Get The Word Out

Updates from July, 2010

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  Phone Card Features: Call History

  Bob 7:14 am on July 11, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: call (5), calling card (3), cheap (45), international (48), mobile (40), phone (53), phone card (31), Technology (39)

  A few premium on-line phone cards offer a call history feature. With call history, callers can view charges, duration and destinations for all calls made on their phone card. This is a nice feature to say the least, especially for those phone card users who have wondered where all of those minutes went. Not all phone cards come with a call history feature. Those that have call history provide users with an on-line account where they can log-in and view the details of each call made on their account in real time. We know that the following international phone cards come with the call history feature. These cards are marketed by Phone Cards International and the details for each card can be viewed on their website.

  • Hello from UK – A phone card with great rates for those who call to and from the UK. It features toll free access in the UK, USA and Canada. It also has local access numbers in 14 UK cities.
  • Continental Phone Card – A great all around international phone card that can be used from over 60 countries.
  • Golden Lotus – An international phone card with great rates to India and other countries in Asia. It can be used from 25 countries.
  • Marachi – A super phone card for those who want to make calls to or from Mexico and other countries in Latin America.
  • Simply – An international phone card with great rates to most destinations from the USA and Canada.

  Another premium on-line prepaid calling product that includes call history is the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan. It is a super on-line calling card that can be used to make cheap international calls from the USA and Canada. It can be used to make calls from any phone. It is also very easy to use and has no hidden fees and comes complete with a full range of features. Visit cheap international calling for more information on Tel3Advantage and other products that can be used to make cheap international phone calls.

   

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  How to Make Cheap International Calls from Canada

  Bob 1:38 pm on March 27, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: calling (6), canada (2), cheap (45), international (48), mobile (40), phone (53), phone card (31), Technology (39)

  There are a variety of products for making cheap international calls from Canada. These vary from those that can be used from any phone, like phone cards, to those that require an INTERNET connection like PC-to-Phone or VOIP. Although, in many case, INTERNET based products offer good value, they also require the user to have access to the INTERNET. In many cases they also require the user to pay a monthly fee for services even if no international calls are made. That is why many international callers are still using high quality phone cards and other prepaid calling products that can be used from standard or mobile phones to make international calls from Canada. Many of these products offer high quality, low cost and ultimate flexibility.

  One product that is gaining popularity for making international calls from Canada is Tel3Advantage. It was introduced in Canada a couple of years ago and has steadily gained popularity among those people who make frequent international calls. Tel3 offers the highest call quality and some of the lowest rates. It is also one product that can be used from multiple phones (home, business or mobiles) and it is very convenient to use. They provide callers with an on-line account where they can track usage and make changes to their accounts. They also provide 24/7 customer service. It is also one of the only companies in the industry that has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

  Tel3Advantage offers some of the lowest rates and they do not charge a monthly fee for maintaining an account. They also do not charge hidden fees to make up for low rates which is common practice in the phone card industry. Tel3 offers some of the cheapes rates in the industry on international calls. For example, international calls from Canada to the Australia are only 1.4 cents per minute while calls to the USA are only 0.9 cents per minute with Tel3. These rates are good for the first 30 days if a new customer opens an account using the Tel3Advantage Triple Bonus offer. Tel3 makes these offers to entice people to try their service because they know that most customers will continue to use the service beyond the bonus period. Tel3Advantage is one of the most popular prepaid calling plans in North America because they offer high quality, low rates and some of the best customer service in the industry.

   
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  How to Avoid Phone Card Connection Fees

  Bob 12:59 pm on March 21, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheap (45), fees, international (48), international calls (2), mobile (40), phone (53), phone card (31), tel3advantage (3)

  Connection fees can be one of the more onerous and tricky hidden fees charged by phone card service providers. Some phone card suppliers advertise enticingly low rates for making calls but charge a connection fee which is a hidden charge that is not included in the advertised rate. This fee is charged whenever a call is connected so it is a charge for each call that is made and is not based on the duration of the call.

  Consumer Tip: Read the fine print when purchasing a phone card so that you fully understand the fee structure before making a purchase.

  A connection fee can significantly increase the cost of a call. This is especially true for short duration calls made to low cost locations. The following example highlights the impact of this cost. The information used in this example is based on actual information obtained from the website of a major virtual phone card provider.

  Example: Connection Fee Impact on the Cost of a Call

  Assume an international call is made from the USA to Germany. The advertised rate is 2 cents per minute and the connection fee is 49 cents. The call duration is 10 minutes.
  There are many phone cards that do not charge connection fees. Most charge a surcharge, tax or a maintenance fee but these, in most cases, will be lower than a connection fee. Tel3Advantage is a virtual phone card that can be used to make long distance calls (international or domestic) from Canada or the USA and it does not charge any hidden fees. Therefore, Tel3Advantage offers the lowest actual rates on calls to many destination because their advertised rate is the actual rate charged for each call. They offer one of the few prepaid calling products that does not charge any hidden fees.

  The total cost of the call at the advertised rate would be 20 cents (10 x 2) while the actual cost of the 10 minute call including the connection fee would be 69 cents (10 x 2 + 49). Therefore, the effective per-minute rate is actually 6.9 cents rather than the advertised rate of 2 cents per-minute. This is a whopping 245% increase in cost.

   
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  Stay Connected with PC-to-Phone Service

  Bob 9:28 am on January 30, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: calling (6), cheap (45), international (48), internet phone, long distance (43), pc, pc phone, phone (53), Technology (39)

  If you make international business trips and carry a laptop computer than PC-to-Phone service is a great way to stay connected while on the road. As long as you have an INTERNET connection, you can make cheap international calls from any location to other computers or to any phone in the world. Calls to other computers using the same PC-to-Phone software are often Free while there is a charge for placing calls to phones (landlines or cell phones). The rates vary depending on the country and the type of phone called but rates are much lower than those charged by international hotels or long distance carriers. PC-to-Phone service is also popular with students, expats and people who operate small businesses with an international focus.

  PC-to-Phone service providers continue to add new features that make their product more flexible and convenient to use. For example, Skype, one of the most popular PC-to-Phone service providers, offers free calls to other Skype users and the following added features.

  • Low rates on calls to landlines and cell phones.
  • An online phone number so people can reach you on Skype from any phone.
  • The ability to send text messages from Skype.
  • A built in Voice Mail feature so calls are never missed.
  • Call forwarding that forwards incoming calls to a regular phone when the user is off-line.
  • Mobile applications so Skype can be used from Mobile Phones.

  Skype has continued to innovate and add features in order to broaden the appeal of their service.

  We think Skype is a great option for people who want to make free calls to other Skype users. However, Skype’s international rates on calls to landlines and cell phones are not as low as other cheap international calling options. In addition to a per-minute charge for each call, Skype also charges a connection fee for each call made to a land-line or cell phone. In order to evaluate the relative cost of making international calls to landlines or cell phones with Skype, we compared the international rates charged by Skype to those charged by Tel3Advantage for the same call from the USA. Tel3Advantage was selected for this comparison since it is a high quality prepaid calling plan that can be used to make low cost domestic or international long distance calls from any phone without changing companies and it is very popular with those who make frequent international calls from the USA or Canada.

  We compared Skype published rates (excluding their connection fee) to those charged by Tel3Advantage to the following popular destinations.

  A Comparison of International Rates* (US cents per-minute)

  Destinations	Skype	Tel3Advantage
  Afghanistan	40.8	22
  Brazil	6.4	3.6
  Mexico	11.4	6
  Morocco	29.6	17.5
  Nigeria	18.5	13.5
  Philippines	22.8	10.5
  Saudi Arabia	28.2	10.5
  Thailand	13	1.5

  *For calls originating in the USA – Rates posted on the respective company websites on January 23, 2010.
  
  In general, it seems that rates charged by Skype on calls to landlines and cell phones are higher than those charged by prepaid long distance providers. This makes sense since they do not make money of the free Skype-to-Skype calls they provide or the free software people can download from their website. They do provide a high quality niche service that is ideal for a segment of the market but it is not the best option for everyone.

   
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  Rates on International Calls to Mobile Phones

  Bob 6:20 pm on January 27, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheap (45), international (48), long distance (43), mobile (40), phone (53), phone card (31), prepaid (13), Technology (39)

  In many cases, the rates charged on international calls to mobile phones are substantially higher than the rate charged for the same call to a land-line. Therefore, when making international calls, callers should take care and read the fine print so they fully understand the rate charged for making a call to the type of phone they plan to call or they may receive an unpleasant surprise. In most cases, rates on international calls to mobile phones are higher than they are for calls to landlines but this is not always the case. The rate difference varies between countries and service providers so it is best to shop around in order to find the lowest cost product for making calls to the country and type of phone you wish to call.

  We did some research on this topic by comparing the rates charged by Tel3Advantage, a popular prepaid calling plan, on international calls to mobile phones and landlines in various countries. We found there were some regional patterns to the data but no consistent rules. The following is a summary of our key observations.

  • The rate charged on calls to mobile phones is substantially higher than they would be for the same call to a land-line. This seemed to be a typical pattern. Especially for international calls made to countries located in Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East. However, there were exceptions so callers should check the countries they wish to call before making any conclusions. Some popular locations where the rates charged on international calls to mobile phones are significantly higher than they are to landlines: Brazil, France, Italy, Mexico and the UK. For example, a call to a mobile phone in Italy from the USA costs 14.7 cents per-minute while a call to a land-line costs 1.8 cents per-minute.

  • In some cases, the rate charged on calls to mobile phones were the same as those charged to landlines. Many of these locations were in Asia but there were many exceptions. We discovered the following popular destinations: Bermuda, China, India and Thailand.

  • We also found cases where international calls to mobile phones where cheaper than calls to landlines. This is true on calls to the following popular destinations: Cuba, Egypt, Hong Kong, Singapore, Syria and Uzbekistan. In most cases, the difference in cost is small. For example, the rate charged for an international call to a mobile phone in Egypt is 9.4 cents per-minute while the charge for the same call to a land-line is 9.8 cents.

  International callers should shop around for the best deal when deciding on a product to use for making cheap international calls. They should recognize that rates can vary significantly between countries and the type of phone they wish to call. It may be prudent to use one product for making calls to cell phones and another product to make calls to landlines. There are a wide selection of phone cards and other prepaid calling products to choose from so most callers can find substantial savings by shopping for the product that best fits their needs.

   
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  How to Make Cheap Calls to UK Mobile Phones

  Bob 9:32 am on December 19, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cell (6), cheap (45), international (48), long distance (43), mobile (40), phone (53), Technology (39), uk (2)

  The UK is one of the most popular calling destinations from the USA and Canada. It is also one of the lowest cost destinataions. It is relatively easy to find an international prepaid calling plan or high quality phone card with rates of 1 or 2 cents per-minute on calls from North America to UK land-lines but cell phones are another mater. Typical rates on calls to UK cell phones range from 10 cents per-minute to 25 cents per-minute or more. Even Vonage World, which boasts free calls to the UK, lists a 28 cent per-minute rate on calls to UK cell phones. Not exactly free, especially when one adds in taxes and other fees.

  We have done some research and found that there are some options for making cheap calls to UK cell phones. It appears that the best options involve the use of prepaid phone cards or other prepaid calling products. One option is Tel3Advantage which charges only 10.5 cents per-minute (triple promo rate) on calls from the USA or Canada to cell phones in the UK. Tel3advantage does not charge added fees or taxes so this is an all inclusive rate if a local access number is used to place the call. Another good option is the Simply international phone card. It lists a rate of 11.4 cents per-minute but it does charge service and maintenance fees so all costs should be taken into account when making a decision.

  These are both good options for making cheap calls to UK cell phones which could save callers a significant amount of money over the holiday season.

   
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  The Perfect Holiday Gift Card

  Bob 11:23 am on December 13, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: card, free (9), gift (3), holiday (2), international (48), long distance (43), phone (53), phone card (31), Technology (39)

  
  With the Holiday Season fast approaching, a perfect gift for a friend or loved one who is far away may be the gift of a phone card. A phone card gift card can be delivered to any location in the world instantly via e-mail and there is no tax, duty or delivery fee. A phone card gift card is very easy to purchase and is a useful gift, even for the person who has everything.

  A gift card can be purchased in any amount (from $5 to $100) and the recipient can trade it in for any phone card they want. So they can choose the best phone card for their needs from a vast range of phone cards including those with a global reach and a full range of special features.

  Purchasing a gift card is easy. Once you complete a gift card purchase you will receive an email containing a PIN number and a link – all that is needed for a phone card to be selected and activated. Just send this information to your friend or loved one and they can choose the phone card they want. It is that easy.

  Visit Phone Cards International to review a full range of international phone cards and choose the gift card option if you would like to send a special gift to a friend or loved one this holiday season.

   
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  How to Call the USA from France

  Bob 8:14 am on November 26, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: calling (6), cheap (45), france, information (35), international (48), long distance (43), mobile (40), phone (53), phone card (31), usa, voip (5)

  Making international phone calls from France or other European countries to the USA has never been easier or cheaper. As consumer prices continue to climb the cost of making international phone calls continue to drop. This is the result of increased competition and advances in technology. It is now possible to make free international calls using PC-to-Phone service or other INTERNET based technologies like VoIP phone service from nearly any location in the world.

  The advent of the INTERNET has no doubt had an impact on international calling rates but, even without competition from the INTERNET, the cost of making international phone calls has been dropping. This has been partially due to improvements in technology but a major factor has been industry deregulation which has dramatically increased competition by allowing new companies to enter the market. There is now a wide variety of international phone cards that can be used to make cheap calls from home, business or cell phones in more than 230 countries. The quality and convenience of these prepaid products have continued to improve as the cost continues to decline.

  Another interesting product that can be used to make cheap international calls from nearly any location in the world is international callback. By using international callback phone service, cheap international calls can be made from any country by routing the phone call through a low cost third country. This can save international callers in some countries a lot of money. Especially those countries that keep artificially high international rates by not allowing competition. There are still many countries that route international calls through local, monopoly phone companies and international rates from these countries can be extremely high. International callback is a great way to save money when making calls from these countries.

  Making cheap calls from France and the rest of Europe is easy because the market is mostly deregulated and there are many products to choose from. We especially like prepaid phone cards because they offer good value and ultimate convenience. They can be used while traveling to make calls from land-lines or cell phones and can be used to make cheap calls from hotels. Another option is PC-to-Phone service if a high speed INTERNET connection is available. There are many options for making cheap international calls these days, the best and cheapest option typically depends on the technology available to the user and the location where the caller expects to use the products.

   
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  Tel3Advantage Thanksgiving Promotion - Double the Free Minutes

  Bob 12:13 pm on November 19, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheap (45), free (9), international (48), long distance (43), phone (53), phone card (31), prepaid (13), promo (5), promotion (10), tel3 (2)

  Tel3 announced a special Thanksgiving new customer promotion today that will last through November 30, 2009. During this promo new customers who sign-up for the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan will get double the normal sign-up bonus. So people who sign-up and deposit as little as $10 will have from $2 to $18 added to their accounts. They can use this money to make free calls to any location in the world. Those who are interested in this promotion need to visit the following sign-up page, Tel3Advantage Promo, or call 800 441 0321 and provide the customer service rep with the event code “DOUBLE4YOU“.

  Tel3Advantage has another on-going promotion that is referred to as the Triple Bonus. new customers who sign-up under the triple bonus get a lower cash bonus but they save 30% or more on all of their calls for the first 30 days. Visit Tel3 Triple Bonus for more information or call 800 441 0321 and ask for the Triple Bonus.

  Which Tel3Advantage bonus is best for you?? The best option depends on where you plan to call and how much you plan to talk during the first 30 days. For most people the Double Bonus is the best option because they get up to $18 added to their account that can be used to make calls at any time in the future. However, the Tel3 Advantage Triple Bonus is a better option for some people. These people will get a smaller bonus (up to $9) but they save 30% or more on calls for the first 30 days. This is the best option for people who want to make long duration calls to a relatively expensive location. Study both options and choose the one that works best for you.

   
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  How to Make Cheap International Calls to Mobile Phones

  Bob 8:59 am on November 14, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: call plan (2), cell (6), cheap (45), information (35), international (48), mobile (40), phone (53), phone card (31), Technology (39), voip (5)

  Many people want to make cheap international calls to cell phones and there are several options available today. The best or cheapest option depends on several factors so one option is not the best for every caller. Things like the location of the caller, the destination called and the type of phone the caller intends to use (land line, INTERNET or cell phone) are all important factors to consider when shopping for the international service. Most people are looking for an option that is high quality, cheap and convenient to use so we reviewed the pros and cons of a few popular options. These included two International VoIP calling plans, a PC-to-Phone service, a popular prepaid long distance phone service and a high quality phone card. The results of our review are presented below.

  Several VoIP service providers now advertise that they include free international calls to several countries with their phone service. Vonage and Lingo offer two of the most popular VoIP services. In most cases, the free calls included with these plans are to landlines not cell phones, as shown later; in most cases, international calls to cell phones are not cheap with these plans. Vonage indicates that they include free calls to 60 countries with their new Vonage World plan and Lingo advertises that free calls to 75 countries are included with their Lingo World Max service. Vonage charges around $32.60 per month (including taxes and fees) for their service and Lingo charges about $31 per month (including fees and taxes). In addition to the monthly service fees, users also need to pay for a high-speed INTERNET connection so neither service is actually free. Both calling plans also require a service contract (Lingo requires 2 years and Vonage requires 1 year) and charge an early termination fee if a customer chooses to stop using the service, so they are not a convenient option for short-term users. However, both phone services are good quality and one of them may be a good deal for those who want low cost home phone service and the ability to make frequent international calls to one or more of the countries covered by their plans.

  Skype offers a very popular personal computer based phone service. It can be used to make free PC-to-PC calls worldwide so it is very popular with students, international business travelers and expats living around the world. Skype can also be used as a PC-to-Phone service where users can make calls to landlines or cell phones from their PC but there is a fee for this service. As shown later, Skype PC-to-Phone rates are not that cheap and Skype is not a very convenient option since calls are made from a PC so we believe there are better and cheaper options for making international calls to cell phones.

  Prepaid long distance is another option so we examined the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan, which is one of the most popular prepaid plans in North America. It can be used to make cheap long distance calls from any phone (cell, home, business or pay phone) in Canada and the USA. It is a popular service for making cheap international calls because it is convenient to use, offers some of the lowest rates and does not require a monthly fee or contract.

  We wanted to compare the above options with the rates offered by a high quality phone card so we chose the Continental Phone Card. It can be used to make cheap calls from over 60 countries and is one of the most versatile phone cards on the market. It has low fees relative to other phone cards but it does charge a 15% tax (surcharge) on calls so we include this in the per-minute rates listed in the Table below. The continental card is a virtual phone card that can be used from any kind of phone. Customers get a free on-line account where they can monitor activity and make changes to their account so it is a viable long or short-term option.

  We have summarized the rates charged each minute for calls originating from the USA using the options listed above in the following table. We randomly selected a variety of popular destinations in order to compare rates to different regions of the world. Note that Tel3Advantage offers rates that are similar to phone cards on calls to cell phones in most locations while both VoIP service providers and Skype charge significantly higher rates.

  Sample Rates on Calls from the USA to Mobile Phones (US $ per Minute)
  Country	Vonage1	Lingo2	Skype3	Tel34	Phone Card5
  Afghanistan	$1.25	$0.72	$0.355	$0.262	$0.243
  Australia	0.22	0.33	0.20	0.089	0.117
  Brazil	0.17	0.30	0.213	0.19	0.205
  China	Free	Free	0.021	0.018	0.025
  Egypt	0.15	0.159	0.15	0.17	0.167
  France	0.19	0.22	0.203	0.164	0.150
  Germany	0.25	0.30	0.246	0.17	0.143
  Ghana	0.20	0.24	0.166	0.185	0.171
  Iran	0.36	0.139	0.158	0.115	0.164
  Israel	0.17	0.089	0.136	0.089	0.093
  Italy	0.25	0.37	0.308	0.21	0.193
  Mexico	0.23	0.34	0.336	0.20	0.160
  Nigeria	0.28	0.30	0.254	0.199	0.135
  Russia	0.08	0.109	0.071	0.06	0.064
  South Africa	0.23	0.27	0.233	0.165	0.148
  Trinidad	0.23	0.16	0.341	0.155	0.258
  Ukraine	0.16	0.21	0.186	0.138	0.125
  1	Vonage World , posted rates on 11/8/09
  2	Lingo World Max, rates on 11/8/09
  3	Skype Pay As You Go, posted rates on 11/8/09
  4	Tel3Advantage Flex Plan, posted rates on 11/9/09
  5	Continental Phone Card, including 15% tax.

   
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  Phone Cards are Ideal for international Travelers

  Bob 5:00 pm on November 8, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheap (45), information (35), international (48), long distance (43), mobile (40), phone (53), phone cards (4), Technology (39), Travel (32)

  The last thing most people think about when preparing for an international journey is a calling card but it may be one of the most useful things to bring. There are many important items to remember when packing for an international trip, like travel documents and plane tickets, but an international phone card should be high on the list. A good international phone card is useful because it can be used to make cheap international calls from nearly any kind of phone (including airport pay phones or hotel phones). A phone card can also save money. One of the first things most people want to do when they reach a foreign destination is to call friends or loved ones at home. International hotels know this and typically charge exorbitant rates for international calls. A few short international calls from a hotel room can cost as much as the room charge. That is why experienced travelers save time, hassles and money by packing a couple international phone cards before leaving home.

  Other than saving money, there are other good reasons for purchasing international phone cards before traveling. Some of these are listed below.

  • It is a great way to budget money for phone calls since phone cards are prepaid and can be purchased in small denominations.

  • There is a wide variety of virtual phone cards available on-line that can be used to make calls from nearly any country in the world. They can be used to make low cost long distance calls from pay phones in airports, hotels or nearly any major city in the world.

  • Virtual phone cards are convenient because users can access their on-line account via the INTERNET from any location. Many virtual phone cards have an on-line call history so users can view a record of the calls and charges made on their phone card or even transfer funds between cards. They can also conveniently refill their phone card from any location.

  • Virtual phone cards are safely stored in a customer’s online account so they cannot be lost or stolen.

  Remember that phone cards do not have universal coverage so check the rates and accessibility for the countries you plan to use them from before making a purchase. Some merchants, like phone cards international, allow users to transfer funds between phone cards. This can be done conveniently through a customer’s on-line account and is a nice feature for those who plan travel to multiple countries or regions of the world. In any case, purchase high quality phone cards and check to be sure they will work from the countries being visited. This is easy to do if the phone cards are purchased from a reputable on line merchant.

   
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  Virtual Phone Cards Offer Value and Features

  Bob 8:03 am on October 31, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheap (45), information (35), international (48), long distance (43), mobile (40), phone (53), phone cards (4), Technology (39)

  Most consumers know that prepaid phone cards can be used to make cheap domestic and international long distance phone calls but many do not know that they also offer a full range of features. These features make them more convenient to use and a viable option for long term savings.

  Consumers who purchase phone cards at supermarkets or convenience stores may be missing a lot of these features and may also be paying a higher rate for calls since it is very easy to shop and compare rates and features on-line. Many high quality phone card websites offer free search features which makes it very easy to find and compare phone cards from any location in the world. Phone cards can be safely purchased on-line and they are safely and conveniently stored in an on-line customer account.

  Some of the common features found with high quality virtual prepaid phone cards are listed below.

  • PIN Free dialing has become a common feature with many virtual phone cards. It allows a caller to register phone numbers so they do not need to enter a special code when making calls from a registered phone. The registered phone numbers can be conveniently edited in the customer’s on-line account.

  • Many virtual phone cards feature a permanent PIN so the code does not change each time the phone card is re-charged or purchased. These permanent PIN phone cards are typically stored in an on-line account that can be accessed by a user from any INTERNET connection.

  • Most permanent PIN phone cards also allow an optional automatic recharge function. Many users find this to be an attractive option since it assures that they will not run out of funds during a call and the card is always available for use.

  • Many virtual phone cards come with a call history feature that tracks and stores the details of each call (including location, length of call and cost). The call history can be accessed through the customer’s on-line account. This is a very handy feature that is typically included with high quality phone cards.

  • Many on-line phone cards include a Speed Dial feature. This allows the user to add phone numbers to their personal account so they can call these numbers by pressing 2 or 3 numbers on their phone. This is a convenient feature for those who plan to make international calls to the same phone numbers.

  • Some on-line merchants allow customers to transfer funds between phone cards. This is a useful feature for users who call to or from multiple locations and want to use the phone card offering the best rates.

  • Most on-line merchants have a handy search tool built into their website that allows shoppers to search for the best phone card for their needs. These search tools will list phone cards with the lowest rates for making calls to and from specific locations. In many cases they also provide phone card quality ratings and a summary of features, taxes and fees.

  • Some on-line phone cards, like the continental card, can also be used to make conference calls, international callback calls from virtually any location in the world and to set-up personal toll free numbers in the USA.

  There are virtual phone cards or prepaid calling plans like Tel3Advantage that offer many of the features listed above as well as some other not so common features. Tel3 offers a mobile plan where users can make direct-dial international phone calls from their Mobile Phones. With Tel3 Mobile, users do not need to dial an access number or PIN code when placing an international call. They simply dial the international code and their call is automatically routed over the low cost Tel3 network. Tel3 also offers a business calling plan with many on-line tools and features that are ideal for small to medium size business users. Tel3Advantage can be used to make cheap domestic and international long distance phone calls from Canada and the USA.

  Phone cards have come a long way since their introduction in the 1970’s but companies like Tel3 and others continue to introduce new features and services so the virtual phone card of tomorrow will be even more useful than it is today.

   
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  Tel3 Advantage Fall Promotion

  Bob 10:32 am on September 24, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheap (45), information (35), international (48), long distance (43), phone (53), phone card (31), promo (5), promotion (10)

  During the Tel3Advantage September promotion new customers will receive double the free minutes when they open an account. The promotion lasts through September 28, 2009. Those interested should visit the Tel3Advantage website or call 800 441 0321.

  So what does the promotion mean? Tel3Advantage normally offers a bonus for new customers who open an account and deposit $25 or more. During this promotion new customers will get double the normal bonus according to the following schedule:

  Deposit $10 and receive an additional $2 (there is normally no bonus for this amount).
  Deposit $25 and receive an additional $10 (the normal bonus is $5)
  Deposit $50 and receive an additional $14 ( the normal bonus is $7)
  Deposit $100 and receive an additional $18 ( the normal bonus is $9)

  Tel3Advantage is one of the most popular prepaid calling plans in North America and now is a great time to give it a try. It can be used to make cheap domestic and international long distance calls from any kind of telephone in Canada or the USA. It is especially popular with people who make frequent international phone calls since it can be conveniently used from mobile phones as well as house or business phones. It can be used with any existing service provider so there is nothing to change and opening an account is free. There are never any monthly or weekly maintenance fees like those charged by other companies. In general, there are no hidden fees. Customers only pay the per-minute charges listed on the Tel3Advantage website when they place a call with no other fees or taxes. Tel3 also has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau which is very good for a company that has been marketing prepaid calling products for over 15 years.

  Those interested in other low cost calling products like phone cards, voip or PC-to-Phone should visit the cheap international calling guide for more information.

   
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  The Best Quality Phone Cards

  Bob 9:46 am on September 21, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheap (45), information (35), international (48), long distance (43), phone (53), phone card (31), Technology (39)

  There are several high quality phone cards on the market today. The “best phone card” depends, in part, on how the caller intends to use the product. It also depends on where the caller wants to use the phone card and what destinations they plan to call. In any case, a phone card rated the best in its class should have top rated voice quality, connectivity and customer service along with honest billing and useful features such as PIN free dialing and call history. With these criteria in mind, there are a few products which meet or exceed the expectations of most users. We discuss some of these below.

  First and foremost we believe that Tel3Advantage offers the best prepaid calling product for making either domestic or international long distance calls from North America. Tel3 has been in the prepaid calling business for along time (around 15 years) and it is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an A+ rating. What does this rating mean? Well the BBB defines an A+ rating as, “An exemplary rating. This means that nothing in our files causes us to have any doubt about the company’s reliability.” A review of BBB comments is not a bad place to start when searching for the “Best Phone Card” but what makes Tel3Advantage better than the competition? There are several reasons but one big one is that they listen and adjust to the market. For starters, they offer a high quality product with low rates on calls to almost any location in the world. They also present their rates in an honest manner with no hidden charges, taxes or extra fees so a potential customer knows exactly what they will pay per-minute when they place a call. They have a wide network of access numbers in Canada and the USA so a user will almost never find a busy signal when dialing an access number. They are also innovators; Tel3Advantage offers programs with special features for mobile phone users and small to medium size businesses. Tel3Advantage also comes complete with popular features such as on-line account management, call history, speed dial and PIN free dialing. The only negative we know of is that Tel3Advantage can only be used to make calls from Canada and the USA.

  Along with Tel3Advantage, there are at least two other phone cards that could be considered the best in their class. These are sold under the brand names Continental and Simply. Both of these phone cards are sold by Smart Global Call Phone Cards International. The Continental phone card is one of the most popular and is also one of our favorites. It has very high voice quality and is one of the most versatile prepaid calling products. It can be used as a phone card to make international calls via access numbers located in more than 60 countries but it can also be used in other applications. Some of these are prepaid VoIP, prepaid conference calling, prepaid PC-to-Phone, SMS call and Web Call. We find the Web Call feature to be one of the most interesting. Using Web Call, a user can connect two phones anywhere in the world by sending a preformatted e-mail message to a computer. This means that a caller in a country like Saudi Arabia can make a very cheap international call to the USA or any other country by avoiding the local monopoly phone system. The continental card also comes complete with features like on-line account management, call history and PIN free dialing.

  Many people consider the AT&T phone card to be one of the best phone cards. We also believe it is one of the best in terms of voice quality, billing accuracy and range of use. It is one of the few phone cards that can be used to make calls from around 200 countries. However, it has extremely high rates when compared to other phone cards and it comes with no features except toll free access. It does not even have PIN free dialing so a caller must dial an access number and enter a complex PIN code before placing a call. Therefore, we think the AT&T phone card may be a good option for some international travelers but it is not the best phone card for long-term use. As discussed above, there are far cheaper options with similar voice quality that are also much more convenient to use.

   
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  Tel3 Announces New Lower Rates

  Bob 8:23 am on September 7, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheap (45), information (35), long distance (43), mobile (40), phone (53), promotion (10), Technology (39)

  Tel3 announced recently that they have lowered rates on international calls from the USA and Canada to several popular destinations. The list below includes the destinations along with the new rate in USA cents/min. In order to get these rates a customer needs to open an account with Tel3 using the Tel3Advantage Triple Promo offer. A new account can also be opened by calling 1 800 441 0321 and asking for the Triple Promo.

  Algeria 6.5 cents/min
  Brazil 1.2
  Denmark 1.2
  Ethiopia 15.3
  Georgia 3.4
  Japan 1.4
  Korea, South 1.3
  Kuwait 5.6
  Liberia 13.5
  Malta 3.4
  Mexico 1.2
  Mozambique 5.6
  Namibia 6.3
  Portugal 1.2
  Spain 0.9
  Switzerland 1.2
  Taiwan 1.3
  Tajikistan 6.0
  Tanzania 8.5
  UAE 10.5
  Uruguay 4.1

  The rates listed above are to landlines. Rates to mobile phones will likely be different so it is a good idea to check the rates on the Tel3 website before opening an account. There are a variety of other options for making cheap international calls but Tel3 is one of the more popular options offered in North America. It can be used from any kind of phone without changing carriers and does not require a long term contract or other obligation. It also does not have any hidden charges, taxes or account maintenance fees. Tel3 also has a very responsive customer service department and is the only company in the industry rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.