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15 Tips For Choosing The Best Value Phone Card
Compare: There are many different cards with major differences in their rates and terms. If you want the best value for your dollar you must compare the different cards. Be sure the comparison is based on peak call rates. There is no point in getting a card with rates that only apply from 2-4am in the morning.
How To Choose : If your calls are going to be longer than 15 mins, use a card that has a connection fee. This is the first card presented in the list for your search results.
If your calls are going to be shorter than 15 mins, use a card that has NO connection fee. Look down the presented list for the first card with NO connection fee.
Check The “Details”: Is there a
connection fee; a monthly fee; what are the billing increments;
is there an expiration date for the card? Some cards can be
recharged, some expire a certain date from the first usage,
while others expire a fixed time from the date you bought the
card.
Call Rate: This is the rate that is billed for each
minute of the conversation that the caller makes and is usually
quoted in cents per minute. The cal rate or per minute rate must
be compared along with the connection fee for an accurate
evaluation of costs.
Connection Fee: This fee is billed for every phone call
that is connected. The call is considered to be connected as
soon as someone answers. Connection fees vary between cards.
Some cards have no connection fee and a higher call rate while
others have a connection fee and lower call rate.
Call Length: Generally if you are making lots of shorter
calls, up to 15 minutes, it is better to use a card with no
connection fee. If you make many longer calls of over 15 minutes
it is better to use a card with a connection fee and lower call
rate. The billing increment (see below) is less important for
longer calls and a more important factor for short calls – 5
minutes or less.
24 Hour Rates: The most common way of discounting is to
charge different rates dependent on the time of the call.
Generally it is cheaper to call at night or during off-peak
times. The best cards have a cheap rate 24 hours per day.
First 10 Minutes: Some cards charge their discount rates
for the first 10 minutes only after this they charge more
expensive rates. Try to avoid these types of cards unless you
always make short calls.
Billing Increment or Rounding: It is important to
consider the time units that the phone card company uses to
calculate the length of your calls. Some companies charge by the
minute, others charge in six-second or one-second intervals. The
smaller the time interval, the better the savings. For example,
if the card has a 2 minute billing increment, a 3 minute call
will be billed as a 4 minute call. The majority of prepaid
calling cards bill in one minute increments.
Access Numbers: To use a phone card you dial an access
number to connect to the service. Check that there is a local
connection number for your town or city. Some cards have 1300
and 1800 access numbers that can be connected to from anywhere
in Australia. The phone card company may charge an additional
fee for using these 1300 or 1800 access numbers.
Expiry Dates: Some prepaid phone cards expire on a fixed
date. If the card has an expiry date, it is usually 3-6 months
after the cards first use.
Protect Your PIN (Personal Identification Number): This
is your unique personal access code and should not be shared
with anyone unless you have given them permission to use your
card. If you lose your PIN, you can just login to your
Ephonecards account and get the number again.
Calling International Mobiles: Calls to international
mobiles will generally have a more expensive call rate – you use
a lot more minutes. We show the mobile call rates for many cards
if they have them.
Maintenance Fee: This is a scheduled fee that might be
applied weekly or monthly. This fee is applied to any card which
has been used at least once and for as long as there are minutes
left on the card. Not many companies make this charge anymore.
None of the cards on Ephonecards have this fee.
Customer Support: Make sure the company has a 1300 or
1800 Customer Service number to contact them on in case you
experience any technical difficulties making calls.
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