International Phone Card

Where to Purchase

International phone cards are just as readily available as prepaid domestic phone cards. They can be found for sale at local supermarkets, in drug stores, at the local 7-Eleven, and on the Internet. The selection of cards available in local stores is not nearly as large as the online selection. Many different companies offer cards at discounted rates. While the rates and terms for each card may slightly different, they all provide similar services. The main difference between the types of international phone cards is that some can be used to dial any country in the world, and others can only be used to dial specific countries.

Specific Country Dialing vs. Entire World Dialing

The most generic type of international phone card is one that is purchased for dialing any number in the world at a flat rate per minute. This is a good type of card for users who frequently dial various worldwide countries.

Another type of international card that can be used to dial only specific overseas countries. For example, if a person has family members living in Australia, an international phone card can be purchased that is only good for calling that one country. An international country-specific card is often cheaper than a card that can be used to dial any country.

A Traveller Must

International phone cards do not necessarily need to be used by a person in his home country who needs to make frequent overseas calls. People who travel overseas and want to call their home country also frequently use this type of calling card. Many phone cards can be used for calls originating in any country in the world to dial any other country.

What's Better: Prepaid or Billed?

There are two different ways to pay for an international phone card.

• Prepaid: Prepaid cards can be purchased at a local store for a specific dollar amount. The card comes with instructions on how to use it, and once the minutes on the card have been used, the card expires. Prepaid international calling cards usually provide the cheapest rates available.

• Billed: Cards that are billed are those that allow users to place international calls and then a bill is sent to the user after the calls are made, usually on a monthly basis. This service still provides great international calling rates, but they are not quite as cheap as the rates available on prepaid phone cards.

Compare Phone Card Options

Since phone cards come in so many variety, it is important to understand the restrictions prior to making your selection, especially if you are planning to travel overseas where you may limited in your option to replace the card. Things like purchasing a prepaid card that does not work for the location you are calling can be an expensive proposition, so do read the fine print.

There are several websites that offer information about the many international phone cards currently on the market. Some of the most popular phone card comparison sites are:

• QualityCalling.com
• Phone-Card.biz
• Just Phone Cards
• PlanetCalls

No matter what type of card is chosen, prepaid or billed, the rates users pay for international calls are sure to be cheaper than what would be paid using a credit card, a cellular phone, or an operator-assisted phone call made from a hotel room.