International Calling Cards: Can They Save Money On Domestic Calls?

International prepaid calling cards are already pretty popular with millions of customers worldwide. They save money on long distance calls and are happy with it. However, many of us still stick to the usual telecommunication companies when placing domestic calls. But there are opportunities to save money by calling inside the USA with international calling cards. Did you know that? Well, now you do.

Calling cards providers offer plenty of various rates and destination packages to their customers trying to stay competitive on the overcrowded market. This is great for the customers as they have a plethora of choices. Those calling card companies, who are into a serious business, usually give their detailed rates on the official websites and these rates are final, therefore making a customer able to choose the offer that fits him best.

It is not an easy task for a prepaid phone card user to dig the rates and other features which are important in evaluation the provider’s offer. However, if the job is done right, chances are high to have your savings maximized and connection problems minimized.

Some companies offer US-Call-Back services, some give PIN-less accounts and some offer special bonuses and rewards if you call to certain countries on a frequent basis. If you know all these special offers and opportunities, it is possible for you to design a sort of a ‘combo’ where each call you place will be the optimal choice if to consider the price and reliability of the service.
Some people claim it is impossible to save on domestic phone calls with the help of prepaid long distance products. This is not true as many calling card providers offer special rates on calls to the USA which are sometimes significantly cheaper than those from your local provider. Yes, you heard it right - if you call to the neighboring state as if you’ve been calling from abroad, it may appear to be cheaper than using your standard telecommunication operator.

Information is crucial to make the process of calling cheap and pleasant. And while millions of people believe this is true only for the long distance international calls through prepaid calling cards, we now know there are additional opportunities to save money and still have a reliable and high-quality phone connection.

Phone Cards

Phone cards (or calling cards), let me tell you a few words about them. If you know what phone cards are, you may skip reading this article, as the story goes about International calling cards.

Here it means to choose the way to make an international call to a country to talk to somebody you need to talk to. The choices are:
- use common phone
- call via cell phone
- use a prepaid phone card

Most of us use standard telephone service to make the calls we need. Maybe that’s not a problem? Maybe not, it is only depends on just how often you need to call abroad. If it happens once a month for a few minutes that’s fine. But, if you make international call more often, for a decent period of time, at least 20-30 minutes a month, you may consider using prepaid phone cards. Prepaid phone cards (international phone cards) let you save your money on international calls up to 80% over a standard dialing service.

So, answer these questions:
- how many international calls a month you make?
- How long does an average call last?
- How many minutes you spend for a call?
- How much money you spend on international calls?
- How much money you can save using phone cards?

Probably, if you answer these questions, you can make a choice what to use for your next international call.

So Many Cards, So Little Time

There are so many international prepaid calling cards in the market today that it's easy to be duped by buying one that slaps you with hidden charges more than the actual call times you get to consume. Some prepaid call cards even have the gall to print low-cost rates on their surfaces and then surprise you with surcharges and taxes midway. Many a traveler has already been lured by "cheap" calling cards. Don't let this happen to you.

Having said that, I guess the million dollar question now is this: how do you choose the best (or the most decent) prepaid calling card for your international calls? The answer: you never really find out 100% unless you try.

Now before you go stomping off at this very obvious response, understand that prepaid calling card offers and activities change as often as you change clothes, so we never can be fully sure how each of them operate. Add that to the fact that there's thousands of types of prepaid calling cards out there. However, if you're eyeing a particular calling card, then the assessment might be easier.

Reading About The Cards
Find out more about the card through online reviews and peer referrals. If you don't want to risk your money by finding out for yourself if the international prepaid calling card you bought gives you the best value for your money, you can always ask the people who have used it before. People are unforgiving when it comes to criticizing the brand that made them lose call credits, so you don't need to worry about them telling you that so and so brand is okay to use.

Of course, when you make your choice, you have to consider how often you expect to use the prepaid calling card (as some expire after 30 days), the call tariffs implemented depending on your location, and how long you stay on the phone with another person (as some cards charge you a little extra connection fee -- the nemesis of those who make short calls).

Despite these possible problems, using prepaid phone cards for international calls is still a very convenient and smart way to get in touch with the important people in your life. Once you get past the choosing stage, it's not likely that you'll have any more problem with the calls.

Calling Card Rates to India

Rates on prepaid calling products to India have dropped significantly over the past couple of years. A year ago it was difficult to find a product to call India for less than 10 cents per minute unless it was poor quality. Now there are several high quality products offering rates as low as 4.5 cents per minute. For example, NW-IP recently introduced the Golden Lotus calling card that charges as little as 4.2 cents per minute and customers are rating the card very high in terms of reliability and call quality. Even Tel3Advantage is only charging 8.5 cents per minute to users of its the high quality Flex Plan while one year ago it was charging 12 to 15 cents per minute.

So what has changed? We have been investigating and we cannot find the answer except, perhaps, increased competition. Rates on calls to several markets have been dropping recently but it seems that India has seen one of the most dramatic decreases. This is good news for people with friends and family in India and want to make frequent calls. Now there are several high quality prepaid calling products on the market for making cheap calls to India.

Calling Card Rates to India

Rates on prepaid calling products to India have dropped significantly over the past couple of years. A year ago it was difficult to find a product to call India for less than 10 cents per minute unless it was poor quality. Now there are several high quality products offering rates as low as 4.5 cents per minute. For example, NW-IP recently introduced the Golden Lotus calling card that charges as little as 4.2 cents per minute and customers are rating the card very high in terms of reliability and call quality. Even Tel3Advantage is only charging 8.5 cents per minute to users of its the high quality Flex Plan while one year ago it was charging 12 to 15 cents per minute. So what has changed? We have been investigating and we cannot find the answer except, perhaps, increased competition. Rates on calls to several markets have been dropping recently but it seems that India has seen one of the most dramatic decreases. This is good news for people with friends and family in India and want to make frequent calls. Now there are several high quality prepaid calling products on the market for making cheap calls to India.