How Prepaid Phone Cards Work

For many years, Australians had been charged far too much for their international calls. Today they have the option of making international calls using a several alternative methods to their fixed phone line carrier.

Phone cards are a great way to make calls overseas without risking yourself to bill shock. Consider that a standard Home Phone plan with Optus currently charges you approximately $3.40 for each minute when you call Greece. A phone card on the other hand will charge you less than 5% of this price.

How can prepaid carrier cards be so cheap? Below we will describe how a prepaid card is actually built and how the rates are determined. Hopefully it will give you some confidence in using these services in the future.

Phone cards can be purchased from just about every corner store in Australia. Milk Bars, convenience stores and even supermarkets stock them. You can even purchase them online. The minimum recharge value is usually $10.

Most cards focus on a specific country or a geographic region, eg India or Asia. When you purchase your card you are provided with an access number. When you dial the access number a voice prompt will request a PIN (Personal Identification Number) from you.

At this stage, the phone card will usually tell you the balance left on the card and then request that you dial your destination number.

As you make your phone call, the company behind the card, identifies the country that you are dialling and then establishing a route for your call. Behind this route are a series of potential carriers that the phone company has an established relationship with. Based on price and the quality of the route, the best carrier will be selected and your call sent through to them.

Prepaid phone card producers are able to purchase "minutes" in bulk from various carriers such as Telstra, MCI, WorldCom, Deutche Telecom, BT. These "minutes" are then bundled together into a Phone Card which focuses on a region or a specific country. This is where the savings really kick in and they can be in the order of 95% compared to what you could be paying if you dialled direct via your fixed phone provider.

Most of these calls are made over the internet, similar to what you do with a VOIP call or even with a service like Skype.

In order to remain competitive, many fixed phone line providers have developed options that enable their customers to purchase credit which will give them competitive international calls eg Optus World Saver. These services are usually add-ons to you standard fixed phone plan.

Remember you have options when it comes to making your international calls. Don't just settle on what your home phone carrier is offering you. Look at the alternatives on offer and save.

My Name is Ranya Georgalas and I enjoy blogging about all sorts of topics. I work in Marketing, Social Media and Affiliate Marketing. I started blogging several years ago and now I own many blogs. The most popular being http://www.prepaidplans.com.au/

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Best Prepaid Phone Cards Reviews 2012

Another year has come and gone and prepaid phone cards still remain as one of the most well used and cost-effective method of placing cheap international calls to Mexico, Japan, Russia, Philippines and other emerging countries around the globe.

One of the major reasons why sales of prepaid phone cards has increased every year is because more and more consumers prefer using their mobile phones over a traditional telephone.

But using the international call services from a mobile provider is the quickest way to a hefty monthly bill. Mobile service providers are notorious for over-priced international calls with rates as high as $2 per minute.

Prepaid phone cards offer rates as low as a penny for countries that consumers call the most such as Europe, Vietnam, South Korea and many countries in South America. And it doesn't matter which mobile service provider you signed up with, calling cards work with whichever company you choose.

However, not all calling cards are created equal. Some have differing rates when using it on a traditional phone or cell phone. It is still important to read the fine print on whichever product you buy. And the fine print has be easy to read. It should basically outline:

Rates for dialing to a land line or mobile lineAccess numbers - local and toll-freeFees (if any)Expiration date

There are many prepaid phone card companies but the best and cheapest are purchased from companies found online.

Nobelcom has the best positive reviews when it comes to product reliability. But the quality of their calling cards reflect higher calls per minute rates. Though it's not by much, usually about a penny more. And a penny more is a nominal charge especially for business people who need to make an important call and want a clear connection to seal that all important deal in another country.

Another very good recommended company is Speedypin. The hallmark of this long time rival to Nobelcom is their 100% product guarantee. Speedypin has a range of reliable calling card products. Some they produce in-house and some they buy from other companies. So you'll have a greater choice of cards with many price ranges to fit your budget.

Both online prepaid phone card companies are highly rated and respected by the telecommunications industry. Whichever you choose make sure to check out the details of the card you wish to buy on their website. Or contact their customer service numbers by phone or email and discuss with a sales representative about which card is recommended.

One last tip is to buy a card in increments. Get the smallest card denomination and try it out first to see if the call quality or service is up to your expectations. When you are satisfied you can commit to buying more because the more prepaid phone cards you purchase from Nobelcom or Speedypin at one time you can qualify for discounts so you can save more money international calls.

You can visit Phone Cards Reviews for a list of the Top 10 Calling Card companies on the Internet.

Edwin M. Clark is a professional travel consultant for mid to upper range corporations in the industry. He is also a contributor and founder of http://www.phonecardsreviews.com/, the definitive online resource about the phone card industry.

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Read More

Best Prepaid Phone Cards Reviews 2012

Another year has come and gone and prepaid phone cards still remain as one of the most well used and cost-effective method of placing cheap international calls to Mexico, Japan, Russia, Philippines and other emerging countries around the globe.

One of the major reasons why sales of prepaid phone cards has increased every year is because more and more consumers prefer using their mobile phones over a traditional telephone.

But using the international call services from a mobile provider is the quickest way to a hefty monthly bill. Mobile service providers are notorious for over-priced international calls with rates as high as $2 per minute.

Prepaid phone cards offer rates as low as a penny for countries that consumers call the most such as Europe, Vietnam, South Korea and many countries in South America. And it doesn't matter which mobile service provider you signed up with, calling cards work with whichever company you choose.

However, not all calling cards are created equal. Some have differing rates when using it on a traditional phone or cell phone. It is still important to read the fine print on whichever product you buy. And the fine print has be easy to read. It should basically outline:

Rates for dialing to a land line or mobile lineAccess numbers - local and toll-freeFees (if any)Expiration date

There are many prepaid phone card companies but the best and cheapest are purchased from companies found online.

Nobelcom has the best positive reviews when it comes to product reliability. But the quality of their calling cards reflect higher calls per minute rates. Though it's not by much, usually about a penny more. And a penny more is a nominal charge especially for business people who need to make an important call and want a clear connection to seal that all important deal in another country.

Another very good recommended company is Speedypin. The hallmark of this long time rival to Nobelcom is their 100% product guarantee. Speedypin has a range of reliable calling card products. Some they produce in-house and some they buy from other companies. So you'll have a greater choice of cards with many price ranges to fit your budget.

Both online prepaid phone card companies are highly rated and respected by the telecommunications industry. Whichever you choose make sure to check out the details of the card you wish to buy on their website. Or contact their customer service numbers by phone or email and discuss with a sales representative about which card is recommended.

One last tip is to buy a card in increments. Get the smallest card denomination and try it out first to see if the call quality or service is up to your expectations. When you are satisfied you can commit to buying more because the more prepaid phone cards you purchase from Nobelcom or Speedypin at one time you can qualify for discounts so you can save more money international calls.

You can visit Phone Cards Reviews for a list of the Top 10 Calling Card companies on the Internet.

Edwin M. Clark is a professional travel consultant for mid to upper range corporations in the industry. He is also a contributor and founder of http://www.phonecardsreviews.com/, the definitive online resource about the phone card industry.

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