Terms and Options of Calling Cards


by Sharon Chen - Date: 2007-01-01 - Word Count: 441 Share This!

In my last article "Tips to Find the Best Calling Rates and Buy Calling Cards Online", I explored some tips to choose the right calling card online. Now I am going to explain the detail terms and options of calling cards. These terms and conditions will affect the calling rate and minutes of your calling cards. Knowing them well will benefit to your purchase.

Access number is used to dial to connect the calling card service line. Then PIN number will be requested to identify your calling card. After that you can make long distance calls.

1. Local access number

Local Access numbers are free of charge only calling from particular areas. So if your calling card provide local access number in your area, that will be a great saving.

2. Toll Free Access number

If the calling card does not provide local access number for your area, you also can use toll free access number. Your calling rate will be regular rate plus some cents per minute, so the calling rate will be higher. Usually it is also cheap.

4. Connection fee

Some companies may charge connection fee every time when the connection is established. Connection fee reduces the calling minutes. There are many calling cards do not have connection fee.

5. Permanent PIN - refillable/rechargeable PIN.

PIN# is fixed for each card. No need to remember new PIN# for each purchase.Permanent PIN provides you with the following additional benefits- refill option and balance transfer op tion (between refillable cards).

6. PIN-Free Access

Make calls without entering a PIN if register your phone number. (Note: PIN-Free Access feature is only available in the USA and Canada.)

7. Maintenance fee

This fee may be charged within 24 hours after the first phone call is made. It is charged weekly or bi-weekly depending on the card. Some cards charge maintenance fee every day. Many cards do not have maintenance fee but usually their calling rate is a little higher. If you talk a lot, maintenance fee will not affect calling rate much. Otherwise, you may lose money on the card even you do not use them after 1st phone call.

8. Rounding

This is the basic unit for measuring duration of a phone call. Most of calling cards are rounded to 1 second, 30 seconds, one, two or three minutes.

Please read the example here http://www.eecalling.com/references/QuickHelpLinks

There are some tips to choose calling card. If you need fast, PIN free is important. If your most calls are short, short rounding is important. If you will not use up one calling card in a short time, no maintenance fee is very important.

Before buying a calling card, make sure if they charge connection fee or maintenance fee, and how long is rounding.


Related Tags: international, phone card, pin, calling card, long distance, access number, pin free, permanent pin

http://www.eecalling.com provides more than 100 calling cards. Price comparison. Buy online, accept Paypal or credit card. Instant PIN sent to your email. Refillable. Simple, fast and convenient.

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