made from a PC so we believe there are better and cheaper options for making international calls to cell phones.

Prepaid long distance is another option so we examined the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan, which is one of the most popular prepaid plans in North America. It can be used to make cheap long distance calls from any phone (cell, home, business or pay phone) in Canada and the USA. It is a popular service for making cheap international calls because it is convenient to use, offers some of the lowest rates and does not require a monthly fee or contract.

We wanted to compare the above options with the rates offered by a high quality phone card so we chose the Continental Phone Card. It can be used to make cheap calls from over 60 countries and is one of the most versatile phone cards on the market. It has low fees relative to other phone cards but it does charge a 15% tax (surcharge) on calls so we include this in the per-minute rates listed in the Table below. The continental card is a virtual phone card that can be used from any kind of phone. Customers get a free on-line account where they can monitor activity and make changes to their account so it is a viable long or short-term option.

We have summarized the rates charged each minute for calls originating from the USA using the options listed above in the following table. We randomly selected a variety of popular destinations in order to compare rates to different regions of the world. Note that Tel3Advantage offers rates that are similar to phone cards on calls to cell phones in most locations while both VoIP service providers and Skype charge significantly higher rates.

We find that many people are interested in finding ways to save money on international mobile phone calls. It is now possible to make cheap international mobile phone calls from nearly any country. We have listed three of these options below. One nice thing about these options is that they can be used with any existing service provider without changing anything. They are also convenient to use and there are no extra fees for activating or maintaining the service. Therefore, they are good options for both short and long-term use. Two of these plans offer free international call trials so interested parties can try them out before making a purchase.

The following three options for making cheap international calls from mobile phones offer high call quality at low prices. They also do not charge hidden fees or use other tricks to rip-off consumers. The best option depends on the location of the caller and other factors so it is best to review all of the options before making a purchasing decision.

Tel3 Mobile – This is a relatively new mobile phone international calling plan that can be used to make cheap international calls from mobile phones in the USA and Canada. It is a sister plan to the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan which is one of the most popular prepaid long distance calling plans in North America. The company has been in the prepaid long distance business since around 1990 and they are known for high quality, innovative technology and fair prices. It is a very good international calling plan with competitive rates on calls to almost any country.

Rebtel – This is a relatively new international prepaid calling plan that has a different twist. For one, it can be used to make cheap international calls from over 50 countries and calls can be made without dialing an account number or PIN code. They assign customers a local phone number when they open an account. The user can then dial this local number and is automatically connected with a phone in another country. One potential problem with this option is that it can only be used to call one phone number so it is not very versatile. However, it is simple to use and is ideal for those who just want to call one number in one location without dialing a lot of numbers and codes.

Prepaid Phone Cards – These can be used to make cheap international calls from mobile phones in more than 90 countries. Many high quality international phone cards can be used without dialing an account number or PIN code so they are very easy to use. They also feature ultimate flexibility and very low rates. Callers can choose from a wide variety of phone cards so they can easily find the best one for their specific needs. They are also ideal for travelers or those who only have a short-term need.

Any one of these options can save users 80 or 90% on the cost of making international calls from their mobile phones without sacrificing quality or flexibility.

Many people use phone cards and other prepaid calling products in order to save money on international calls. In general, this is a good idea since phone cards are convenient and offer substantially lower rates than those offered by conventional long distance service providers. However, purchasing phone cards can be tricky and buyers should pay attention to a variety of details when making a purchase or they can end up paying a substantially higher rate per call than expected. These details include the following.

1. Charges for using different types of access numbers used to make calls (local or toll free) can vary significantly between phone cards.

2. Extra phone card fees like connection fees, maintenance fees, service charges and taxes vary significantly between phone cards.

3. Most phone cards offer better rates on calls to specific countries or regions of the world.

4. The rates on calls to specific kinds of phones (land-lines or cell phones) can vary significantly.

The last item (above) is often overlooked by shoppers. It is generally more expensive to make calls to mobile phones so many phone card marketers list the per-minute cost of making calls to low cost house phones and list the cost to cell phones separately or in the fine print. Many shoppers incorrectly assume that a service provider that offers a low rate on calls to land-lines in a specific country also has a low rate to cell phones. This is not correct as is illustrated below for an international call to Mexico from the USA.

A typical phone card rate on a call to a house phone in Mexico from the USA is around 2 to 3 cents per minute. The same call to a cell phone in Mexico varies from about 12 to 35 cents per minute. Companies like Penny Talk, advertise a low 2 cent per-minute rate on calls to land-lines in Mexico but charge 31 cents per-minute on calls to cell phones. They also charge a $0.49 connection fee for each call and a $0.99 per-month service fee per account. Tel3 Advantage does not charge a connection fee or service fee but a call to a land-line in Mexico City is 2 cents per-minute while the same call to a cell phone is 20 cents per-minute.

As the illustration shows, the rate charged on calls to cell phones varies more between companies than the rate charged on calls to house phones. This is generally true so shoppers who plan to make international calls to cell phones should pay particular attention when making a purchase.

• Deposit $10 and receive an additional $2 in Free Calls.
• Deposit $25 and receive an additional $10 in Free Calls.
• Deposit $50 and receive an additional $14 in Free Calls.
• Deposit $100 and receive an additional $18 in Free Calls.

If you make international phone calls and have not tried Tel3Advantage than now would be a great time to give them a call at 800 441 0321 or visit the official Tel3Advantage website for details. Tel3Advantage provides a high quality service at great rates and they don’t offer this promotion very often. You should sign up now even if you do not plan to make any calls for a while. Tel3Advantage does not charge any maintenance fees so the money will stay in the account until it is used to make phone calls.

The following information is provided for those who are not familar with Tel3Advantage. Tel3 is based in Miami and has been in the long distance phone business since 1994. The Tel3Advantage program was introduced over 4 years ago and is basically a high quality virtual phone card or prepaid calling plan that people use to make low cost domestic or international long distance phone calls. It features high qualilty, a full range of features and low cost. Tel3Advantage has more than 100,000 active customers and is widely used to make international calls from North America (Canada and the USA). Please visit the International Calling Guide to learn more about Tel3Advantage and other products for making low cost international phone calls.

Tel3 announced today that they are offering a Free No Obligation Trial offer of their popular prepaid  long distance phone service for cell phone users. There is no cost or obligation. Those who sign up will be able to make up to 60 minutes of Free International Phone Calls using Tel3Advantage. Visit Tel3 Advantage Free Offer for more details and/or to sign up for this Free Offer.

Tel3Advantage is a popular prepaid long distance phone service that can be used to make low cost long distance calls from any phone in the USA or Canada.  It is very simple to use and it can be used with any existing service provider.  It is a high quality, low cost option for making international long distance phone calls.  For further information on Tel3Advantage, visit International Calling Guide or call 800 441 0321. 

Traditional home phone service may be an unnecessary expensive for people or families who also have cell phones. For many, keeping a traditional home phone is a sensible option since it is cheaper than paying for cell phone air time for receiving calls, calling toll free numbers or making local calls. Also, it may be necessary to have a landline for emergencies (911 calls) or for alarm systems or other monitoring devices. However, most people can significantly reduce expenses with no loss in service by replacing traditional long distance phone service with a prepaid plan.

In most cases using prepaid long distance is a far cheaper option than using traditional long distance from the phone company. Prepaid long distance like that offered by Tel3Advantage is very convenient and costs nothing if it is not used. Consumers save money because they only pay for calls they actually make and these are charged at dirt cheap rates with no taxes or added fees. Tel3Advantage only charges 1.9 cents per minute for long distance calls made to North American (USA and Canada) destinations. This means that a consumer can use more than 500 minutes for a mere $10. Rates are slightly higher for international calls depending on the location called but they are up to 95% cheaper than phone company rates. It is also easy to open an account and there is nothing to change, prepaid long distance can be used from any phone or with any existing phone service. The same prepaid plan also travels so users can make cheap long distance calls from hotels or business phones when they are away from home. An account can be opened by visiting the Tel3Advantage website or calling 800 441 0321.

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.

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.  For more tips and inside information on prepaid international calling products visit the International Calling Blog.