Calling Cards

Calling cards have been around for many years, how else could you have allowed your teenagers to go trotting off around the world on a “year out” with nothing more than a backpack, a pair of flip-flops and a passport. Pre-paid calling cards were classed as kind of an insurance policy against them being in a strange town, in a strange country with insufficient funds for a cup of coffee or to call home and ask Dad to send an emergency Moneygram. Yes, calling cards certainly gave parents some peace of mind if nothing else.

Virtual Calling Cards

These days you don’t even have to worry about losing your calling card, you can simply get a virtual calling card from the internet, loads of companies are offering them at really cheap rates, so all you have to do is to log on to your internet account, top up your virtual card and remember your pin number – it’s virtually impossible to go wrong!

Here’s an idiot proof guide to buying your calling card online, (don’t take that the wrong way!):

• You might have to register with the calling card company of your choice but that’ll probably be free. It’s just the companies way of finding out who you are so that they can bombard you with new offers from time to time, and of course, once you’re registered it’ll make it so much easier to top up your calling card at a later time.
• Choose the right card, this really depends on where you’re going (there are special offers for different destination countries), you might find that a multi-pack offers good value if you will be making lots of calls.
• Make sure that the website has a secure payment method. You’ll probably be able to use your credit or debit card to make the payment, or alternatively PayPal and PayPoint are becoming increasingly popular methods of online payment.
• Your virtual card number and PIN number will be delivered to your new account. You will need to remember these when you want to make a call, you simply dial your personal number before the number of the person you want to speak to, what could be easier?

Prepaying for calling cards really can make a big difference, especially if you’re going to be traveling away from home and want to know that you have a “life-line” in case of emergencies. It’s also nice to know that you can have a chat with a friendly voice, without breaking the bank, whenever you feel like it, and the rates which are offered on these calling cards make the whole experience much more affordable.