I've been seeing a lot of complaints online about calling card fees recently (none of them addressed to us), and I thought I'd give a quick primer about all of the fees associated with calling cards. Some of them are mandatory and some of them are at the provider's discretion, but all of them should be disclosed to you before you purchase a card. At CallingCards.com, we provide an honest list of all taxes and fees along on every card's profile page so that you can make an informed decision.
Remember that all of these fees vary from card to card, and not all cards will carry all of these fees.
Connection Fee
Charged every single time you connect, whether you talk for an hour or hang up after hearing 1/2 second of a voicemail message. Varies widely, from about 25¢ to $1. This is a big one to look for if you'll be using the card more than once! If you have a $10 card and make 3 calls on it, remember that your card's value decreases to $7-$9.75.
Maintenance Fee
A fee that's charged for keeping your card active in the computer system, to maintain phone lines and equipment, etc. This fee might be charged weekly, daily, or monthly, so keep your eye out. The maintenance fee is usually charged the first time that you make a call, and afterward at its specified interval. If you have a $10 card that you keep for a month after its first use, you could lose up to $2-@4 in maintenance fees.
Taxes
You'll be paying some, whether they're built into your rate or you're told about them upfront. There's not a lot you can do about taxes, but they're good to keep in mind - a $10 card with 10% tax is actually worth only $9.
Payphone Surcharge
This is just another fact of calling cards - you have to pay extra to use them with payphones. Take that up with the FCC or your local Commerce Commission. In the meantime, know that you'll be paying between 25¢ and $1 every time you make a call from a payphone.
Don't forget to check your billing increment (how the call is rounded, whether the rounding unit is 1 second, 1 minute, 3 minutes, etc. - a 1 minute call could cost 3 minutes if you're not careful) and the card's expiration date as well. Access numbers are important, too - some cards have a different rate for toll-free numbers than for local ones.
Your best bet is to read carefully and educate yourself before you buy a calling card. There are some great deals out there, but there are some money sinkholes, too - make sure you know which one you're buying! If the company you're purchasing from doesn't mention each of the points above for the card you want, don't buy it - you don't want to find out once it's too late.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Two Ways to get Free Calling Cards!
Way #1: Visit CallingCards.com and get a free 10 minute call to anywhere in the world.
I'm not sure I can make that much simpler! Just click on that link, enter some basic info, and get ready to make your call. There are no strange rules or requirements - no purchase is required before or after you request your free minutes, and we don't even collect payment information.
Who can do it: Anyone with a valid email address, physical address, and phone number
Why: You're traveling, you rarely make international calls, or you want to test out our call quality
Way #2: Drop me an email if you're a business, nonprofit, or other group that serves an international market. We have free calling cards for you!
We have physical and electronic calling cards that you can offer your customers...quantities and design vary based on your specific needs. Just send an email to liz "at" callingcards.com with some details about your group (URL, # of members or daily customer average, contact information) and I'll let you know what's available to you and how soon we could ship to you!
Who can do it: Any business or non-profit group in the US (international availability coming very soon).
Why: Who doesn't want to save on international calls?
I'm not sure I can make that much simpler! Just click on that link, enter some basic info, and get ready to make your call. There are no strange rules or requirements - no purchase is required before or after you request your free minutes, and we don't even collect payment information.
Who can do it: Anyone with a valid email address, physical address, and phone number
Why: You're traveling, you rarely make international calls, or you want to test out our call quality
Way #2: Drop me an email if you're a business, nonprofit, or other group that serves an international market. We have free calling cards for you!
We have physical and electronic calling cards that you can offer your customers...quantities and design vary based on your specific needs. Just send an email to liz "at" callingcards.com with some details about your group (URL, # of members or daily customer average, contact information) and I'll let you know what's available to you and how soon we could ship to you!
Who can do it: Any business or non-profit group in the US (international availability coming very soon).
Why: Who doesn't want to save on international calls?
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
New! OneTranslator.com Prepaid Interpreter Service
I'm excited to present the newest member of the Universal Calling family: OneTranslator.com. OneTranslator is a prepaid, on-demand service that provides over-the-phone interpretation for Arabic, Bengali (Bangla), Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.OneTranslator is ideal for anyone with international clients or business partners since all calls are secure and private, and the team of interpreters are familiar with terminology for most industries. It's also a great way for travelers and exchange students to build their confidence (and avoid emergencies). Anyone with limited English knowledge can benefit from OneTranslator, especially in medical emergencies and other situations when clear communication is critical. I know that my circle of international friends and business associates has expanded greatly over the past few years, and I'm sure it will continue to grow - a tool like OneTranslator is a great weapon against the language barrier.
OneTranslator is quick and simple to use. Just dial your OneTranslator access number, enter your PIN, and choose the language for which you need interpretation. Your interpreter will be connected to your call within seconds. You can even set up PINless dialing on your account to shorten your dialing time! You can call from any phone, even a cell phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Rates start at just $2.49 a minute, with no connection fees or other additional charges (except maybe payphone or carrie charges, but hey, we can't control those).
Here are some quick tips for getting the most out of your OneTranslator interpreter:
- Once you are connected, give the interpreter your name and the non-English speakers name. The interpreter is only allowed to give you their name.
- Tell the interpreter whether or not the non-English speaker is already on the phone line, or if you will need to dial their number to add them to a three-way conference call. The interpreters can't place connecting calls for you.
- If the non-English speaker is with you but you are not using a speakerphone, tell the interpreter that you will be passing the phone back and forth.
- Speak clearly in short phrases, pausing to allow for the interpretation.
- Ask one question at a time.
- Use simple language to express your meaning. Remember - slang does not translate.
- Explain any terms you believe may be unclear.
- Allow the interpreter to stop you and seek an explanation when necessary and to repeat back to you any critical information that requires clarification.
- Don't say anything that you do not want interpreted.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
I've always felt that calling directory assistance was a necessary evil - it's convenient, reliable, and still usually faster than trying to get information from the internet on a cell phone or handheld. The "evil" part comes in when the bill arrives: $1.50 per call? $2? For a movie listing? Please.
We've got an answer - new Live 411. Directory assistance for 75 cents per call, from a live operator, using the same database as the big guys so all your needed information will always be up-to-date.
Live 411 Services include:
- Directory Assistance
Live operator and/or automated search for caller requested United States, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands phone number listings for residential and businesses. Your search can also include category and reverse phone number/address searches. - LocationPro®
From turn-by-turn driving directions to taxi and towing referral, our operators provide travelers with an extra level of quality and service. - Number Reader
Automated voice reads the number to you automatically at the close of the call. This is available in either English or Spanish. - MoviePro®
Nationwide listings for all major theaters including show times, theater location, economy times, phone numbers, reviews and more. - AstroPro®
Horoscopes are provided for each astrological sign on a daily basis. - Weather:
Daily and weekly weather forecasts are available for the majority of the cities within the United States. (Live Operator)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Talk to up to 50 friends and family members in the same call!
During this little break, we've been developing a lot of great new things at CallingCards.com. Among them is the new Group Talk card, a multiuser (conference) calling card that lets families and friends from around the world connect in one call.
I have relatives on both coasts, and while it may sound lazy, I do get tired of repeating the same stories to catch everyone up on my news. Email isn't really an option for these family members, and those long-winded mass emails of personal updates seem to be out of fashion these days anyhow. It's much nicer to get everyone together to chat at once, too - especially since we don't all get together even once a year. Besides, this card is a lot cheaper than airfare.
My sister was on her honeymoon a few years ago, and she wanted to check in and thank everyone for their help with the wedding. I wish this card had been around then, because she spent almost a whole sunny morning inside on the phone.
Seem strange to conference at home? It's really not - and it can be cheaper and quicker than making a bunch of individual calls. You won't have any agendas or actionable items to follow up on either. Besides, who doesn't want to hear the kids sing happy birthday all at once? Check out the Group Talk card and let me know what you think.
I have relatives on both coasts, and while it may sound lazy, I do get tired of repeating the same stories to catch everyone up on my news. Email isn't really an option for these family members, and those long-winded mass emails of personal updates seem to be out of fashion these days anyhow. It's much nicer to get everyone together to chat at once, too - especially since we don't all get together even once a year. Besides, this card is a lot cheaper than airfare.
My sister was on her honeymoon a few years ago, and she wanted to check in and thank everyone for their help with the wedding. I wish this card had been around then, because she spent almost a whole sunny morning inside on the phone.
Seem strange to conference at home? It's really not - and it can be cheaper and quicker than making a bunch of individual calls. You won't have any agendas or actionable items to follow up on either. Besides, who doesn't want to hear the kids sing happy birthday all at once? Check out the Group Talk card and let me know what you think.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
New! Affiliate Program Expansion
I'm excited to present the latest expansion to our calling card affiliate program: Co-Branding! (view press release here)
Co-Branding offers all of the benefits of our standard affiliate program - 10% commissions, residual 10% commissions on all of your customers, graphic libraries, and free promotional cards - but comes with the added benefit of a free customizable calling cards website. We have graphics ready-made for a wide range of industries, including travel, hotels, hostels, students, dating, military, and business.
To get your own free calling cards site, just visit callingcards.com/ap and enter some basic information about your website or business. For a limited time, new affiliates will also get a bonus of $250 in sales!
Why become an affiliate?
Do you work in an industry that caters to people who might benefit from savings on long-distance? Many travelers, students, and businesspeople rely on calling cards for inexpensive and reliable international calling, and they already know the CallingCards.com name. With your Co-Branding site, you can direct your clients to high quality calling cards at industry-low rates and earn 10% of every successful sale.
For instance, if you're a wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings, you might already rely on calling cards already to contact vendors in Tuscany, Paris, or other worldwide locations. You could earn commissions on your own sales while offering your clients cards to call home from abroad and to coordinate with relatives and vendors.
Oh, and did I mention that sign-up is completely free?
Co-Branding offers all of the benefits of our standard affiliate program - 10% commissions, residual 10% commissions on all of your customers, graphic libraries, and free promotional cards - but comes with the added benefit of a free customizable calling cards website. We have graphics ready-made for a wide range of industries, including travel, hotels, hostels, students, dating, military, and business.
To get your own free calling cards site, just visit callingcards.com/ap and enter some basic information about your website or business. For a limited time, new affiliates will also get a bonus of $250 in sales!
Why become an affiliate?
Do you work in an industry that caters to people who might benefit from savings on long-distance? Many travelers, students, and businesspeople rely on calling cards for inexpensive and reliable international calling, and they already know the CallingCards.com name. With your Co-Branding site, you can direct your clients to high quality calling cards at industry-low rates and earn 10% of every successful sale.
For instance, if you're a wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings, you might already rely on calling cards already to contact vendors in Tuscany, Paris, or other worldwide locations. You could earn commissions on your own sales while offering your clients cards to call home from abroad and to coordinate with relatives and vendors.
Oh, and did I mention that sign-up is completely free?
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Call your Mother!
Mother's Day is May 13th in the US, just 10 days away. You could send flowers, take mom to lunch, or dash off a card at the last minute...or you could do something you know your mom wants: call her. That's right, the simple gift of your voice.CallingCards.com offers free 10-minute calls to anywhere in the world. There are no restrictions, and you don't even need a credit card. No matter how tight your budget is, you can afford a free 10-minute call to your mom, right? You might think she knows, but it never hurts to tell her how much she means to you, and to thank her for all that she's given you over the years.
Whatever you do for Mother's Day, make sure it comes from the heart. My mom still has all the odd gifts from past holidays - bits of dried flowers and burlap, glittered drawings, ribbons from long-gone bouquets - proudly displayed, even though I'm well past those years. I don't live nearby anymore and I'm frequently on the road, but even when I don't make it home for long stretches I'm sure to stay in touch. Just pick up the phone - your mom will thank you.
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