Introduce of UK Phone Cards
When calling abroad from UK, people may think a prepaid phone card is cheap and easy enough. Is it true?
Types of UK phone cards
Most popular international phone cards in UK are: Number One Card, Go Banana Card, Africall Card, First National Card, Savers Card, Unity Card.
Rates of UK phone cards
Remember: the "cheap rate" claimed by phone cards are NOT the actual total cost when making the call.
Total cost of a phone card = Rate of access number + Rate shown on the card + Connection fee
Take a popular UK phone card as an example,
Card rate to USA: 2.7p/min. Connection fee: 35p (Talk4Longer top up rate is 1p/min with connection fee of 10p)
If you make a 10 minutes call to USA with the card above, your cost is: 2.7*10 + 35=62p. Remember you should add 4-8p/min if calling with 084 or 020 access numbers (with Talk4Longer.direct dial service you only pay the national calling rate or even free for O2 users, no connection fees or card rates).
Expire of a UK phone card
Usually 90 days. It means that you have to use up the phone card within 90 days after the first call. Beyond this date your phone card is invalid and all the remaining credit is wasted (there is no expire date for using Talk4Longer service)
Purchase of a UK phone card
Prepaid phone cards can be purchased online, while other phone card providers need you to open an account. Both of them require you to submit details of your credit card and other personal information over the internet. It should be safe, as claimed. But who knows? (Talk4Longer never ask for credit cards. All you need is to dial the access number or send text messages to top up. The cost is shown in your phone bills)
Use of a UK phone card
After the online purchase of a prepaid phone card, you will receive a card number and/or a pin number. You should put those long numbers in the pocket or in your head, as they are required every time when you make the international call. Of course you need also remember the access number for the phone card (for Talk4Longer service, all you need to remember is the access number, nothing else).