If you're abroad and would like to keep in touch with family and friends back home, there is no better way to do this than to give them a call. Mobile phone calls might be way over your budget, especially if you subscribed to per-minute deals, and might even prevent you from tracking the call's duration properly. Gabbing on the phone with your favorite nephew, for instance, might be so enjoyable that you forget how long you've been on it.

The answer to indiscriminate and long-distance phone calling is prepaid calling cards. Say goodbye to monthly bills and having to worry where you'd get the money to pay for your accumulating outstanding balance. With prepaid international calling cards, not only will you make sure that you stay under your budget, you also sleep better at night knowing that you don't owe any company anything. Unless, of course, you borrowed money to buy a card (but that's entirely different!).

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 calling 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.

Vanessa Arellano Doctor
http://flatrateonline.com