Victorina Calixto uses prepaid phone cards to talk to her family in Mexico, and she says the cards often provide fewer minutes than they claim.
Consumer Reports' investigation finds prepaid cards have many fees that eat away at a card's value.
"There are call-connection fees, call-completion fees, and there are even fees that can be charged daily, monthly, or weekly whether you use your card or not," explains Tony Giorgianni.
And all the cards Consumer Reports looked at charge a per-call fee if you use a pay phone, some as high as a dollar.
Plus, there are huge differences when it comes to rates.
For calls to Mexico, you can pay as little as one cent a minute or as high as $.32 cents a minute.
"The best way to protect yourself is to look at the terms and conditions very carefully," says Tony Giorgianni.
But that can be difficult in a store where cards are often behind the counter. Consumer Reports says it's far better to shop for prepaid cards online. Try independent sites like Zaptel or the major phone companies.
"And look for one that's rechargeable," said Giorgianni. "But watch out, some of the rechargeable cards charge a fee to recharge them."
Consumer Reports says Pingo.com is a good choice for prepaid calling. It offers good rates, a low pay-phone fee, and doesn't charge for recharging. All in all, a good deal for someone like Victorina, who wants to stay in touch without breaking the bank.
Also, see what international plan your landline or cell-phone company offers.
And consider Skype, an Internet-based phone service. The caller needs a computer but the person on the other end doesn't.
And I use a Cellular LD to call my Dad in South Korea.
There's no membership fee, no monthly fee, no contract or subscription or minimum usage requirement. Calls to South Korea are just $.04 cents per minute!
Links:
www.pingo.com
