International calling card providers Lycatel and Nowtel have agreed to change the way they advertise their calling cards following an Ofcom investigation.
The probe found that Nowtel’s advertisement of its international calling cards potentially breached consumer protection rules.
Ofcom worked with Nowtel to bring the potential contraventions to an end and to ensure there would be no future repetition.
Ofcom has now accepted a written undertaking committing Nowtel to make changes to its advertisements which is enforceable in the courts.
Lycatel also made a written undertaking with respect to its advertisements and terms and conditions for Lycatel international calling cards.
For information on calling cards that have No connection fees and No Maintenance fees Click Here…..
Best Saver, Millions off Minutes, whatever the name of the Phonecard is, it will make no difference if you don’t look at the Details section.
If you intend to buy a phone card and you’re unsure how to choose one it, read on and you’ll find 5 tips to buying the right Phonecard for you.
Tip 1
Connection fee: an amount deducted from the phone card’s balance once a call is connected.
Does the phone card Terms have any information regarding connection fees? Often cards that appear to have very cheap rates are not as cheap as they profess to be.
You need to check the connection fees as these will almost inevitably be high as they have to make a profit somehow and the connection fee is used to recoup or extend any profits lost on the call rate. If nothing is said in the blurb regarding a connection fee or a bland statement is made which says something like “connection fee applies” without specifiying what the connection fee is, look out!!! There is likely to be a sting in the tail (so to speak).
Is there a Disconnection fee? Some cards charge a fee to disconnect at the end of your call (believe it or not).
Tip 2
Maintenance fee : an amount deducted from the phone card’s balance daily/weekly/monthly having the effect of reducing your minutes.
Check whether your phonecard has a Maintenance fee. This is usually a daily amount that is deducted from the outstanding call credit on the phonecard. This could have the effect of significantly reducing your credit and is used by phonecard companies to encourage you to quickly exhaust the credit on the card so that you will have less of a maintenance reduction. Avoid cards with maintenance fees if you can, unless you feel it can be justified by the card’s low call rates.
Tip 3
Does your phonecard advertise thousands of minutes to some destinations?
Some phone card users like to hear thousands of minutes when they use the phone card. Again, the expression caveat emptor applies. Beware that if the number of minutes announced seem to be unrealistic.
Tip 4
Free minutes may not be Free
Often a phonecard may claim to offer extra credit for free. For example, a £5 card may be advertised as £5+ £2.50. Check carefully the number of minutes that you actually get. You may find that the supplier has other means of recouping any losses such as by connection and disconnection fees and maintenance fees.
Tip 5
There is no such thing as a free lunch
Phone card companies want your business, so they offer what seems to be great deals. You need to do your research to ensure that you are getting value for money. These companies also need to make a profit, so they cannot afford to give away there call credit.
The above being said, there are some great deals to be had with some phone cards. Look for the card that gives you the most minutes at least fees. read the fine print before making your choice. If there is no information on fees, don’t buy it!
How many phonecard minutes do you really get?
First, lets establish the facts. Phonecards are the cheapest method for calling the greatest number of countries. So if you are looking for cheap calls to your country, you’re right to choose phonecards.
So what should you look out for when you are choosing a phonecard?
When buying a phonecard you need to read the terms and conditions carefully.
For many phonecards, the terms and conditions state that the minutes quoted are based on “single use of card”.
What this means is that if you use the card to make a single completed call, you could talk for the specified number of minutes before the card would run out of credit.
For example, You may see a phonecard with 500 minutes to a particular destination country. What the card supplier is saying is that if you called the specified country using this phone card, you could speak to your contact for 500 minutes before the phonecard runs out of credit.
At a glance this may appear to be a good deal.
However, it is necessary to strike a note of caution here. Why?
The answer is that almost all phonecards come with fees and charges attached.
What are some of the fees and charges to look out for?
Phonecard Fees and Charges
Connection Fee
The connection fee is an amount deducted from the phone card’s balance once a call is connected. As a general rule of thumb, the higher the connection fee, the lower the destination call rate. Therefore, if you make only occasional calls and tend to speak for a long time, a card with a connection fee may provide the best value. If you make regular calls it is recommended that you use a phonecard with low or no connection fee.
Maintenance Fee
The maintenance fee is an amount deducted from the phone card’s balance daily/weekly/monthly having the effect of reducing your minutes. Most phone cards carry a maintenance fee which usually coincides with the expiry period after first use of the card.
Call Completion Fee
Some phonecards have a call completion fee which is a fee applied every time you complete a call. This has the effect of reducing the number of minutes on the card.
Rounding
This is the basic unit for measuring duration of a phone call. Our phone cards are generally rounded one minute. Some phonecard suppliers have a stepped series of charges where for example the first 10 minutes of a call may be rounded to one minute and the next ten minutes are rounded to 2 minutes etc. Call the phonecards customer services number to check these details if uncertain as to the phonecard’s rounding policy.
In these economically challenging times we still need to keep in touch with our relatives and friends abroad. This can be expensive if using regular call services from the large landline and mobile telephone providers. You may be made to sign contracts that lock you in for months if not years at a time in the case of some mobile providers.
How about a method that allows you to call abroad whenever you feel like and without being tied down to a contract. We recommend to you our 3 step process for saving on your landline phone bills.
The cheapest and easiest way to call abroad from UK landlines is using Access Numbers. These are non geographic numbers that allow callers to connect with international numbers in a two stage process.
The 3 steps are:
1. Dial the access number – Find the access number here – Click Here
2. Enter your destination number including 00 and the country code.
e.g. for India dial 0844 862 0022 (cost 1p/min)
3. Wait for your call recipient to answer and start talking.
It really is that easy!
A popular site to find these numbers to allow you to call internationally from 1 pence a minute is Calling Abroad.
Let us know your experiences in using this service by adding comments to this article.
Which access number should you use after you have sent your text message and received your PIN number to enable you to call abroad for just 1p per minute from your mobile?
Please see our short description of the access numbers and our recommendation as to how they should be used.
1. 020 Local access numbers – 020 numbers are charged at a standard rate for calls made from UK phones. Most mobile telephone service providers allow calls to 020 numbers to be made from free inclusive contract minutes. BT allows free calls to 020 numbers for up to an hour at weekends, Evenings and Weekends or Anytime depending on the BT Call Plan to which you are signed up. You can therefore call internationally at just the quoted phonecard rate. If you have a contract mobile with free minutes, we recommended that you call via your phonecard’s 020 access number.
2. 0800 Toll free access numbers Calls to 0800 numbers are free from most UK landlines. These numbers have a slightly higher rate than local access numbers, but would not usually incur a charge to call the access number from most UK landlines. You can therefore call abroad using the 0800 access number at the quoted rate on the website plus a small addition (e.g. 2 pence per minute) on the call rate and no charge will be levied on the landline phone that you have used to call the 0800 access number. (please check with your phone provider if unsure and always obtain the bill payers permission before using an access number)
Recommendation:
To call from mobiles we suggest that you use the 020 access number.
For calling from landlines, we suggest that you use the 0800 access number
Whether you make international phone calls rarely or on a regular basis, there are several different ways to place overseas calls. While you can pick up your phone and dial an international number to be connected, you’re likely to pay very high rates for doing so. By exploring other options, you can choose an international calling method that’s both affordable and convenient.
If you regularly make international phone calls from your landline, it’s smart to inquire about international calling packages your phone company may offer. For an affordable fee, you could obtain a great low rate on international calls made from your home phone. If your provider doesn’t offer an international calls package, it may be possible to switch to a provider that does.
Another option for saving on international phone calls is to use a “dial through” access code from a pre-dial provider. You simply enter a special prefix code before dialling an international call. This allows you to bypass your regular long distance carrier and use one that charges cheaper rates. Charges for dial through calls are added on to your monthly phone bill or may be pre-paid. If you shop around for a dialling prefix for international calls, you can find one that doesn’t charge extra costs such as monthly fees or connection charges.
Phonecards can be used to make international calls on a landline or mobile phone. You simply buy a pre-paid phonecard that offers a low rate on phone calls to the country you plan to call. You will need to set up a pin number and dial an access code to make the international call. Many phonecards offer very low rates to various countries, while some exclude calls to certain countries. It’s important to thoroughly read the fine print for complete information on call rates, restrictions and other phone card charges.
Today you can make very low cost or even free international calls from your computer. Computer to computer calls are free, regardless of where you are located. You can also use your computer to obtain low rates on calls to landlines. You need reliable broadband service and an account with a VoIP provider.
With so many options to choose from, it’s easier than ever to choose the best method for making international calls today. There’s no need to pay outrageous charges for direct dialled international calls. By considering your options and what will work best for you and the person you’re calling, you can select a convenient and affordable overseas calling method.
Pakistan is one of the most popular destination for calls from the UK. Call rates from Pakistan have fluctuated over the past few years due to various changes in termination rates by the Pakistan telecoms authorities.
We are pleased to promote to readers of our blog what we consider to be the best calling card for making calls to Pakistan from the UK. The CCD Pakistan phonecard offers rates of just 3.5p per minute for calls to Pakistan. This rate is available 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.
You can also call the CCD Pakistan Triple pack at the fantastic discount price of £12.99. That will give you calls to Pakistan at 3p a minute!
Don’t hesitate, try one now and benefit from the great savings on calls to Pakistan.
Click Here for details and to purchase a Pakistan phonecard
Landline Calls to India
The cheapest and best way to call India from your landline is to use call-through access numbers. These cheap access numbers can be used from any UK landline or mobile.
Make 1p a minute calls to India with our access numbers and making fantastic savings on your phone bills.
The benefits of using our access numbers are:
- No Need to register or give your address details
- No need to enter your credit card details
- No need to pre-pay
- No additional bills to pay
Our access numbers can be used to call India landline and Mobiles for the bargain rate of 1p a minute!
Just dial the number 0844 862 0022 before you dial your India destination number. Join the millions of people using this calling method every day to save on their phone bills.
Click Here for details of cheap phone calls to India from landlines
Mobile Calls to India
Our featured destination for the week is India.
We offer rates from 1.5p a minute to India. You can get these great rates whether you are calling from a landline or even a mobile phone.
Let us tell you how to get these great rates when calling from mobiles.
The quickest and most convenient way to get cheap call credit to call India from you mobile is by sending an SMS text message to our short code 67400.
You will receive a reply text confirming your purchase and a PIN number for a £10 phonecard to enable you to call India for 1.5p/min. As a special offer at the moment, we will give you an extra £1 absolutely free when you buy a £10 card using this method. That is £11 credit for the price of £10.
Click Here for details of text phonecards to India
Call India from your Mobile for 1p/min
You may also buy a phonecard using your credit card and get the rate of 1p/min. As a special deal, if you buy a triple pack, you pay £12.99 for the 3 cards instead of the regular retail price of £15 for 3 cards.
These rates apply for calls to India Mobiles and landlines.
Click Here for details of 1p/min cheap phone cards to India
Unlimited Calls to India from UK Mobiles
SMS Text Phone Cards
Text CCD to 67400 for a £10 phonecard
Special Offer – Get £11 credit when you do a £10 top up!
You can make international calls from your mobile any time you want, from the rates as low as 1p/minute.
Buy a phonecard in 2 easy steps:
1) Send the Text message CCD to the short number 67400 for £10 call credit.
You will receive a confirmation text containing your PIN and Access Number and a £10 charge will appear on your next phone bill.
2) To make a call, dial the access number – 0208 497 8844 (national access) – followed by your international number in full.
Remember not to press your send or call button again after you have dialed the international number.
*The cost of calls to the 0208 497 8844 number may be used as part of your contract mobile free inclusive minutes or will be charged at your standard mobile rate to a landline.
That’s it!
Get a phonecard by simply sending a text message!
Click Here for details and call rates
