Cost - cards can be EXTREMELY expensive depending on what card you use and your calling habits.
Do not base your decision on which card to use only on the price per minute to the country or location you frequently call. You must understand how minutes are calculated and what additional costs are involved. Read the fine/small print on your card to find out about Administration Fees, Connection Fees and Minute Increments.
• Connection Fee - even if you only talk for 5 seconds a connection fee is always charged. This fee may be 30 to 60 cents or more.
• Administration Fee - this fee starts at midnight on the day you first use your card. Since this fee is charged daily be careful not to have your calls start before midnight and end after midnight. If this happens you will be charged an administration fee 2 times.
• Minute Increments - each phone card company defines how long 1 minute actually is. Many companies define 1 minute as any amount of time less than one minute. This means that if you talk for 15 seconds you are billed/charged for 1 minute.
Some companies use intervals not actual minutes. If 1 interval equals 3 minutes, your 15 second phone call will cost you 3 minutes.
If your phone card company offers to provide pre-payment bills for you, make sure that they send your bill on time and do not have extremely high late payment charges.
Your calling habits are important when considering if you should use a phone card.
If your phone conversations are long or you intend on using all of your time in one or two calls, a pre-paid phone card may be a good choice for you.