Calling Card Buyers Guide

Top 12 Calling Card Buyers Tips

Here are our top calling card tips. Follow highlighted links for more information.

1. Buy 'clean' calling cards - i.e., cards with simple pricing and few, if any, extra fees or surcharges.
2. Avoid cards with complicated phone card pricing because it is hard to estimate your actual per minute rate and how many minutes you'll actually get.
3. Cards with low per minute rates aren't always the cheapest overall because they often have high service fees and surcharges.

4. Choose a reputable calling card vendor first, and then pick the best phone card to avoid calling card scams.
5. Buy calling cards online instead of at retail stores so you can verify company credentials. Fraud seems to be more common with store-bought cards.
6. Since many companies have hidden fees and overstate minutes, avoid cards that don't provide full disclosure of all fees and surcharges.
7. Choose calling cards with 1-minute or 3-minute billing increments because they generally offer the best calling card value. Do not buy calling cards with 1-second or 6-second billing increments -- unless the per minute rates are dramatically lower than for longer increments.
8. Start by buying a low denomination card - like $10 - and see how it works. Buy more if it works out. Try another one if it doesn't.
9. Buy from vendors that offer advanced dialing features and advanced billing features.
10. If you use calling cards a lot (or have a lot of friends who do), choose a company with a frequent buyer rewards program so you can earn discounts and bonuses.
11. Buy from companies with fair return policies and satisfaction guarantees. and customer support that is available 24/7.
12. Confirm that the company offers real 24/7 customer support by calling the support line before you buy.

Bonus tip: Final point is that we recommend that you comparison shop looking at at least 2 different calling card vendors -- 3, if you have the time. By doing this, you'll learn more and make a better choice.