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Tel3Advantage started their World Cup Sweepstakes today. It is Free to enter and First Prize Winners (9 people) will be able to make free international phone calls to the country of their choice through the end of the year using Tel3Advantage. It is easy to enter and there is no obligation, just visit Tel3Advantage World Cup Sweepstakes and choose your favorite country. The sweepstakes runs from June 11th through July 11, 2010.

There will be nine first place winners and each will be able to make Free International calls to the country they choose through the end of 2010. Also, the cost of all calls to the country with the most votes will be reduced by 10% during the month of August. You do not need a Tel3Advantage account to enter so the contest is open to everyone.

The Tel3Advantage Flex plan is one of the most popular prepaid calling plans in North America. It can be used to make cheap domestic and international long distance calls using any phone in the USA and Canada. It is free to open and maintain an account and there is no contract or obligation. Just prepaid an amount ranging from $10 to $100 and start making calls. Tel3Advantage features excellent customer service and call quality. It is the only company in the industry with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Connection fees can be one of the more onerous and tricky hidden fees charged by phone card service providers. Some phone card suppliers advertise enticingly low rates for making calls but charge a connection fee which is a hidden charge that is not included in the advertised rate. This fee is charged whenever a call is connected so it is a charge for each call that is made and is not based on the duration of the call.

Consumer Tip: Read the fine print when purchasing a phone card so that you fully understand the fee structure before making a purchase.

A connection fee can significantly increase the cost of a call. This is especially true for short duration calls made to low cost locations. The following example highlights the impact of this cost. The information used in this example is based on actual information obtained from the website of a major virtual phone card provider.

Example: Connection Fee Impact on the Cost of a Call

Assume an international call is made from the USA to Germany. The advertised rate is 2 cents per minute and the connection fee is 49 cents. The call duration is 10 minutes.
There are many phone cards that do not charge connection fees. Most charge a surcharge, tax or a maintenance fee but these, in most cases, will be lower than a connection fee. Tel3Advantage is a virtual phone card that can be used to make long distance calls (international or domestic) from Canada or the USA and it does not charge any hidden fees. Therefore, Tel3Advantage offers the lowest actual rates on calls to many destination because their advertised rate is the actual rate charged for each call. They offer one of the few prepaid calling products that does not charge any hidden fees.

The total cost of the call at the advertised rate would be 20 cents (10 x 2) while the actual cost of the 10 minute call including the connection fee would be 69 cents (10 x 2 + 49). Therefore, the effective per-minute rate is actually 6.9 cents rather than the advertised rate of 2 cents per-minute. This is a whopping 245% increase in cost.

If you make international business trips and carry a laptop computer than PC-to-Phone service is a great way to stay connected while on the road. As long as you have an INTERNET connection, you can make cheap international calls from any location to other computers or to any phone in the world. Calls to other computers using the same PC-to-Phone software are often Free while there is a charge for placing calls to phones (landlines or cell phones). The rates vary depending on the country and the type of phone called but rates are much lower than those charged by international hotels or long distance carriers. PC-to-Phone service is also popular with students, expats and people who operate small businesses with an international focus.

PC-to-Phone service providers continue to add new features that make their product more flexible and convenient to use. For example, Skype, one of the most popular PC-to-Phone service providers, offers free calls to other Skype users and the following added features.

• Low rates on calls to landlines and cell phones.
• An online phone number so people can reach you on Skype from any phone.
• The ability to send text messages from Skype.
• A built in Voice Mail feature so calls are never missed.
• Call forwarding that forwards incoming calls to a regular phone when the user is off-line.
• Mobile applications so Skype can be used from Mobile Phones.

Skype has continued to innovate and add features in order to broaden the appeal of their service.

We think Skype is a great option for people who want to make free calls to other Skype users. However, Skype’s international rates on calls to landlines and cell phones are not as low as other cheap international calling options. In addition to a per-minute charge for each call, Skype also charges a connection fee for each call made to a land-line or cell phone. In order to evaluate the relative cost of making international calls to landlines or cell phones with Skype, we compared the international rates charged by Skype to those charged by Tel3Advantage for the same call from the USA. Tel3Advantage was selected for this comparison since it is a high quality prepaid calling plan that can be used to make low cost domestic or international long distance calls from any phone without changing companies and it is very popular with those who make frequent international calls from the USA or Canada.

We compared Skype published rates (excluding their connection fee) to those charged by Tel3Advantage to the following popular destinations.

In many cases, the rates charged on international calls to mobile phones are substantially higher than the rate charged for the same call to a land-line. Therefore, when making international calls, callers should take care and read the fine print so they fully understand the rate charged for making a call to the type of phone they plan to call or they may receive an unpleasant surprise. In most cases, rates on international calls to mobile phones are higher than they are for calls to landlines but this is not always the case. The rate difference varies between countries and service providers so it is best to shop around in order to find the lowest cost product for making calls to the country and type of phone you wish to call.

We did some research on this topic by comparing the rates charged by Tel3Advantage, a popular prepaid calling plan, on international calls to mobile phones and landlines in various countries. We found there were some regional patterns to the data but no consistent rules. The following is a summary of our key observations.

• The rate charged on calls to mobile phones is substantially higher than they would be for the same call to a land-line. This seemed to be a typical pattern. Especially for international calls made to countries located in Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East. However, there were exceptions so callers should check the countries they wish to call before making any conclusions. Some popular locations where the rates charged on international calls to mobile phones are significantly higher than they are to landlines: Brazil, France, Italy, Mexico and the UK. For example, a call to a mobile phone in Italy from the USA costs 14.7 cents per-minute while a call to a land-line costs 1.8 cents per-minute.

• In some cases, the rate charged on calls to mobile phones were the same as those charged to landlines. Many of these locations were in Asia but there were many exceptions. We discovered the following popular destinations: Bermuda, China, India and Thailand.

• We also found cases where international calls to mobile phones where cheaper than calls to landlines. This is true on calls to the following popular destinations: Cuba, Egypt, Hong Kong, Singapore, Syria and Uzbekistan. In most cases, the difference in cost is small. For example, the rate charged for an international call to a mobile phone in Egypt is 9.4 cents per-minute while the charge for the same call to a land-line is 9.8 cents.

International callers should shop around for the best deal when deciding on a product to use for making cheap international calls. They should recognize that rates can vary significantly between countries and the type of phone they wish to call. It may be prudent to use one product for making calls to cell phones and another product to make calls to landlines. There are a wide selection of phone cards and other prepaid calling products to choose from so most callers can find substantial savings by shopping for the product that best fits their needs.

If you make international calls to China from the USA or Canada than this may be of interest to you. Tel3Advantage announced recently that they have lowered their rates for international calls to China from North America from 1.7 to 1.32 cents-per-minute. This rate includes all fees and taxes if the caller uses a local access number when placing the call. A 1 cent-per-minute surcharge is added if the caller uses the Tel3Advantage toll free access number to make the call. It is not hard to avoid the surcharge since Tel3 has a wide network of local access numbers. Calls can be made from any kind of telephone, including mobile phones and hotel or business phones. Tel3Advantage now has the lowest rates on international calls to China from North America.

It is possible to get a lower rate on international calls for the first 30 days if a new customer opens an account using the Tel3Advantage Triple Promo offer. The rate on calls to China for the first 30 days using this offer is only 1 cent-per-minute and the new customer can also get up to 900 free minutes as a sign-up bonus. Visit Tel3Advantage Triple Promo for details or call 800 441 0321.

The UK is one of the most popular calling destinations from the USA and Canada. It is also one of the lowest cost destinataions. It is relatively easy to find an international prepaid calling plan or high quality phone card with rates of 1 or 2 cents per-minute on calls from North America to UK land-lines but cell phones are another mater. Typical rates on calls to UK cell phones range from 10 cents per-minute to 25 cents per-minute or more. Even Vonage World, which boasts free calls to the UK, lists a 28 cent per-minute rate on calls to UK cell phones. Not exactly free, especially when one adds in taxes and other fees.

We have done some research and found that there are some options for making cheap calls to UK cell phones. It appears that the best options involve the use of prepaid phone cards or other prepaid calling products. One option is Tel3Advantage which charges only 10.5 cents per-minute (triple promo rate) on calls from the USA or Canada to cell phones in the UK. Tel3advantage does not charge added fees or taxes so this is an all inclusive rate if a local access number is used to place the call. Another good option is the Simply international phone card. It lists a rate of 11.4 cents per-minute but it does charge service and maintenance fees so all costs should be taken into account when making a decision.

These are both good options for making cheap calls to UK cell phones which could save callers a significant amount of money over the holiday season.

With the Holiday Season fast approaching, a perfect gift for a friend or loved one who is far away may be the gift of a phone card. A phone card gift card can be delivered to any location in the world instantly via e-mail and there is no tax, duty or delivery fee. A phone card gift card is very easy to purchase and is a useful gift, even for the person who has everything.

A gift card can be purchased in any amount (from $5 to $100) and the recipient can trade it in for any phone card they want. So they can choose the best phone card for their needs from a vast range of phone cards including those with a global reach and a full range of special features.

Purchasing a gift card is easy. Once you complete a gift card purchase you will receive an email containing a PIN number and a link – all that is needed for a phone card to be selected and activated. Just send this information to your friend or loved one and they can choose the phone card they want. It is that easy.

Visit Phone Cards International to review a full range of international phone cards and choose the gift card option if you would like to send a special gift to a friend or loved one this holiday season.

Many people want to make cheap international calls to cell phones and there are several options available today. The best or cheapest option depends on several factors so one option is not the best for every caller. Things like the location of the caller, the destination called and the type of phone the caller intends to use (land line, INTERNET or cell phone) are all important factors to consider when shopping for the international service. Most people are looking for an option that is high quality, cheap and convenient to use so we reviewed the pros and cons of a few popular options. These included two International VoIP calling plans, a PC-to-Phone service, a popular prepaid long distance phone service and a high quality phone card. The results of our review are presented below.

Several VoIP service providers now advertise that they include free international calls to several countries with their phone service. Vonage and Lingo offer two of the most popular VoIP services. In most cases, the free calls included with these plans are to landlines not cell phones, as shown later; in most cases, international calls to cell phones are not cheap with these plans. Vonage indicates that they include free calls to 60 countries with their new Vonage World plan and Lingo advertises that free calls to 75 countries are included with their Lingo World Max service. Vonage charges around $32.60 per month (including taxes and fees) for their service and Lingo charges about $31 per month (including fees and taxes). In addition to the monthly service fees, users also need to pay for a high-speed INTERNET connection so neither service is actually free. Both calling plans also require a service contract (Lingo requires 2 years and Vonage requires 1 year) and charge an early termination fee if a customer chooses to stop using the service, so they are not a convenient option for short-term users. However, both phone services are good quality and one of them may be a good deal for those who want low cost home phone service and the ability to make frequent international calls to one or more of the countries covered by their plans.

Skype offers a very popular personal computer based phone service. It can be used to make free PC-to-PC calls worldwide so it is very popular with students, international business travelers and expats living around the world. Skype can also be used as a PC-to-Phone service where users can make calls to landlines or cell phones from their PC but there is a fee for this service. As shown later, Skype PC-to-Phone rates are not that cheap and Skype is not a very convenient option since calls are made from a PC so we believe there are better and cheaper options for making international calls to cell phones.

Prepaid long distance is another option so we examined the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan, which is one of the most popular prepaid plans in North America. It can be used to make cheap long distance calls from any phone (cell, home, business or pay phone) in Canada and the USA. It is a popular service for making cheap international calls because it is convenient to use, offers some of the lowest rates and does not require a monthly fee or contract.

We wanted to compare the above options with the rates offered by a high quality phone card so we chose the Continental Phone Card. It can be used to make cheap calls from over 60 countries and is one of the most versatile phone cards on the market. It has low fees relative to other phone cards but it does charge a 15% tax (surcharge) on calls so we include this in the per-minute rates listed in the Table below. The continental card is a virtual phone card that can be used from any kind of phone. Customers get a free on-line account where they can monitor activity and make changes to their account so it is a viable long or short-term option.

We have summarized the rates charged each minute for calls originating from the USA using the options listed above in the following table. We randomly selected a variety of popular destinations in order to compare rates to different regions of the world. Note that Tel3Advantage offers rates that are similar to phone cards on calls to cell phones in most locations while both VoIP service providers and Skype charge significantly higher rates.

Web Call is a superb product for making cheap international calls using any phone in the world that can receive a call. Due to the name, many people confuse Web Call with PC-to-Phone, VoIP or other INTERNET based calling services but it is much different. The main difference is that calls are not placed over the INTERNET with Web Call, they are made using any kind of phone including cell phones, home phones, business phones or any other phone that can receive a call. In this case, the term Web Call refers to the way the calls are placed. With Web Call there is no need to dial an access number or enter an account number or PIN code when making a call. All a caller needs to do is sign-in to their on-line account and enter the country and phone number they want to call from and the country and phone number they wish to call. After they enter the information they push the call button and the computer connects the two phones…..it is that simple.

Some countries charge a high surcharge on out-bound international calls. International callers in these countries can save a lot of money with Web Call since they they will be paying for an in-bound international call from a low cost, third country not an out-bound call from the country where they are located. The following table shows some examples of the potential savings over typical phone card rates for calls to the USA from some high cost countries. Rates are in USA cents per minute.

A comparison of phone card rates versus Web Call rates on international calls to the USA from some selected countries.

Bahrain: Phone Card Rate 21 cents/min, Web Call Rate 9.7 cents/min
China: Phone Card Rate 11 cents/min, Web Call Rate 2 cents/min
India: Phone Card Rate 11 cents/min, Web Call Rate 5.9 cents/min
Jamaica: Phone Card Rate 17.5 cents/min, Web Call Rate 8.5 cents/min
Jordan: Phone Card Rate 28 cents/min, Web Call Rate 8.6 cents/min
Kazakhstan: Phone Card Rate 55 cents/min, Web Call Rate 7.3 cents/min
Nepal: Phone Card Rate 105 cents/min, Web Call Rate 15.1 cents/min
Nigeria: Phone Card Rate 50 cents/min, Web Call Rate 10.5 cents/min
Syria: Phone Card Rate 112 cents/min, Web Call Rate 13.7 cents/min
UAE: Phone Card Rate 95 cents/min, Web Call Rate 14.7 cents/min

As the information above shows, the savings can be significant. The rates shown are for calls to the USA but Web Call can be used to call any country from any other country. It is a high quality product that can also be used as a phone card to make calls from over 60 countries. However, Web Call has better rates than a phone card and is more convenient to use as long as the caller has access to the INTERNET. Visit Web Call for rates to all countries and information on opening an account. Happy calling.

Tel3 announced recently that they have a new dialer application for iPhone users that will allow them to make direct dialed international long distance calls over the low cost Tel3 network. This application, called the Tel3 Dialer, is a free download that can be used by Tel3 Customers. With this application, users will have the ability to make direct dialed international calls from their iPhone using either the address book, or the recent call history or directly on from the dial pad. People who want to make cheap international calls will no longer need to dial an access number or enter a PIN code or account number before placing a call. Tel3 also has similar applications for other SMART phones. For further information on the iPhone application, visit Tel3 Dialer or call 800 441 0321.

This is a new application but Tel3 is not new to the prepaid calling market. They have been selling prepaid calling services for more than a decade and are the only company in the prepaid calling business with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Their Tel3Advantage prepaid long distance calling plan is one of the most popular plans of its kind in North America with more than 100,000 active customers. It can be used to make cheap domestic and international long distance calls from any phone in Canada or the USA without changing companies. It also has low per minute rates to all locations with no hidden fees or taxes.

The summer travel season is fast approaching and many Americans will be heading to Europe for vacation despite the weak economy. If fact, there are some good deals to be had on air travel, hotels and rental cars because of the weak economy in most locations around the world. We were recently in Moscow and paid ½ the rate we paid 6 months ago for the same hotel room.

Most people will want to call home a few times during a trip abroad so it is a good idea to carry a phone card. We suggest purchasing a phone card before you leave home because you have more time to shop (on-line) and choose the right phone card for your trip. You will likely find a better quality card at a better price than if you wait and purchase one abroad at a hotel, airport or other location frequented by tourists. Most on-line international phone card merchants provide customers with an on-line account. This is a handy feature for travelers because they can access their account via the internet from any location in the world to find a local access number, add funds or make other changes to their account. Many on-line phone cards also include other handy features like Speed Dial, PIN free dialing and call history that make international calling much easier.

We have a couple of phone card recommendations for people who want to make cheap calls to the USA or other locations from Europe. The first phone card we would recommend is a new card called Solaris. It has high user ratings for quality and has a wide range of local and toll free access numbers in every European country. It can be used to make cheap international calls from over 100 countries so it has very wide coverage and is ideal for people who plan to visit several countries during a trip. It also has no maintenance or connection fee and some of the lowest rates on international calls. Another high quality phone card is Continental. It can be used to make cheap calls from over 60 countries. The continental card comes with several features like speed dial, call history and PIN free dialing which makes it very convenient to use. Smart Global Call Phone Cards International sells these and other high quality calling cards.

People who want to make cheap calls to Europe have a wider range of options. Rates are generally cheaper on international calls from the USA or Canada to Europe than they are from Europe to the USA or Canada. Therefore, it is cheaper to make calls that originate in North America if possible. This is not always possible so a high quality phone card is the next best option.

Tel3 announced this week that they have reduced the international calling rates on their popular Tel3 Mobile international calling plan. The new rates will match those charged for calls using their Tel3Advantage Flex plan. This means that cell phone users in the USA and Canada can make international calls from their cell phones at rates that are about 80% lower than those charged by cell phone service providers. Also, with Tel3 Mobile there is no loss in quality or convenience. Tel3 uses high quality service providers and, smart phone users, can make direct dial international calls from their phones over the Tel3 network without dial an account number or PIN code. The Tel3 Mobile plan will work with any existing service provider so there is nothing to change. Tel3 Mobile has a Free no Obligation trial offer where users can make up to 60 minutes of free international calls. Visit Tel3 Mobile Free Trial in order to sign-up for the Free Trial.

Science and technology has helped a lot in improving communication among people. After using old-fashioned telephones for communication, we are now witnessing rapid developments in telecommunication; one example is the arrival of VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol.

Today, with the ready availability of high-speed air transport, members of numerous families are scattered all over the globe. Not long ago, making calls to loved ones abroad was a very expensive affair. Many had to sacrifice communication for fear of spending large sums of money on phone calls. However, now with VoIP, you can talk cost-effectively with your family members wherever they live.

You can get VoIP services free if you are willing to put up with call restrictions and other inconveniences. If you would like a more customized and convenient option, you can register with a VoIP service provider offering low cost call rates. There are there are several websites that offer VoIP phone service, phone cards and other options for making cheap international phone calls. There is a variety of VoIP service providers with offering different packages so there is likely one to fit every need. To become a VoIP subscriber, you need to register online with these websites.

The following website provides information on VoIP phone services and information on other International Calling options:

Smart Global Call - This website provides information on cheap international calling options so it is a good source of information. They cover everything from phone cards to VoIP and PC-to-Phone services involving the internet.

The advantage of using VoIP services for cheap international calls is that it has made it possible to make calls for very minimal rates and even free with some service providers. To make free calls to a person, you should use your computer to call his/her computer. To do this, both you and the person at the other end will need a computer with a broadband Internet connection, a headset, along with an account with a service provider like Skype, MSN, yahoo etc.

Despite the advantages of VoIP, there are also some disadvantages. For example, you will need a high-speed INTERNET connection and the phone will not work if the INTERNET service is down. The international calling rates also vary a lot between countries and between VoIP service providers. Be sure and research plans so you can find the one with the best rates to the countries you call the most. Some VoIP providers also require long-term contracts and other commitments so be aware of these since some have penalties for early cancellations. Despite these small inconveniences, most people can save a lot of money by using VoIP. Especially if they already have a high-speed INTERNET connection.

There are various VoIP plans to choose from. You will have to pay a fixed subscription fee based on the package selected but these are low compared to similar service packages from the traditional phone companies. Each scheme covers a particular number of countries, so you can select the scheme based on the countries you want to call. And there is no chance of exorbitant billing as far as you stick to the countries that you have picked.

Most VoIP service plans include an array of other features at no additional cost. They typically include features like voice mail, call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID etc. With so many consumer friendly features, VoIP is indeed a better option compared to the usual land-line telephones. No wonders more and more people are going for VoIP communication. So, if you are searching for a cheap international calling option, it is as simple as finding a VoIP service provider that suits your requirements and you will never again have to worry about inflated telephone bills.

Visit Tel3Advantage and sign-up for prepaid long-distance phone service during the Mother’s Day promotion period and get twice the normal sign-up bonus. The promotion lasts through May 10, 2009. During this time new customers can get up to 946 free minutes just for signing up for the Tel3Advantage Flex Plan. There is no cost to sign-up, all a new customer needs to do is open an account and make an initial deposit ($10 - $100). Then they will receive bonus funds that can be used to make free calls. The funds deposited the more bonus funds a new customer receives as shown below.

Deposit $10 and get $2 in Bonus Funds

Deposit $25 and get $10 in Bonus Funds

Deposit $50 and get $14 in Bonus Funds

Deposit $100 and get $18 in Bonus Funds

Not a bad deal considering Tel3Advantage offers the most popular prepaid calling plan in North America. The flex plan has over 100,000 active customers who routinely use the service to make low cost domestic and international long distance phone calls. They can use the service from any kind of phone (cell, home, business, etc.) without changing companies. The Tel3Advantage plan will work with any existing service. It is convenient to use and very easy to make calls. The service can be used from the USA and Canada. Tel3Advantage is an honest calling plan with no hidden fees or taxes. This can be verified through an on line call history in every customers personal on-line account that records the length and cost for each call. Now is a great time to try Tel3Advantage and see why they have more than 100,000 active customers.

Most people know how to use a prepaid phone card by now. However, a few people have never used one so this post is for their benefit. Most of the time, prepaid phone cards are used by dialing what is called an access number, a special phone number, which allows a user to access the phone card service providers system. Some service providers have a network of access numbers and others have only one access number, these can be toll free numbers or what are referred to as local access numbers requiring users to pay the call. In any case, prepaid phone cards are used by first accessing the service providers system.

The following are the steps typically required when using a prepaid phone card.

Step 1: Dial a toll free or local access number in order to access the service providers system. Access numbers should be provided when the phone card is purchased.

Step 2: The caller identifies himself or herself to the system. This can be done by entering a special series of numbers provided with the phone card providers system, called a PIN code, or in the case of PIN Free phone cards the system will automatically ID the caller using caller ID technology.

Step 3: The caller dials the number they wish to call. Phone cards from the North America will require the caller to enter the prefix 011 when making overseas phone calls or the prefix 1 when making a domestic long distance phone call.

As indicated above, the mechanics of using a phone card are simple. However, there are a few things to consider when shopping for a phone card. For example, do you really want to enter a complex PIN code each time you place a call. This may not be a nuisance if you only intend to make a couple of calls but if you plan to use the phone card for multiple calls or for an extended period-of-time than a PIN free phone card should be considered. It is interesting to note that phone cards from major telecommunication companies like MCI or AT&T often do not have PIN Free Dialing or other features. These phone cards typically charge high rates and have good call quality but there are phone cards with similar call quality that are more appropriate for long-term use.

Another important consideration when making a phone card purchase is the access number network. Be sure that the phone card being considered has an access number in the country where you plan to use the card. This is often a problem when a phone card is purchased in the USA and used overseas. Most phone cards have a limited range of coverage. They can only be used to place calls from certain countries and, in some cases, they can only be used to make calls to certain locations. Be sure to purchase cards that have the required coverage.

Another important consideration is the location and type of access numbers used by a phone card. Many phone cards charge extra for using toll free access numbers and these extra charges are usually not included in the advertised rates. It is usually cheaper to use a local access number so check to see if one is available in the area where you plan to use a phone card.

Phone cards are relatively simple products to use but even simple products require some thought and investigation before making a purchase. A virtual phone card like Tel3Advantage should be consider when making calls from North America because it offers high call quality and a full range of features including PIN free dialing and an on-line call history. It is a popular product for people who routinely make international phone calls from North America and want to save money and still have quality, convenience and flexibility.