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Virtual phone cards purchased on-line tend to have many more added features than those purchased from off-line vendors. Even high priced phone cards like those offered by AT&T or MCI do not come with any added features. They typically have high call quality and include toll free access numbers but callers still need to enter a PIN code each time they make a call. Companies like Tel3 offer a high quality virtual phone card that comes with a full range of features. Their Tel3Advantage prepaid calling plan can be used like a phone card but it comes with an online account where customers can do things like view their account balance, review their call history, set speed dial numbers (up to 99) and set-up phones they want to use to make calls without dialing a PIN code. Tel3Advantage has much lower rates than the high cost companies with similar call quality but also comes with a full range of added features at no additional cost.

Several virtual phone cards offer a Call History feature. These cards come with a virtual account that can access via the INTERNET and users can log into their account and see the history of every call made with their phone card. They can see the duration, location called and charge for each call made with their phone card. Call history is a nice feature since it provides a full accounting of the charges made for each call.

Not all phone cards come with a Call History feature. The following are some that we are aware of: Continental, Golden Lotus, Hello from UK and Simply. These can all be found on the Smart Global Call Phone Cards International website. Be advised, Call History is a phone card feature that is very easy to get use to. Once a phone card with added features is used, it is hard to go back to a plain vanilla phone card.

Tags: cheap, information, international, long distance, mobile, phone, phone card, Technology

General, Technology, Travel Comments 0 Sep 4th, 2009

How to Make Cheap International Phone Calls to France

France is a very popular international calling destination from the USA, Canada and other countries. With new technology, low cost international calls can be made to or from France from any country in the world. However, when it comes to international calling, one best option does not fit every situation so we have provided the following review of some popular products that are recognized for both high quality and low cost.

For people who want to call France from the USA or Canada than Tel3 is hard to beat. They offer the Tel3Advantage Flex plan which is essentially a hybrid virtual phone card. Without going into a lot of detail, it can be used with any kind of phone and any existing service provider. Tel3 is also reputable supplier who has been in the prepaid calling business for more than a decade and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau…..the only firm in this industry with such a rating. They have great service and great rates. They also have a promo going now where new customers can call France from the USA or Canada for as little as 1.4 cents per minute and get up to 643 Free Minutes. Visit cheap calls to France for more details.

For people who want to make low cost international calls to France from other locations we recommend International Phone Cards. We, of course, recommend virtual phone cards that are purchased on-line because it is easier to shop and find the optimum phone card for your situation. On-line phone cards also tend to have lower rates, more features and performance is guaranteed. On-line phone cards can be used to make cheap calls from over 130 countries.

People who want to explore these or other international calling options in more detail should visit a website like Smart Global Call which specializes in low cost options for making calls over land-lines, mobile phones or computer INTERNET connections.

Tags: cheap, france, information, international, long distance, phone, phone card, Technology

Technology, Travel Comments 0 Aug 1st, 2009

New lower Rates on International Calls

On June 30th Tel3Advantage announced new, lower rates on international calls to the following popular destinations. Some rates were lowered by as much as 74% which makes Tel3 the low cost provider for these and other destinations around the world.

Rates on international calls to Antigua & Barbuda were lowered from 14 cents/min to 11.7 cents/min (16%).

Rates to Santa Fe, Argentina were lowered from 2.9 cents/min to 1.9 cents/min (34%).

Rates on international calls to Bolivia were lowered from 11 cents to 8.1 cents/min (26%)

Rates on international calls to Bulgaria were lowered from 8 cents to 3 cents/min (62.5%)

Rates on calls to Cape Verde were lowered from 28 cents to 17.9 cents/min (36%)

Rates on international calls to Guadaloupe were dropped from 13 cents to 3.4 cents/min (74%).

Rates on calls to Jakarta, Indonesia were lowered from 4.5 cents to 2.8 cents/min (38%)

Rates on Calls to Kyrgyzstan were lowered from 15.4 cents to 9.2 cents/min (40%)

Rates on calls to Toluca, Mexico were lowered from 6.5 cents to 1.9 cents/min (71%)

Rates on calls to Norway were lowered from 3 cents to 2 cents/min (33%)

Rates on calls to Palua were dropped from 40 cents to 24.1 cents/min (40%)

Rates on international calls to Sri Lanka were lowered from 18 cents to 10.6 cents/min (41%)

Rates on calls to Thailand were lowered from 5.5 cents to 1.5 cents/min (73%)

Rates on calls to Zambia were lowered from 12 cents to 4 cents/min (67%)

Rates on calls to Zimbabwe were lowered from 10 cents to 6.8 cents/min (32%)

Tel3Advantage is a prepaid calling plan that can be used to make low cost domestic and international long distance from the USA or Canada. It is a high quality call plan that can be used from any kind of telephone (mobile, home or business) and any existing phone service. It offers some of the lowest rates in the industry and has now hidden fees or taxes like many phone card type products. New customers can get free minutes and a 30% discount on all calls for the first 30 days by taking advantage of their current Triple Promo. Visit Tel3Advantage in order to get these rates or call 800 441 o321 and ask for the Triple Promo.

Tags: cheap, information, international, long distance, mobile, phone, phone card, prepaid, Technology

General, Technology, Travel Comments 0 Jul 5th, 2009

Tips on How to use a Phone Card

Most people know how to use a prepaid phone card by now. However, a few people have never used one so this post is for their benefit. Most of the time, prepaid phone cards are used by dialing what is called an access number, a special phone number, which allows a user to access the phone card service providers system. Some service providers have a network of access numbers and others have only one access number, these can be toll free numbers or what are referred to as local access numbers requiring users to pay the call. In any case, prepaid phone cards are used by first accessing the service providers system.

The following are the steps typically required when using a prepaid phone card.

Step 1: Dial a toll free or local access number in order to access the service providers system. Access numbers should be provided when the phone card is purchased.

Step 2: The caller identifies himself or herself to the system. This can be done by entering a special series of numbers provided with the phone card providers system, called a PIN code, or in the case of PIN Free phone cards the system will automatically ID the caller using caller ID technology.

Step 3: The caller dials the number they wish to call. Phone cards from the North America will require the caller to enter the prefix 011 when making overseas phone calls or the prefix 1 when making a domestic long distance phone call.

As indicated above, the mechanics of using a phone card are simple. However, there are a few things to consider when shopping for a phone card. For example, do you really want to enter a complex PIN code each time you place a call. This may not be a nuisance if you only intend to make a couple of calls but if you plan to use the phone card for multiple calls or for an extended period-of-time than a PIN free phone card should be considered. It is interesting to note that phone cards from major telecommunication companies like MCI or AT&T often do not have PIN Free Dialing or other features. These phone cards typically charge high rates and have good call quality but there are phone cards with similar call quality that are more appropriate for long-term use.

Another important consideration when making a phone card purchase is the access number network. Be sure that the phone card being considered has an access number in the country where you plan to use the card. This is often a problem when a phone card is purchased in the USA and used overseas. Most phone cards have a limited range of coverage. They can only be used to place calls from certain countries and, in some cases, they can only be used to make calls to certain locations. Be sure to purchase cards that have the required coverage.

Another important consideration is the location and type of access numbers used by a phone card. Many phone cards charge extra for using toll free access numbers and these extra charges are usually not included in the advertised rates. It is usually cheaper to use a local access number so check to see if one is available in the area where you plan to use a phone card.

Phone cards are relatively simple products to use but even simple products require some thought and investigation before making a purchase. A virtual phone card like Tel3Advantage should be consider when making calls from North America because it offers high call quality and a full range of features including PIN free dialing and an on-line call history. It is a popular product for people who routinely make international phone calls from North America and want to save money and still have quality, convenience and flexibility.

Tags: cheap, information, international, long distance, phone, phone card, prepaid, Technology, tip

General, Technology, Travel Comments 0 Mar 23rd, 2009

Tel3 Advantage St. Patrik’s Day Phone Card Promotion

Tel3 Advantage has announced a special promotion in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Customers who open a new account between March 12 and March 18, 2009 will receive Double the normal sign-up bonus. What does this mean? Open a new Tel3Advantage Flex Plan account during this time and receive the following bonus.

1. Deposit $10 and Tel3 will add $2 free.
2. Deposit $25 and Tel3 will add $10 Free.
3. Deposit $50 and Tel3 will add $14 Free.
4. Deposit $100 and Tel3 will add $18 Free.

Now is the time to try Tel3 Advantage and start saving money on your long distance calls. Visit Tel3Advantage or call 800 441 0321 to sign-up. The Tel3Advantage Flex Plan can be used from any phone (Cell, home or business) in Canada or the USA to make low cost domestic or international long distance calls. There are no contracts, monthly fees or anything to change. Just start saving money and get a nice bonus.

Tags: cheap, consumer, free, information, long distance, phone, phone card, promo, promotion, Technology

General, Home, Retail, Technology Comments 0 Mar 13th, 2009

Budget Phone Expenses with Prepaid Long Distance

In today’s economy many people are trying to control expenditures and one way to do so is to use prepaid services. With prepaid services a consumer can purchase a predetermined amount of a service and the service will automatically stop when the amount purchased is depleted. Therefore, it is very easy to control expenses and impossible to over run a budget.

Prepaid long distance phone service in the form of prepaid phone cards has been popular with students, expatriates and travelers for a number of years. This is an especially popular option with those who want to make frequent and cheap international calls. However, now there appears to be more interest from mainstream users since prepaid long distance is a great way to budget phone expenses. There is a wide variety of options which range from very cheap, plastic phone cards purchased at local convenience stores to relatively high quality virtual calling plans sold on the INTERNET. The market currently offers an option to fit any budget and fill any need. For example, Tel3Advantage has been offering low cost prepaid long distance phone service to consumers since 1994 but they have recently started offering Tel3 for Business and Tel3 Mobile. These products contain special features that fill a need in these niche markets while providing them with low cost prepaid phone service. Tel3 services are especially attractive to people or businesses that want to budget long distance expenses while reducing costs and not sacrificing quality or service. Tel3Advantage customers can budget long distance expenses in two ways. First, they can prepay for a fixed amount of long distance service. Second, they can monitor their usage through a call history which is included in their on-line account. Tel3Advantage prepaid long distance has made it easy for people to budget and control long distance phone expenses.

There are also a wide variety of international phone cards which come in all shapes and sizes. These are very useful for budgeting expenses because they also come in a wide variety of denominations. It is very easy to find a denomination to fit any budgeting need. For example, if you want to spend a maximum of $10 per week on long distance calls simply purchase a phone card with a $10 face value each week. Phone cards are typically sold in $3, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 denominations so there is one for every budget. They can also be conveniently purchased and safely held in an on-line account these days so phone cards offer convenience, flexibility, low cost and the ability to budget expenses.

Tags: cheap, information, international, long distance, mobile, phone, phone card, prepaid, Technology

General, Home, Technology Comments 0 Mar 6th, 2009

Phone Card Features – Balance Transfer

How many times have you purchased a phone card with great rates to one location but you used it to call another location and found it to be outrageously expensive? This is a common problem with many international phone cards. They tend to be regional or country specific. Either, they can only be used to call to or from certain countries or locations or they tend to their rates are country or region specific. To get around these limitations, many international callers use a high quality prepaid calling plan like Tel3Advantage which has good rates to most international locations but there is another way.

Some phone card marketers like Smart Global Call International Phone Cards provide their customer a free balance transfer feature. Using this option a customer can transfer an unused balance from one phone card to another. This handy feature has several possible uses. Some of these are listed below:

• A traveler purchases a phone card to call the USA from Italy but moves to Moscow, Russia and finds that the card does not work. Using the balance transfer feature the remaining balance can simply be transferred to another card that can be used to make calls from Moscow.
• A caller purchases a phone card to call a friend in Brazil. The caller than wants to call another friend in Japan but finds that the card can not be used to call Japan or has lousy rates. No problem, using balance transfer the remaining calling card balance can be transferred to another card with good rates on calls to Japan.
• Another use is to save money by taking advantage of special deals. Smart Global Call usually offers one or two of their phone cards at a 10% discount. A shopper can purchase one of these phone cards and than transfer the balance to another phone card, saving 10% on any phone card.

This is a handy feature that covers a wide range of possibilities since Smart Global Call markets more than 30 different phone cards that can be used to make calls to or from more than 230 countries. Saving money on international calls has never been easier.

Tags: cheap, consumer, information, international, long distance, mobile, phone, phone card, prepaid, Technology, tips

General, Technology, Travel Comments 0 Feb 14th, 2009

Save Money on International Calls to Mobile Phones

Many people use phone cards and other prepaid calling products in order to save money on international calls. In general, this is a good idea since phone cards are convenient and offer substantially lower rates than those offered by conventional long distance service providers. However, purchasing phone cards can be tricky and buyers should pay attention to a variety of details when making a purchase or they can end up paying a substantially higher rate per call than expected. These details include the following.

1. Charges for using different types of access numbers used to make calls (local or toll free) can vary significantly between phone cards.

2. Extra phone card fees like connection fees, maintenance fees, service charges and taxes vary significantly between phone cards.

3. Most phone cards offer better rates on calls to specific countries or regions of the world.

4. The rates on calls to specific kinds of phones (land-lines or cell phones) can vary significantly.

The last item (above) is often overlooked by shoppers. It is generally more expensive to make calls to mobile phones so many phone card marketers list the per-minute cost of making calls to low cost house phones and list the cost to cell phones separately or in the fine print. Many shoppers incorrectly assume that a service provider that offers a low rate on calls to land-lines in a specific country also has a low rate to cell phones. This is not correct as is illustrated below for an international call to Mexico from the USA.

A typical phone card rate on a call to a house phone in Mexico from the USA is around 2 to 3 cents per minute. The same call to a cell phone in Mexico varies from about 12 to 35 cents per minute. Companies like Penny Talk, advertise a low 2 cent per-minute rate on calls to land-lines in Mexico but charge 31 cents per-minute on calls to cell phones. They also charge a $0.49 connection fee for each call and a $0.99 per-month service fee per account. Tel3 Advantage does not charge a connection fee or service fee but a call to a land-line in Mexico City is 2 cents per-minute while the same call to a cell phone is 20 cents per-minute.

As the illustration shows, the rate charged on calls to cell phones varies more between companies than the rate charged on calls to house phones. This is generally true so shoppers who plan to make international calls to cell phones should pay particular attention when making a purchase.

Tags: cell phone, cheap, information, international, mobile, phone, phone card, Technology

General, Technology Comments 0 Feb 1st, 2009

A Valentine’s Day Gift Card Idea

If you are seeking a Valentine’s Day gift for a loved one in distant lands than a gift phone card may be the answer. A gift phone card can be delivered instantly to any e-mail address in the world at no cost. The recipient can use the gift card to choose from a wide selection of premium quality, international prepaid phone cards so they can find the best phone card for their individual needs. A gift phone card may also pay you back with a phone call from someone special.

Tags: cheap, gift, information, mobile, phone, phone card, Technology, valentine, valientine's day

General, Retail, Travel Comments 0 Jan 28th, 2009

Five Common Phone Card Myths

Phone Cards have been around in various forms for over twenty years. There have been significant technological change in telecommunications over that time and some past limitations or problems related to past generations of phone cards are still lingering today as common myths. The following is a summary of some of the common “phone card myths”.

1. Phone Cards are complicated to use. This may have been true at one time but it is certainly not true today. A phone card is used by dialing a special phone number called an access number. The phone is normally answered by the phone card service provider’s automated system. In some cases, the system will ask the caller to input a PIN code and account number and than ask them to dial the number they wish to call. Some phone cards still require users to follow this procedure but it is becoming more common to find phone cards that feature PIN free dialing. With PIN free dialing, a user registers the phone numbers they typically place calls from and the system will automatically recognize them when they call the access number so there is no need to enter a PIN code or account number. More phone cards are also featuring speed dial which will allow users to dial commonly called numbers by using preset numbers, usually a couple of digits. Therefore, placing international calls with many of the phone cards being sold today is relatively simple. In many cases, all a caller needs to do is dial an access number and press a couple of numbers on their telephone key pad. What could be easier?
2. Phone Cards have poor call quality. In truth, phone card quality varies across the spectrum. Some have poor quality while others have extremely high quality. Many phone cards that advertise unbelievably low rates also have poor quality because they use low cost service providers so consumers should consider price when shopping for phone cards. However, low price does not always mean “poor quality” so consumers should also take other factors, like quality ratings, into account when shopping for phone cards. We think a good practice is to purchase a small denomination, moderately priced phone card and try it on a few calls to the locations you call most often. If the card works well for you than continue to use it.
3. Phone Cards advertise low rates than add on hidden fees that rip-off consumers. This is sometimes true. Consumers should use caution when shopping for phone cards and always read and understand the fine print and other fee disclosures listed on the phone card or the website. It is best to stay away from marketers or websites that do not prominently list phone card fees in an easy to understand format. Some phone card marketers use a lot of different fee structures and other tricks to lure consumers and charge them higher than expected rates. However, there are phone cards that list honest rates and do not charge any added fees or taxes. One virtual phone card like this is Tel3Advantage.
4. Users cannot view charges or track phone card usage. This was true in the past. Until recently, the best a user could hope for is the phone card service provider to advise them how much money was left on the card before they placed a call. The fee charged for each call was, in many cases, a mystery. This is still true with some phone cards but with many products, it is no longer true. More and more premium phone cards offer a feature referred to as “Call History” which allows users to view the details of each call made on their phone card in their personal, on-line account.
5. The existing service provider will charge extra when a phone card is used to place a call. This is truly a myth. In most cases, the existing service provider will not even know that a phone card was used. Since the user will need to place a call to the phone card access number the existing service provider may charge an extra fee for this call if, for example, it is outside the local service area. Also, if the caller uses a cell phone than air time may be charged to call the access number depending on the users call package. However, in general, extra fees are not charged by local service providers for using a phone card.

Visit Cheap International Calling options for more information on phone cards and other low cost options for making domestic and international long distance phone calls.

Tags: cheap, information, international, long distance, mobile, phone, phone card, Technology

Technology, Travel Comments 0 Jan 25th, 2009

Five Phone Card Purchasing Tips

Purchasing a phone card without being tricked can be difficult since phone card sellers often advertise low rates to attract shoppers than charge cleverly disguised “hidden fees” which can more than double the cost of making a call. In many cases, the phone card with the lowest advertised rate also has low quality and is not the cheapest to use since it can be loaded with a variety of hidden charges. It is generally best to make a purchase from a reputable phone card website that discloses all of the details for each card listed. These details should include all charges for making a call (including taxes, fees and surcharges), a customer service phone number, customer ratings on quality and service and a money back guarantee.

In addition, we offer the following 5 important tips to phone card shoppers.

1. Purchase a Minimum Denomination. Unless you are familiar with a particular phone card it is usually best to purchase a minimum denomination and make some trial calls with the card to the locations you wish to call before purchasing a large denomination. We suggest purchasing a phone card with a face value of $10 or less before making a large purchase.

2. Check and Compare Rates between Phone Cards. Most phone card websites include a rate finder which shows the cost per minute for making calls from one location to another. The rates listed in these rate finders are generally just the base rate. They do not show all of the added fees and taxes that can vary significantly between phone cards. Therefore, it is important to read the fine print before purchasing a phone card and be sure to include all fees and taxes when comparing rates between phone cards. There are a few companies that charge a connection fee for each call. These can significantly increase the cost of each call so we feel that calling cards that charge a connection fee should be avoided. Some other common fees are maintenance fees, pay phone fees, toll free access number fees, taxes, service fees and surcharges. Other less obvious hidden fees include rounding interval (the increment used in rounding off the duration of a call for billing purposes) and a long call fee. A card with a larger rounding interval is generally more expensive since the length of a call is rounded up to the next rounding interval for billing purposes.

3. Customer Reviews. Websites like Smart Global Call International Phone Cards include customer reviews for the phone cards they sell. We have found that these reviews are useful since they provide a good indication of calling card quality based on the experience of other users.

4. Access Numbers. Check for the availability of access numbers in the locations where you plan to use the card before making a purchase. Toll free access numbers are convenient but some phone cards charge a relatively high fee (more than one cent per-minute) for using them. In some cases toll free access is free or the charge is relatively small (less than one cent per-minute). There is typically no additional charge for using a local access number but some phone cards do not have local access numbers or they only have a few.

5. Phone Card Coverage. Phone cards typically have limited coverage so check the rates for making calls to the locations you wish to call before making a purchase. Also check rates to the type of phone (land line or cell phone) you plan to call. Some phone cards offer great rates to land lines but very high rates to cell phones in the same country.

There are honest phone cards that offer high quality and good rates for making cheap international calls to almost any location in the world. However, there are others that advertise super cheap rates but load the product with so many hidden fees that the cost for making calls is actually much higher than normal. The purpose of this article is to help shoppers avoid some common pitfalls and make informed choices.

Tags: cheap, consumer, information, international, long distance, mobile, phone, phone card, Technology, tip

Technology, Travel Comments 0 Jan 18th, 2009

Holiday Phone Card Sale

Smart Global Call International Phone Cards are featuring a phone card sale that will last through January 5th. During this time customers will save 10% on the purchase of a phone card with a face value of $20 or more. In order to get the 10% discount it is necessary to use the following link: Phone Card Sale

Why purchase phone cards from Smart Global Call? They offer a full line of high quality phone cards with low fees. Most of their phone cards come with features like PIN free dialing, call history and speed dial at no extra charge. Their cards can also be used from more than 200 countries. They offer brands like AT&T, Simply, Continental, Jupiter, Saturn, Golden Lotus, Bizon, Cardinal and more. Each customers receives a free virtual account where they can manage and monitor their phone cards. Smart Global Call also allows customers to transfer balances between phone cards. This is a great feature which allows customers to experiment with different cards and get the best rates to all of the locations they call.

Smart Global Call also fully discloses all fees and taxes associated with every phone card they sell in an easy to read format. The website has an easy to use phone card search tool so shoppers can easily find the best phone card for each location. Also, all phone cards sold by Smart Global Call are rated by users so it is easy to shop for the highest quality phone cards.

Tags: cheap, information, international, long distance, phone, phone card, promotion, sale

General, Retail Comments 0 Dec 24th, 2008