Hoo Boy Online

In many cases, the rates charged on international calls to mobile phones are substantially higher than the rate charged for the same call to a land-line. Therefore, when making international calls, callers should take care and read the fine print so they fully understand the rate charged for making a call to the type of phone they plan to call or they may receive an unpleasant surprise. In most cases, rates on international calls to mobile phones are higher than they are for calls to landlines but this is not always the case. The rate difference varies between countries and service providers so it is best to shop around in order to find the lowest cost product for making calls to the country and type of phone you wish to call.

We did some research on this topic by comparing the rates charged by Tel3Advantage, a popular prepaid calling plan, on international calls to mobile phones and landlines in various countries. We found there were some regional patterns to the data but no consistent rules. The following is a summary of our key observations.

• The rate charged on calls to mobile phones is substantially higher than they would be for the same call to a land-line. This seemed to be a typical pattern. Especially for international calls made to countries located in Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East. However, there were exceptions so callers should check the countries they wish to call before making any conclusions. Some popular locations where the rates charged on international calls to mobile phones are significantly higher than they are to landlines: Brazil, France, Italy, Mexico and the UK. For example, a call to a mobile phone in Italy from the USA costs 14.7 cents per-minute while a call to a land-line costs 1.8 cents per-minute.

• In some cases, the rate charged on calls to mobile phones were the same as those charged to landlines. Many of these locations were in Asia but there were many exceptions. We discovered the following popular destinations: Bermuda, China, India and Thailand.

• We also found cases where international calls to mobile phones where cheaper than calls to landlines. This is true on calls to the following popular destinations: Cuba, Egypt, Hong Kong, Singapore, Syria and Uzbekistan. In most cases, the difference in cost is small. For example, the rate charged for an international call to a mobile phone in Egypt is 9.4 cents per-minute while the charge for the same call to a land-line is 9.8 cents.

International callers should shop around for the best deal when deciding on a product to use for making cheap international calls. They should recognize that rates can vary significantly between countries and the type of phone they wish to call. It may be prudent to use one product for making calls to cell phones and another product to make calls to landlines. There are a wide selection of phone cards and other prepaid calling products to choose from so most callers can find substantial savings by shopping for the product that best fits their needs.

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.

The last thing most people think about when preparing for an international journey is a calling card but it may be one of the most useful things to bring. There are many important items to remember when packing for an international trip, like travel documents and plane tickets, but an international phone card should be high on the list. A good international phone card is useful because it can be used to make cheap international calls from nearly any kind of phone (including airport pay phones or hotel phones). A phone card can also save money. One of the first things most people want to do when they reach a foreign destination is to call friends or loved ones at home. International hotels know this and typically charge exorbitant rates for international calls. A few short international calls from a hotel room can cost as much as the room charge. That is why experienced travelers save time, hassles and money by packing a couple international phone cards before leaving home.

Other than saving money, there are other good reasons for purchasing international phone cards before traveling. Some of these are listed below.

• It is a great way to budget money for phone calls since phone cards are prepaid and can be purchased in small denominations.

• There is a wide variety of virtual phone cards available on-line that can be used to make calls from nearly any country in the world. They can be used to make low cost long distance calls from pay phones in airports, hotels or nearly any major city in the world.

• Virtual phone cards are convenient because users can access their on-line account via the INTERNET from any location. Many virtual phone cards have an on-line call history so users can view a record of the calls and charges made on their phone card or even transfer funds between cards. They can also conveniently refill their phone card from any location.

• Virtual phone cards are safely stored in a customer’s online account so they cannot be lost or stolen.

Remember that phone cards do not have universal coverage so check the rates and accessibility for the countries you plan to use them from before making a purchase. Some merchants, like phone cards international, allow users to transfer funds between phone cards. This can be done conveniently through a customer’s on-line account and is a nice feature for those who plan travel to multiple countries or regions of the world. In any case, purchase high quality phone cards and check to be sure they will work from the countries being visited. This is easy to do if the phone cards are purchased from a reputable on line merchant.

Most consumers know that prepaid phone cards can be used to make cheap domestic and international long distance phone calls but many do not know that they also offer a full range of features. These features make them more convenient to use and a viable option for long term savings.

Consumers who purchase phone cards at supermarkets or convenience stores may be missing a lot of these features and may also be paying a higher rate for calls since it is very easy to shop and compare rates and features on-line. Many high quality phone card websites offer free search features which makes it very easy to find and compare phone cards from any location in the world. Phone cards can be safely purchased on-line and they are safely and conveniently stored in an on-line customer account.

Some of the common features found with high quality virtual prepaid phone cards are listed below.

• PIN Free dialing has become a common feature with many virtual phone cards. It allows a caller to register phone numbers so they do not need to enter a special code when making calls from a registered phone. The registered phone numbers can be conveniently edited in the customer’s on-line account.

• Many virtual phone cards feature a permanent PIN so the code does not change each time the phone card is re-charged or purchased. These permanent PIN phone cards are typically stored in an on-line account that can be accessed by a user from any INTERNET connection.

• Most permanent PIN phone cards also allow an optional automatic recharge function. Many users find this to be an attractive option since it assures that they will not run out of funds during a call and the card is always available for use.

• Many virtual phone cards come with a call history feature that tracks and stores the details of each call (including location, length of call and cost). The call history can be accessed through the customer’s on-line account. This is a very handy feature that is typically included with high quality phone cards.

• Many on-line phone cards include a Speed Dial feature. This allows the user to add phone numbers to their personal account so they can call these numbers by pressing 2 or 3 numbers on their phone. This is a convenient feature for those who plan to make international calls to the same phone numbers.

• Some on-line merchants allow customers to transfer funds between phone cards. This is a useful feature for users who call to or from multiple locations and want to use the phone card offering the best rates.

• Most on-line merchants have a handy search tool built into their website that allows shoppers to search for the best phone card for their needs. These search tools will list phone cards with the lowest rates for making calls to and from specific locations. In many cases they also provide phone card quality ratings and a summary of features, taxes and fees.

• Some on-line phone cards, like the continental card, can also be used to make conference calls, international callback calls from virtually any location in the world and to set-up personal toll free numbers in the USA.

There are virtual phone cards or prepaid calling plans like Tel3Advantage that offer many of the features listed above as well as some other not so common features. Tel3 offers a mobile plan where users can make direct-dial international phone calls from their Mobile Phones. With Tel3 Mobile, users do not need to dial an access number or PIN code when placing an international call. They simply dial the international code and their call is automatically routed over the low cost Tel3 network. Tel3 also offers a business calling plan with many on-line tools and features that are ideal for small to medium size business users. Tel3Advantage can be used to make cheap domestic and international long distance phone calls from Canada and the USA.

Phone cards have come a long way since their introduction in the 1970’s but companies like Tel3 and others continue to introduce new features and services so the virtual phone card of tomorrow will be even more useful than it is today.

International callback phone service is a good option for people who want to make calls from countries which impose a high tariff on international calls. It saves callers money by routing their international calls through low cost third countries like the USA, Canada or Western Europe. Unlike VoIP, PC-to-Phone and many phone cards, international callback can be used to make cheap international calls from any country.

International callback calls are triggered using different means depending on the product but the results are basically the same. The caller receives an international phone call from a low cost third country. After answering the call the caller can either place a low cost call through the callback service provider’s network by direct dialing the desired phone number or, in some cases, the call is automatically routed to the desired destination phone number. In either case, the caller can save a significant amount of money with international callback because they are receiving an international phone call not placing one from a high cost country.

One innovative type of international callback is e-mail triggered callback. This product is included as a very useful feature with the Continental Phone card. They refer to it as Web Call but we find this name a bit misleading. It implies that calls are made over the INTERNET but, in reality, it is a callback phone service where calls are initiated by sending a pre-formatted e-mail message. The calls are actually made over any standard land-line telephone or cell phone. Those interested in more details should visit the following page, Web Call.

The Continental Card is a very versatile phone card that can, among other things, be used to make cheap international calls from over 60 countries by calling an access number and placing a call. It can also be used to make conference calls, low cost VoIP or PC-to-Phone service and it can be used to set up a personal toll free phone number. The continental card can be used to fill a variety of telecom needs.

Tel3 announced recently that they have lowered rates on international calls from the USA and Canada to several popular destinations. The list below includes the destinations along with the new rate in USA cents/min. In order to get these rates a customer needs to open an account with Tel3 using the Tel3Advantage Triple Promo offer. A new account can also be opened by calling 1 800 441 0321 and asking for the Triple Promo.

Algeria 6.5 cents/min
Brazil 1.2
Denmark 1.2
Ethiopia 15.3
Georgia 3.4
Japan 1.4
Korea, South 1.3
Kuwait 5.6
Liberia 13.5
Malta 3.4
Mexico 1.2
Mozambique 5.6
Namibia 6.3
Portugal 1.2
Spain 0.9
Switzerland 1.2
Taiwan 1.3
Tajikistan 6.0
Tanzania 8.5
UAE 10.5
Uruguay 4.1

The rates listed above are to landlines. Rates to mobile phones will likely be different so it is a good idea to check the rates on the Tel3 website before opening an account. There are a variety of other options for making cheap international calls but Tel3 is one of the more popular options offered in North America. It can be used from any kind of phone without changing carriers and does not require a long term contract or other obligation. It also does not have any hidden charges, taxes or account maintenance fees. Tel3 also has a very responsive customer service department and is the only company in the industry rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.

Many people overlook added features, like call history, when shopping for phone cards. They are simply too interested in things like cost per-minute for making calls to their desired destination and call quality to pay attention to seemingly unimportant added features like PIN Free Dialing, Speed Dial or Call History. Most of these added features may not seem very valuable but they can make using a phone card much more convenient. For example, international callers who have used phone cards with a PIN Free Dialing feature find it very difficult to use a card where it is necessary to enter a PIN code each time a call is placed.

The phone card market is confusing to most consumers because phone card carriers have been creative in devising hidden fees and other tricks so they can advertise extremely low rates and still make money. In most cases, because of hidden charges, callers end up paying more than they expect when placing calls. We have listed the common hidden fees below and have provided some tips so phone card shoppers can at least make an informed purchase and have a basic understanding of the market.

To avoid many common consumer mistakes, we suggest purchasing phone cards from websites where all of the fees are fully disclosed in an easy to read format and customers rate phone cards. There are websites that provide simple to use tools so users can compare phone cards in a simple to understand format. Websites like smartglobalcall.net display customer ratings for all of the phone cards they sell.

1. Check the rate (usually cents/min) to the destination you want to call. Remember that the rates listed or advertised are normally to house phones (landlines). Calls made to cell phones often have higher rates. Also, the advertised rates typically do not include phone card fees or taxes that can significantly increase the cost of a call.

2. Look for added fees, taxes and hidden costs. These should be listed in an easy to read format but can also be buried in the fine print. Remember you will likely pay more than the advertised rate when using a phone card so the trick is to minimize the added fees. Added fees will be called things like connection fee, disconnection fee, taxes, maintenance fee, pay phone fee and long call fee. These fees will vary between calling cards. Some phone cards will have all or most of these added fees and others will not have any of them.

3. Phone cards will also have different rounding or billing increments. These are often in one, three or 6-minute increments. The billing increment can have a significant impact on the calling cost depending on how the calling card is used. A calling card with a one-minute billing increment will charge a customer 4 minutes for a 3.5 minute call while a calling card with a 3 minute billing increment will charge a customer 6 minutes for the same call. The cost of a call is rounded up to the next billing increment so; in general, a card with a lower billing increment has a lower cost.

4. Phone card fees are typically minimized if calling cards are purchased in smaller denominations and used for one call or over a short period-of-time. In general, phone card fees do not start until it is used the first time. Many companies offer calling cards in denominations of $5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. We recommend trying a small denomination card ($5 to $10) before making a large purchase. In most cases, it is generally better to buy several small denomination cards than to purchase one with a big denomination.

5. The call quality of a phone card depends on the international carrier used and is not always equal between vendors to a given location. There are many international telecom carriers and call quality will vary between carriers. There are generally three levels of call quality (referred to as Tier 1, 2 and 3) with regard to telecom carriers. Tier 1 carriers offer the best quality but they also charge the highest rates. Therefore, in general, calling cards with the lowest advertised rates also tend to have the lowest call quality because they use lower Tier carriers.

6. Check for local access number availability. Many cheap calling cards have low per minute rates but have few local access numbers and charge 1 or 2 cents per minute extra for using a toll free access number.

7. All phone cards carry an FCC imposed fee for using a pay phone in the USA. However, the rate will vary between phone cards (it ranges from around $0.49 to $1) so check this rate if you plan to use a pay phone.

8. Phone cards typically have an expiration date so be sure and use the card before it expires.

9. Purchase phone cards from a vendor that has 24/7 customer service. If nothing else, you may have a question or need some advice.

10. Look for added features. Many phone cards have a full range of useful features that some users may value while others may not. For example, the AT&T phone card has very high call quality (also high rates) but almost no features. Others have features like PIN free dialing, call history, speed dial and automatic recharge, which make the cards easier and more convenient to use.

So, how should a consumer use this information? There are a few things to consider. First, try to compare phone cards on the same basis. When phone card rates are adjusted for hidden fees, taxes and other billing tricks, many calling cards with very cheap advertised rates actually cost as much or more to use than a moderately priced card with higher call quality. Remember, a calling card that cannot be used nor has extremely poor quality is worthless to the user. Any money spent on a purchase is simply lost.

Another option is to use a prepaid calling plan like Tel3Advantage. It is loaded with features like on-line call history, PIN free dialing and speed dial. It is also one of the most popular calling plans in North America. It can be used to make cheap long distance calls from any kind of phone in Canada or the USA.

France is a very popular international calling destination from the USA, Canada and other countries. With new technology, low cost international calls can be made to or from France from any country in the world. However, when it comes to international calling, one best option does not fit every situation so we have provided the following review of some popular products that are recognized for both high quality and low cost.

For people who want to call France from the USA or Canada than Tel3 is hard to beat. They offer the Tel3Advantage Flex plan which is essentially a hybrid virtual phone card. Without going into a lot of detail, it can be used with any kind of phone and any existing service provider. Tel3 is also reputable supplier who has been in the prepaid calling business for more than a decade and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau…..the only firm in this industry with such a rating. They have great service and great rates. They also have a promo going now where new customers can call France from the USA or Canada for as little as 1.4 cents per minute and get up to 643 Free Minutes. Visit cheap calls to France for more details.

For people who want to make low cost international calls to France from other locations we recommend International Phone Cards. We, of course, recommend virtual phone cards that are purchased on-line because it is easier to shop and find the optimum phone card for your situation. On-line phone cards also tend to have lower rates, more features and performance is guaranteed. On-line phone cards can be used to make cheap calls from over 130 countries.

People who want to explore these or other international calling options in more detail should visit a website like Smart Global Call which specializes in low cost options for making calls over land-lines, mobile phones or computer INTERNET connections.

Web Call is a superb product for making cheap international calls using any phone in the world that can receive a call. Due to the name, many people confuse Web Call with PC-to-Phone, VoIP or other INTERNET based calling services but it is much different. The main difference is that calls are not placed over the INTERNET with Web Call, they are made using any kind of phone including cell phones, home phones, business phones or any other phone that can receive a call. In this case, the term Web Call refers to the way the calls are placed. With Web Call there is no need to dial an access number or enter an account number or PIN code when making a call. All a caller needs to do is sign-in to their on-line account and enter the country and phone number they want to call from and the country and phone number they wish to call. After they enter the information they push the call button and the computer connects the two phones…..it is that simple.

Some countries charge a high surcharge on out-bound international calls. International callers in these countries can save a lot of money with Web Call since they they will be paying for an in-bound international call from a low cost, third country not an out-bound call from the country where they are located. The following table shows some examples of the potential savings over typical phone card rates for calls to the USA from some high cost countries. Rates are in USA cents per minute.

A comparison of phone card rates versus Web Call rates on international calls to the USA from some selected countries.

Bahrain: Phone Card Rate 21 cents/min, Web Call Rate 9.7 cents/min
China: Phone Card Rate 11 cents/min, Web Call Rate 2 cents/min
India: Phone Card Rate 11 cents/min, Web Call Rate 5.9 cents/min
Jamaica: Phone Card Rate 17.5 cents/min, Web Call Rate 8.5 cents/min
Jordan: Phone Card Rate 28 cents/min, Web Call Rate 8.6 cents/min
Kazakhstan: Phone Card Rate 55 cents/min, Web Call Rate 7.3 cents/min
Nepal: Phone Card Rate 105 cents/min, Web Call Rate 15.1 cents/min
Nigeria: Phone Card Rate 50 cents/min, Web Call Rate 10.5 cents/min
Syria: Phone Card Rate 112 cents/min, Web Call Rate 13.7 cents/min
UAE: Phone Card Rate 95 cents/min, Web Call Rate 14.7 cents/min

As the information above shows, the savings can be significant. The rates shown are for calls to the USA but Web Call can be used to call any country from any other country. It is a high quality product that can also be used as a phone card to make calls from over 60 countries. However, Web Call has better rates than a phone card and is more convenient to use as long as the caller has access to the INTERNET. Visit Web Call for rates to all countries and information on opening an account. Happy calling.

Tel3 announced recently that they have a new dialer application for iPhone users that will allow them to make direct dialed international long distance calls over the low cost Tel3 network. This application, called the Tel3 Dialer, is a free download that can be used by Tel3 Customers. With this application, users will have the ability to make direct dialed international calls from their iPhone using either the address book, or the recent call history or directly on from the dial pad. People who want to make cheap international calls will no longer need to dial an access number or enter a PIN code or account number before placing a call. Tel3 also has similar applications for other SMART phones. For further information on the iPhone application, visit Tel3 Dialer or call 800 441 0321.

This is a new application but Tel3 is not new to the prepaid calling market. They have been selling prepaid calling services for more than a decade and are the only company in the prepaid calling business with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Their Tel3Advantage prepaid long distance calling plan is one of the most popular plans of its kind in North America with more than 100,000 active customers. It can be used to make cheap domestic and international long distance calls from any phone in Canada or the USA without changing companies. It also has low per minute rates to all locations with no hidden fees or taxes.

On June 30th Tel3Advantage announced new, lower rates on international calls to the following popular destinations. Some rates were lowered by as much as 74% which makes Tel3 the low cost provider for these and other destinations around the world.

Rates on international calls to Antigua & Barbuda were lowered from 14 cents/min to 11.7 cents/min (16%).

Rates to Santa Fe, Argentina were lowered from 2.9 cents/min to 1.9 cents/min (34%).

Rates on international calls to Bolivia were lowered from 11 cents to 8.1 cents/min (26%)

Rates on international calls to Bulgaria were lowered from 8 cents to 3 cents/min (62.5%)

Rates on calls to Cape Verde were lowered from 28 cents to 17.9 cents/min (36%)

Rates on international calls to Guadaloupe were dropped from 13 cents to 3.4 cents/min (74%).

Rates on calls to Jakarta, Indonesia were lowered from 4.5 cents to 2.8 cents/min (38%)

Rates on Calls to Kyrgyzstan were lowered from 15.4 cents to 9.2 cents/min (40%)

Rates on calls to Toluca, Mexico were lowered from 6.5 cents to 1.9 cents/min (71%)

Rates on calls to Norway were lowered from 3 cents to 2 cents/min (33%)

Rates on calls to Palua were dropped from 40 cents to 24.1 cents/min (40%)

Rates on international calls to Sri Lanka were lowered from 18 cents to 10.6 cents/min (41%)

Rates on calls to Thailand were lowered from 5.5 cents to 1.5 cents/min (73%)

Rates on calls to Zambia were lowered from 12 cents to 4 cents/min (67%)

Rates on calls to Zimbabwe were lowered from 10 cents to 6.8 cents/min (32%)

Tel3Advantage is a prepaid calling plan that can be used to make low cost domestic and international long distance from the USA or Canada. It is a high quality call plan that can be used from any kind of telephone (mobile, home or business) and any existing phone service. It offers some of the lowest rates in the industry and has now hidden fees or taxes like many phone card type products. New customers can get free minutes and a 30% discount on all calls for the first 30 days by taking advantage of their current Triple Promo. Visit Tel3Advantage in order to get these rates or call 800 441 o321 and ask for the Triple Promo.

Visit Tel3Advantage and sign-up for their prepaid long-distance phone service during the Father’s Day promo and get double the normal sign-up bonus. This promotion lasts from June 16 through June 22, 2009. During the promotion period a new customer will get up to 946 free minutes just for signing up for the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan. There is no cost to sign-up, all a new customer needs to do is open an account and make an initial deposit ($10 - $100) and bonus funds will be automatically added to their account. The higher the initial deposit, the more bonus funds added as shown below.

Deposit $10 and get $2 in Bonus Funds

Deposit $25 and get $10 in Bonus Funds

Deposit $50 and get $14 in Bonus Funds

Deposit $100 and get $18 in Bonus Funds

Not a bad deal considering Tel3Advantage offers the most popular prepaid calling plan in North America. The flex plan has over 100,000 active customers who routinely use the service to make cheap international calls to any location in the world. The service can be used with any existing service and any kind of phone (cell, home, business, etc.) without changing anything. It is convenient to use and very easy to make calls. The service can be used from the USA and Canada. Tel3Advantage is an honest calling plan with no hidden fees or taxes. This can be verified through an on line call history in every customers personal on-line account that records the length and cost for each call. Now is a great time to try Tel3Advantage and save money on calls to Dad.

The summer travel season is fast approaching and many Americans will be heading to Europe for vacation despite the weak economy. If fact, there are some good deals to be had on air travel, hotels and rental cars because of the weak economy in most locations around the world. We were recently in Moscow and paid ½ the rate we paid 6 months ago for the same hotel room.

Most people will want to call home a few times during a trip abroad so it is a good idea to carry a phone card. We suggest purchasing a phone card before you leave home because you have more time to shop (on-line) and choose the right phone card for your trip. You will likely find a better quality card at a better price than if you wait and purchase one abroad at a hotel, airport or other location frequented by tourists. Most on-line international phone card merchants provide customers with an on-line account. This is a handy feature for travelers because they can access their account via the internet from any location in the world to find a local access number, add funds or make other changes to their account. Many on-line phone cards also include other handy features like Speed Dial, PIN free dialing and call history that make international calling much easier.

We have a couple of phone card recommendations for people who want to make cheap calls to the USA or other locations from Europe. The first phone card we would recommend is a new card called Solaris. It has high user ratings for quality and has a wide range of local and toll free access numbers in every European country. It can be used to make cheap international calls from over 100 countries so it has very wide coverage and is ideal for people who plan to visit several countries during a trip. It also has no maintenance or connection fee and some of the lowest rates on international calls. Another high quality phone card is Continental. It can be used to make cheap calls from over 60 countries. The continental card comes with several features like speed dial, call history and PIN free dialing which makes it very convenient to use. Smart Global Call Phone Cards International sells these and other high quality calling cards.

People who want to make cheap calls to Europe have a wider range of options. Rates are generally cheaper on international calls from the USA or Canada to Europe than they are from Europe to the USA or Canada. Therefore, it is cheaper to make calls that originate in North America if possible. This is not always possible so a high quality phone card is the next best option.

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.

In today’s economy many people are trying to control expenditures and one way to do so is to use prepaid services. With prepaid services a consumer can purchase a predetermined amount of a service and the service will automatically stop when the amount purchased is depleted. Therefore, it is very easy to control expenses and impossible to over run a budget.

Prepaid long distance phone service in the form of prepaid phone cards has been popular with students, expatriates and travelers for a number of years. This is an especially popular option with those who want to make frequent and cheap international calls. However, now there appears to be more interest from mainstream users since prepaid long distance is a great way to budget phone expenses. There is a wide variety of options which range from very cheap, plastic phone cards purchased at local convenience stores to relatively high quality virtual calling plans sold on the INTERNET. The market currently offers an option to fit any budget and fill any need. For example, Tel3Advantage has been offering low cost prepaid long distance phone service to consumers since 1994 but they have recently started offering Tel3 for Business and Tel3 Mobile. These products contain special features that fill a need in these niche markets while providing them with low cost prepaid phone service. Tel3 services are especially attractive to people or businesses that want to budget long distance expenses while reducing costs and not sacrificing quality or service. Tel3Advantage customers can budget long distance expenses in two ways. First, they can prepay for a fixed amount of long distance service. Second, they can monitor their usage through a call history which is included in their on-line account. Tel3Advantage prepaid long distance has made it easy for people to budget and control long distance phone expenses.

There are also a wide variety of international phone cards which come in all shapes and sizes. These are very useful for budgeting expenses because they also come in a wide variety of denominations. It is very easy to find a denomination to fit any budgeting need. For example, if you want to spend a maximum of $10 per week on long distance calls simply purchase a phone card with a $10 face value each week. Phone cards are typically sold in $3, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 denominations so there is one for every budget. They can also be conveniently purchased and safely held in an on-line account these days so phone cards offer convenience, flexibility, low cost and the ability to budget expenses.

More and more online merchants are offering international phone cards with PIN free access. These cards can be used to make calls without dialing an account number or PIN code. In order to use the PIN free dialing feature a user needs to register the phone numbers they plan to make calls from. Then a user simply dials an access number from one of their registered phones and places a call without dialing a PIN code. Making international calls is much easier because the numbers a user must enter is minimized. Making calls is much easier, faster and the chance of entering incorrect numbers is reduced.

Phone cards with PIN free access are becoming more common because they are much easier to use and many consumers will no longer purchase or even consider phone cards which require the entry of PIN codes. Phone card marketers have taken notice and are offering more cards with the PIN Free Access features. This use to be a feature only offered by premium prepaid long distance plans like Tel3Advantage but it is now offered by many low cost competitors.

Thousands of people still purchase plastic, printed phone cards at supermarkets and convenience stores even though the cards do not contain any information or data except a PIN code. All of the account information is stored on a computer so why do these people not purchase a phone card via computer and save time, money and natural resources? Many people likely want to purchase a phone card with cash since they do not have a credit card or Pay Pal account while others do not trust on-line purchases. There may be rational reasons for not purchasing phone cards on-line but there are more compelling reasons for making on-line purchase. Some of these are listed below:

• Lower Rates – We checked Sam’s Club and found that they sell AT&T phone cards with 1000 minutes (USA state-to-state) for $34.70. This works out to about 3.5 cents per-minute. This rate includes toll free access and all fees and taxes but this rate is still relatively high. It is fairly easy to find a high quality virtual phone card with a USA state-to-state rate of 1 to 2 cents per minute. The rate on international calls varies significantly between countries but, for example, the cost to call most European countries from the USA is around 2 to 3 cents-per-minute these days.
• State Sales Tax - Purchase a phone card on-line and save state sales tax in most states. This will typically result in a 7 or 8% savings and there is no cost for shipping.
• PIN Free Dialing – Most high quality on-line phone cards come with added features like PIN Free Dialing at no additional charge. Some virtual calling cards like Tel3Advantage come loaded with added features.
• Balance Transfer – Some phone card marketers offer a balance transfer option where the remaining balance left on one phone card can be transferred to another phone card. In this way the caller can always use the optimum phone card for making calls to their desired location.
• Call History – Many high quality on-line phone cards provide users with a complete call history for their phone card. The user can review the call history and understand all of the charges for each call. Try to figure this out with a typical store bought phone card.
• Auto Recharge – Many virtual phone cards come with an Auto Recharge option. This is a handy feature that will automatically recharge the card when the balance falls to a predetermined level. This feature assures the user that a call will not be disconnected due to lack of funds in the account.

On-line phone card service providers continue to add more features to entice buyers. Anyone who purchases a printed phone card these days is likely paying more than necessary to make calls and also losing out on features.

How many times have you purchased a phone card with great rates to one location but you used it to call another location and found it to be outrageously expensive? This is a common problem with many international phone cards. They tend to be regional or country specific. Either, they can only be used to call to or from certain countries or locations or they tend to their rates are country or region specific. To get around these limitations, many international callers use a high quality prepaid calling plan like Tel3Advantage which has good rates to most international locations but there is another way.

Some phone card marketers like Smart Global Call International Phone Cards provide their customer a free balance transfer feature. Using this option a customer can transfer an unused balance from one phone card to another. This handy feature has several possible uses. Some of these are listed below:

• A traveler purchases a phone card to call the USA from Italy but moves to Moscow, Russia and finds that the card does not work. Using the balance transfer feature the remaining balance can simply be transferred to another card that can be used to make calls from Moscow.
• A caller purchases a phone card to call a friend in Brazil. The caller than wants to call another friend in Japan but finds that the card can not be used to call Japan or has lousy rates. No problem, using balance transfer the remaining calling card balance can be transferred to another card with good rates on calls to Japan.
• Another use is to save money by taking advantage of special deals. Smart Global Call usually offers one or two of their phone cards at a 10% discount. A shopper can purchase one of these phone cards and than transfer the balance to another phone card, saving 10% on any phone card.

This is a handy feature that covers a wide range of possibilities since Smart Global Call markets more than 30 different phone cards that can be used to make calls to or from more than 230 countries. Saving money on international calls has never been easier.