1. Buy a Card with a Local Access Number
This is a great way to get more minutes for your money if you'll generally be calling from the same area. View a previous entry for more info on local access numbers.
2. Buy a Card that's designed for your specific Calling Destination
If you know you'll be calling from the US to Buenos Aires, use our search box to enter that specific information - you'll get better rates than you would for a generic US to South America or a US to Buenos Aires card. This is especially important for international calling cards!
3. Buy a Card with a low Billing Increment
I've mentioned this before, but check the billing increment before you purchase - or watch a short phone call cost double what it needs to. A one minute billing increment is usually best (and most people are already accustomed to this increment from cell phone plans); every minute or partial minute is billed as one full minute. Much better than if one minute is billed as three....
Bonus tip: Avoid Payphones!
Payphones are great in an emergency, but call from a landline or cell if you can - you'll avoid wasting calling card minutes on hefty payphone surcharges.
One more thought...
Consider a prepaid calling plan like Mobile Caller, which comes with speed dial and pinless dialing. The rates are great, the plan is customizable and can be set to automatically recharge, and it can be used from any phone.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Have you saved money with calling cards?
If you enjoy calling cards, chances are that you know someone else who might, too. After all, who wouldn't want to save money on long distance costs? Did you know that you could earn money by connecting that friend with a calling card? With the CallingCards.com affiliate program, friend + calling card = $$ for you.
(Of course, your customers don't have to be your friends. With the Internet, almost anything's possible.)
If you're not familiar with affiliate programs, here's the general idea.
(Of course, your customers don't have to be your friends. With the Internet, almost anything's possible.)
If you're not familiar with affiliate programs, here's the general idea.
- You sign up with the CallingCards.com affiliate program
- You put a banner or text link on your website, blog, newsletter, etc. to CallingCards.com. Your link contains your afiiliate id, an identifier that ensures that you get credit for any sales that are generated by your link.
- Visitors to your site click on your link and purchase calling cards.
- You earn 10% commission on every sale - and on any cards that your customers buy in the future, even if they don't use your link next time (we call that "Customer For Life").
Friday, August 3, 2007
The Truth About Access Numbers
That calling card you just picked up has a toll-free number printed on it. Should you use it?
How on earth will you choose a card to call back to the US while traveling or living abroad?
Why did your 100 minute calling card only last for 20 minutes?
Ah, the mysterious access number. Why are there so many, and why are they so complicated? The short answer is: lots of phone company business and technological things. What you should know: your access number (that is, the number you dial first when beginning your call - as opposed to your destination number, which is the phone number of the person/business you are trying to read) can have a big impact on your calling rates.
Suppose you get a card that has a local access number (a number that you can call without incurring long distance charges) and a 1-800 number. Chances are, you'll get a better rate by using the local access number - your calling card company has to pay less to route the call, and they will pass that savings on to you.
If you are buying a calling card online or buying a card in a different location than the one from which you will be using it (buying a card in New York to use in Paris, for instance), make sure the card has a local access number for the city/country in which you'll be using it. You'll save yourself a lot of headaches if you have to use the card from a pay phone (or as a guest in someone's home - you don't want your host to be billed for your calls), or from a location like a hotel that might block toll-free calls.
Many cards come with multiple access numbers, so see what options are available to you before you purchase. (I strongly advocate buying your calling cards online anyhow- no card to lose, and you save money on printing/marketing/shipping costs since there's no physical card.)
Some great ones for travelers or anyone who makes frequent calls from outside the US to anywhere around the world are the World Cards from CallingCards.com. World Calls, World Europe, and World Access have incredibly low rates for calls from 40+ countries to anywhere in the world. For more information on these cards, visit http://callingcards.com/index_localaccess.asp to view a list of the supported origination countries (the country you'd be calling from) and search for the best rate.
For help selecting the best calling card, you can always leave a note in the comments! I'm more than happy to help you find a card to meet your needs.
How on earth will you choose a card to call back to the US while traveling or living abroad?
Why did your 100 minute calling card only last for 20 minutes?
Ah, the mysterious access number. Why are there so many, and why are they so complicated? The short answer is: lots of phone company business and technological things. What you should know: your access number (that is, the number you dial first when beginning your call - as opposed to your destination number, which is the phone number of the person/business you are trying to read) can have a big impact on your calling rates.
Suppose you get a card that has a local access number (a number that you can call without incurring long distance charges) and a 1-800 number. Chances are, you'll get a better rate by using the local access number - your calling card company has to pay less to route the call, and they will pass that savings on to you.
If you are buying a calling card online or buying a card in a different location than the one from which you will be using it (buying a card in New York to use in Paris, for instance), make sure the card has a local access number for the city/country in which you'll be using it. You'll save yourself a lot of headaches if you have to use the card from a pay phone (or as a guest in someone's home - you don't want your host to be billed for your calls), or from a location like a hotel that might block toll-free calls.
Many cards come with multiple access numbers, so see what options are available to you before you purchase. (I strongly advocate buying your calling cards online anyhow- no card to lose, and you save money on printing/marketing/shipping costs since there's no physical card.)
Some great ones for travelers or anyone who makes frequent calls from outside the US to anywhere around the world are the World Cards from CallingCards.com. World Calls, World Europe, and World Access have incredibly low rates for calls from 40+ countries to anywhere in the world. For more information on these cards, visit http://callingcards.com/index_localaccess.asp to view a list of the supported origination countries (the country you'd be calling from) and search for the best rate.
For help selecting the best calling card, you can always leave a note in the comments! I'm more than happy to help you find a card to meet your needs.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
The Truth on Calling Card Fees
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.
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.
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)
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