Phone Card Access Numbers Explained

When you purchase a Phone Card, either online or in a shop, the first dilemma you will encounter when you go to make your first call is to decide which access number should to use.

Which access number to use will depend largely on your own circumstances. We have highlighted below our advice for best use. You may actually be able to make your phone card last longer and make slightly cheaper international calls by finding out the best access number for you to use.

In general most phone cards have a cheaper rate to call from theirLondonaccess number (020). Using the Freephone access number (0800) will normally add between 2p to 5p onto the cost of the call.

Calling from a Landline

Using Freephone (0800) access from a landline – if you use the 0800 access number from your landline, then no charge will be added to your home phone bill. The entire cost of the phone call will be deducted from your phone card. However, if for example you are calling a destination where the rate is 1p per minute, there maybe a (0800) surcharge to pay so you may actually be paying up to around 6p per minute for this call.

Using theLondon(020) access from a landline – In order to find out if theLondonaccess number is a better option for you, you need to figure out how much it costs you to dial an 020 number from your landline phone. Many phone packages include free calls to 01 and 02 numbers anytime or at certain times of the day. If this is the case you can call the 020 access number for free, during these times. This will avoid paying the 0800 surcharge and may lower the cost of the call considerably. Again no charge will be added to your home phone bill.

If you can’t dial an 020 number for free and you decide to use this access number, then the cost of a local call will be charged by your landline provider to your home phone bill.

Calling from your Mobile Phone

All access numbers, 020, 0845, 0800 are all charged calls by your mobile phone provider. If however you have a mobile phone package with free inclusive minutes in the package you can use these to dial the 020 access number to reduce the call rate. For example, if you have 600 free inclusive minutes, then you will be able to call the 020 access number for 600 minutes before you will be charged. Once you have used up all free inclusive minutes your mobile phone company will charge the normal rate for calling the 020 access number.

To summarise –

Calling from landline – if your want the entire cost to come off the phone card use the 0800 access unless you can call an 020 number for free in your home phone package.

Calling from a Mobile – use the 020 access number whilst in your free inclusive minutes, outside this you will be charged by your mobile phone company to dial all the access numbers.

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Huge Reductions on T Mobile, 3 and Orange – Overseas Calls

Today (19/01/2012) there have been some major reductions on our T Mobile, 3 and Orange service. A huge 105 destinations have been reduced in price.

If you make regular International Phone Calls and are a T Mobile, 3 or Orange user – then check out the savings you could make by using this service directly from your mobile phone.

The latest up to date rates are now on our website.

Visit the TMobile, 3 and Orange Service

What is an International Phone Card?

Phone Cards can also be called Calling Cards, Telephone Cards, Prepaid Cards or more recently Virtual Phone Cards.

You buy your phone card in a shop, on the internet or by SMS. They come in various denominations, in the UK from £5 up to £50.

What are the Savings?

Basically phone cards are a way to make international calls much cheaper than the regular landline providers. If you were at home and lifted your home phone to call South Africa, you could pay anything up to 60p per minute. With phone cards this per minute costs can go down to as little as 1/2p per minute. For people who make regular international phone calls – it’s obvious to see the huge savings that could be made by switching to using a phone card for their international calls.

How does it Work

Phone cards come with various access numbers and a pin number. To make a call you dial the access number, then wait for a voice prompt to say something like ” please enter your pin number”. Then type in your pin number, this is normally 11 digits. Again a voice prompt will come to say something like “please enter the number you wish to dial”. At this point you type in the full international phone number. Before connection, some phone cards will announce how many minutes you would expect to receive to the international number you have typed in and on a continuous call.

In the UK normally there are three access numbers – 020, 0800 and 0845. Which access number to use is a more complicated matter – I’ll explain about that in my next post.

Why pay so much for your International calls?

It’s that simple, you don’t need to be very technical. The recorded instructions are easy to follow. Some phone cards have an array of charges. So we recommend that you buy a small denomination and test the service to your desired country first before buying a larger denomination phone card.

Where to Buy Phone Cards?

1. Go to your local newsagents. They should stock a full range.

2. Search the rates online and buy from our Phone Card Website

3. Buy credit by SMS (Mobile text message ) – read about SMS Top UP

Welcome to our Phone Card blog

To all our faithful customers – welcome to our new Phone Card blog.

As you have seen, our website has had a bit of a face lift and this blog is here to provide you with information you may need when deciding which phone card to purchase.

Over the next few weeks, we will publish various articles with information on how best to use your calling credit.

Please feel free to comment on any of the posts or to suggest a topic that we should highlight.

For now – hope you had a nice Christmas and we wish you a peaceful and prosperous New Year.