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Things to Watch for  with Prepaid Calling Cards

As long distance rates continue to come down,and consumers are looking for cost effective ways to stay in touch with their friends and loved ones, many consumers are looking for alternative ways to pay  for a long distance call.

One of the most common alternatives is the prepaid long distance calling card. When you purchase a prepaid calling card, you are paying for long distance telephone service before you actually use it. Prepaid calling cards can be used  from any telephone, including payphones.

When you buy a calling card you will receive a Personal Identification Number  (PIN). To use the card, you first dial the toll-free number printed on the back of the card.

You will then be prompted to enter your PIN and the phone number of the party  you are attempting to reach.

As the prepaid calling card industry grows, many smaller companies are beginning to market their own prepaid calling cards. While most prepaid calling  cards are legitimate and work just fine, there are a number of consumer  complaints starting to surface.

The most common of which are;

• Hidden connection charges, taxes, and surcharges on cards that claim to  have 'no fees'.
• Large billing increments so that calls get rounded to the 'nearest 5 minutes' or so.
• Charging at a rate higher than advertised.
• Access numbers and customer service numbers that do not work or are  constantly busy.
• PIN codes that do not work.
• The company that issued the card goes out of business.
• Calling cards that debit minutes while accessing their toll free number, even when you get a busy signal, or otherwise fail to connect to the called party.
• Poor quality connections.

You can avoid many of these problems by taking a few minutes to do a little  research, and planning ahead.

• Consider getting a 'billed calling card'.

These cards function the same way as a prepaid calling cards, but the instead  of pre-paying the charges, card usage is billed to your credit card, or your  home address.

• Check the rates carefully (read the fine print).

Look for extra charges such as connection surcharges, USF fees, monthly  service fees, recharge fees, etc.

• Check for rules and restrictions. Some calling cards have restrictions as  to the time of day you can call, or are available in only certain areas.

When considering a calling card, here are some basic questions that need to  be asked.

• Are you charged for a call when there is no answer, or when the line is  busy.
• Is there a minimum charge for each call?
• Is there a monthly service charge even if you don't use the card?
• Does the time purchased expire?

When you find a card you think will work for your situation, purchase the  smallest increment of the card you can find.

Prepaid calling cards are usually available in 5 or 10 dollar increments.  Keep track of the calls charged to the card and calculate to see if you are getting the advertised rate. Then you can feel comfortable purchasing the larger  increment cards.

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Austin Hatcher austin@ak-web.net 
Communication Products for the Digital Age
http://www.ak-web.net
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