Pre-paid phone cards offer convenience for travelers and access to generally economical telecommunications prices for those consumers without telephone service in their homes. However, there are things to consider when purchasing a pre-paid phone card. Because some companies advertise rates as low as 1 per minute, this way you should be able to spot surcharges and hidden costs before you spend a lot of money. Many cards charge at least 50 for connection and in some cases even more each time you make a call. If you use the card only occasionally, this fee can add up.
Some cards use six minute rounding.
This means a one minute call will be charged as a six minute call. Many prepaid phone cards do not disclose enough information, especially information about their actual rates which is necessary to enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. Those who expect to use pay phones should be careful to look for cards that don t surcharge for this service. Although many prepaid phone cards make express promises of substantial savings, many fail to disclose the basis of the claimed savings. The quality of the service provided can vary dramatically among prepaid phone cards.