Connection Fee Phone Cards

For those lengthy, long distance calls

Connection fee cards, as implied by the name, charge you a fee upon the connection of your call. Depending on where in the world you are calling, this fee may be higher or lower. In most cases, the connection fee and the advertised rate are the only fees you will be charged - thus, the longer you talk on a single call, the lower your actual rate will be. As compared with no fee and low fee phone cards, a card which charges you a connection fee is usually much less misleading than the low fee options tend to be. It can also be less expensive than the no fee options, depending on where and when you plan to call and how long you intend to talk.

For long distance calls, particularly those to international locations, a connection fee card can be the least expensive means of staying close with your friends or loved ones. Although the connection fees are sometimes as high as $1, if the per-minute value is low enough and you talk for (for instance) over 100 minutes you have reduced that $1 surcharge to a one-cent-per-minute charge. If the math adds up, then a card which charges you a connection fee may be a very good option. As with any phone card however, it is important to examine the fine print and find out what the connection fee is, whether it differs based on the destination of the call, and whether there are any additional fees involved.

Phone cards for local calling should not have connection fees, as this will typically make them uneconomical. In some cases, phone card manufacturers have used tactics of this sort as a way to entice customers into buying a variety of phone cards - some of which have very economical calling rates and some that cannot compete with local carrier rates or conventional long distance services. Even when you find a particular phone card manufacturer who seems to offer reasonable prices and services, it makes sense to examine each phone card. That way you can be sure it meets your requirements, and that the fee schedule is in keeping with what you expect from other cards offered by that manufacturer.