Calling cards...

[mmmab]

Does anyone have any recommendations as to which calling cards are best to use when calling the Philippines?

I have used Filipino Talk in the past, but it seems they never give you the exact minutes they say you have left eg. they tell me I have 50minutes left and then they only give me like 35-40minutes of call.

I also use Bonus Calling Card, they give you the exact minutes they say, no problems there, problem is they used to give 81mins and now it's been cut down to 54mins which isn't enough since my gf is in Philippines and when we get to talking and laughing, the 54mins goes by faster than a speeding bullet (okay, with little exaggeration hehe).

Was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to which calling cards are best to use when calling Philippines.

Thanks in advance for any help or tips you can give.

[aromulus]

Does anyone have any recommendations as to which calling cards are best to use when calling the Philippines?

I have used Filipino Talk in the past, but it seems they never give you the exact minutes they say you have left eg. they tell me I have 50minutes left and then they only give me like 35-40minutes of call.

I also use Bonus Calling Card, they give you the exact minutes they say, no problems there, problem is they used to give 81mins and now it's been cut down to 54mins which isn't enough since my gf is in Philippines and when we get to talking and laughing, the 54mins goes by faster than a speeding bullet (okay, with little exaggeration hehe).

Was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to which calling cards are best to use when calling Philippines.

Thanks in advance for any help or tips you can give.

Hi and welcome aboard.

Personally I don't use phona cards.

But try this.
http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/philippines

Also as there are several threads dealing with phoning da Phils, so it would be worth using the search function on the top bar.:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[mmmab]

Thanks for your help aromulus, may I ask what you use to stay in contact with the Philippines.

Thanks again.

[mavid]

Welcome mmmab! We always find it cheaper to call from the Phils. Before I always used PLDT Budget Card.

But now, fiance just uses Skype Phone to phone me for FREE. Skype Phone to Skype Pc that is and vice versa. He can use it everywhere too, he doesn't even need to top up!

Only possible of course, if your lady has internet connection.

[mmmab]

Yes, I have heard of skype and we used to use it a lot, I have skype on my fone and told her to install skype on her pc so I can call her for free, but because I call her at night before she sleeps, we kinda wanted to just lay in bed and talk to each other, and that's where the problem is, she has a big desktop pc in her sitting room and not the bedroom and now her internet connection is gone, skype seems out of the picture...

Thanks for your reply mavid, really appreciated

[Sim11UK]

If you are phoning from a landline, I use a service called Phone cheap.
Just dial 0871 7720007, listen to the recorded message, then dial her no. It's 7 pence a minute, to call to her mobile.
I think it is still reasonably cheap, to call from your own mobile, as I have done it, but don't quote me on that.
It is a usually good reliable service, but I haven't been able to get through, a couple of times over the xmas period. But then everyone is phoning home, this time of year.

Pinoycards.co.uk, has many phonecards. You could have a look on their website.
You can also send load too, like I do. It's handy, if you have a paypal account.

As has been mentioned, this has been talked about many times before, so use the search button & you may come up with some other ideas.

[mmmab]

Wow, thanks for your reply Simm11, I will have a look now at pinoycards.co.uk

[Sim11UK]

No probs :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[alicat]

i used global card sometimes.

[mmmab]

alicat, is that Global Tel calling card?

[vbkelly]

Wow, thanks for your reply Simm11, I will have a look now at pinoycards.co.uk

i use super calling extra from pinoycards.co.uk if you get 3cardsx20 i paid £35 instead of £60

[mmmab]

how many minutes does super calling extra give, and if say i don't manage to use all the minutes at once, when i use the card again, will the remaining minutes still be the same or do they reduce the amount of talking time?

[vbkelly]

how many minutes does super calling extra give, and if say i don't manage to use all the minutes at once, when i use the card again, will the remaining minutes still be the same or do they reduce the amount of talking time?

if you phone landline to the PI you have 400+mins and the card expire with in 90days once you used it, yeah of course they reduced the minutes every time you contacted someone.

[mmmab]

400mins...wow, what I meant by the minutes thing being reduced was, say at first i have 300mins talk time, i use 100mins for the first call, when i use the card again will i still have 200mins left or would i have less?

I guess I would have less, that's my experience with most cards, just curious to see if there is a card that would keep my 200mins intact lol.

[fred]

Skypes good if your calling the UK from P.I!! Its less than a penny a minute to a landline.
If your set up as a UK user it thinks your making a local call!!
I love computers..They are so dumb!

[mmmab]

So the person in Philippines has to set up their skype to UK?

Sorry if I don't get it quite yet, a bit new to skype...

[darren-b]

So the person in Philippines has to set up their skype to UK?

Sorry if I don't get it quite yet, a bit new to skype...

It shouldn't actually make any difference as skype doesn't work that way. If you are making skype to skype calls then it's free anyway. And the cost to phone a particular country is the same no matter what your home location is or where you are actually calling from.

One thing I have noticed is skype's rates were obviously set when UK Pounds were a lot stronger so for example it's cheaper now to pay for calls in UK Pounds rather than US Dollars or Euros.

[mmmab]

I see, I know about skype being free calling from skype to skype, but kinda new to the skype to landline or mobile thing, would you consider using skype to call philippines mobile cheaper than using a calling card?

[darren-b]

I see, I know about skype being free calling from skype to skype, but kinda new to the skype to landline or mobile thing, would you consider using skype to call philippines mobile cheaper than using a calling card?

Skype isn't the cheapest for making calls to Philippines landlines/mobiles - calling cards or services like 'phone cheap' are cheaper. Skype is though cheap for making calls to UK landlines which is what Fred was referring to.

My wife only really uses skype when we're not at home - either by using a skype client (Fring) on her mobile phone or the PC client on her laptop connected via a WiFi Hotspot.

[alicat]

alicat, is that Global Tel calling card?

yah,u can get it in chinese store or indian store.

[nigel]

We use go bananas cards..they're generally £5...but I've got them for as little as £3.50 in some shops..:rolleyes:

[vbkelly]

Skypes good if your calling the UK from P.I!! Its less than a penny a minute to a landline.
If your set up as a UK user it thinks your making a local call!!
I love computers..They are so dumb!

its depend if your family have a computer

[mmmab]

Thank you all very much for your info and your suggestions, I will try phone cheap later on, hopefully I can connect and do the new year's countdown with my gf, I will also be trying Global Tel and Go Bananas...

Have you all heard of Lycamobile? Do you think it is the cheapest way to send text messages to Philippines, at 10p a message, it seems to be the cheapest...

[darren-b]

Have you all heard of Lycamobile? Do you think it is the cheapest way to send text messages to Philippines, at 10p a message, it seems to be the cheapest...

Try searching for chikka - it's much cheaper (it's actually free.....)

[joebloggs]

Try searching for chikka - it's much cheaper (it's actually free.....)

:xxgrinning--00xx3: it must have saved me more than £1,000 over the years :rolleyes:

[Sim11UK]

Thank you all very much for your info and your suggestions, I will try phone cheap later on, hopefully I can connect and do the new year's countdown with my gf,

Just interested, whether you did try phone cheap?
I haven't been able to get through, for a couple of days.

Finally got through, today at about 10pm Philippines time. She was cooking Pork Adobo & I could hear plenty of fireworks, going off in the background. :xxparty-smiley-050:

[mmmab]

Just interested, whether you did try phone cheap?
I haven't been able to get through, for a couple of days.

Finally got through, today at about 10pm Philippines time. She was cooking Pork Adobo & I could hear plenty of fireworks, going off in the background. :xxparty-smiley-050:

I couldn't get through using phone cheap, but I used another service called Briiing and I did manage to connect, we actually managed to do the countdown together which was really great and I could also hear all the fireworks going off in the background:xxgrinning--00xx3:

Happy New Year to all!!!

[PeterB]

Do you think it is the cheapest way to send text messages to Philippines, at 10p a message, it seems to be the cheapest...

Using Skype, from a PC, is cheaper than that .. only 4 or 5 pence a message. I never got on well with Chika, which seemed to upset my PC.

I had Skype set up so that messages appeared to come from my Philippines phone ... this meant that replies only cost 1 peso.

[joebloggs]

I never got on well with Chika, which seemed to upset my PC.



i never really had a problem with chikka, used the different versions, on many pc's, found it an excellent program, i must have sent 1,000s of txts using it over many years.. for nothing, as far as i know the misses got most of the texts instantly, small number delayed..

as for replying, get ur misses to send u a international roaming simm for a spare mobile if u have one, so if she doesn't have a pc near by to use chikka, she can reply direct to that mobile for a few pesos.

[PeterB]

as for replying, get ur misses to send u a international roaming simm for a spare mobile if u have one, so if she doesn't have a pc near by to use chikka, she can reply direct to that mobile for a few pesos.

Indeed, I bought a Smart SIM on my first visit to Phils ... and it's not 'a few pesos', it's one peso!

[mmmab]

Using Skype, from a PC, is cheaper than that .. only 4 or 5 pence a message. I never got on well with Chika, which seemed to upset my PC.

I had Skype set up so that messages appeared to come from my Philippines phone ... this meant that replies only cost 1 peso.
I have had the same problems with chikka, so I think I'm gonna go and try out skype, and it is cheaper that lycamobile, thanks for the tip PeterB :BouncyHappy:

as for replying, get ur misses to send u a international roaming simm for a spare mobile if u have one, so if she doesn't have a pc near by to use chikka, she can reply direct to that mobile for a few pesos.
She has mentioned globe international roaming sim to me before and for Chritsmas she sent me a package but we forgot about the sims hehe

Indeed, I bought a Smart SIM on my first visit to Phils ... and it's not 'a few pesos', it's one peso!
Would it be one peso as well if we use Globe sim, my honey is a Globe sim user, so just wondering if it would be the same...

[PeterB]

First of all, you can buy a Philippines SIM, in the UK, online - visit the 'callingnow' website.

Secondly, whichever company SIM you buy, her SMS will only cost 1 peso.

[Sim11UK]

First of all, you can buy a Philippines SIM, in the UK, online - visit the 'callingnow' website.

Secondly, whichever company SIM you buy, her SMS will only cost 1 peso.

Don't forget, it will cost you to receive her texts, if you are set to roaming.
I got mine set to roaming, last time I was in Phils...When I got back to the UK, it didn't work?
Maybe it's easier, to just send load. I know when I send it, she sends some to her mom, which I am quite happy about. :)

[fred]

its depend if your family have a computer


Now why would it depend on them having a computer?? :Erm::Erm:
Im calling them from a computer direct to their land line!

I have tried dialing P.I numbers (mobile and landline) from here in P.I and the per minute costs are too high to continue..Skypeout obviously thinks Im calling from the UK and thats why I pay less than a penny when I call UK landlines..

[darren-b]

I have tried dialing P.I numbers (mobile and landline) from here in P.I and the per minute costs are too high to continue..Skypeout obviously thinks Im calling from the UK and thats why I pay less than a penny when I call UK landlines..

Skype charges the same to call no matter where you are. It's just the rates to dial the Philippines are not that cheap because I guess Skype do not have their own telephone systems in the Philippines.

[PeterB]

Don't forget, it will cost you to receive her texts, if you are set to roaming.

Not true! It costs absolutely nothing to receive a standard SMS, wherever you are in the world. You will, however, be charged for receiving voice calls!


I got mine set to roaming, last time I was in Phils...When I got back to the UK, it didn't work?

I suspect that roaming wasn't fully turned on. I asked for a 'roaming-enabled' SIM but then discovered that I had to send an SMS command (while still in Phils) in order to actually turn the roaming on.

When you buy a SIM from callingnow, the roaming is already turned on for you.


Maybe it's easier, to just send load.

Possibly, but it does work out a lot more expensive if she sends many texts. My figures of 1 peso and 15 pesos aren't fiction!

[PeterB]

Skypeout obviously thinks Im calling from the UK and thats why I pay less than a penny when I call UK landlines..

No! It doesn't matter where you are .. the cost of a Skypeout call is dependent solely on the location/number being called.

[jimeve]

last time I checked skype to the Phils it was 16 pence per minute.

[Sim11UK]

Not true! It costs absolutely nothing to receive a standard SMS, wherever you are in the world. You will, however, be charged for receiving voice calls!

I'm sure you are right, I remember them saying about a charge, so it must have been from received calls.
Think I will have to check out a SIM from calling now.

Thanks Peterb

Maybe I should start selling them...SimsSIMS :)

[PeterB]

last time I checked skype to the Phils it was 16 pence per minute.

For a voice call to a mobile, not an SMS!

[jimeve]

For a voice call to a mobile, not an SMS!

:Hellooo: I mean VOICE. £ 0.162 TO PHILS MOBILE, from uk skype. :CompBuster:

[mmmab]

First of all, you can buy a Philippines SIM, in the UK, online - visit the 'callingnow' website.

Secondly, whichever company SIM you buy, her SMS will only cost 1 peso.
I'm going to visit that site now and get myself a Globe Sim, at least it would save her a lot of money texting me back and forth, thanks for that PeterB :Hellooo:

Not true! It costs absolutely nothing to receive a standard SMS, wherever you are in the world. You will, however, be charged for receiving voice calls!
Thanks for that too, finally have found a cheaper way of texting her via skype and she can now also text me for only one peso via the Globe Roaming Sim, thanks a lot for that, I really appreciate it!:Hellooo::Hellooo::Hellooo:

[PeterB]

... thanks for that PeterB

You're most welcome. This forum is all about offering advice based on our experience. The roaming SIM/Skype method was the one which I found most workable, and allowed us to keep in contact when Ruby couldn't get to the Internet cafe. It also allowed Ruby to contact me on a matter (literally) of life and death - in the very early hours of the morning in UK.

[Plonker]

I use "O2 your country" sim card, the sim card is free from any O2 shop as long as you top it up atleast £20. I top up every month with £30 with that you get 200 free mins and you actually get 200 mins to call anywhere in the world not just philippines. Plus the £30 paid credit which gives you a total of 230 mins at a cost of 7.6p per min. It sounds a bit exspensive but it works for us cause we only talk around 10 mins everyday whilst I'm at work, the good thing is the reception is fantastic and crystal clear. On weekends we just use ym.

I used phoned cards before but I still cant figure out how they deduct minutes, so you dont get what you pay for with phone cards. And sometimes it takes many goes just to get a connection, so frustrating. Which is why I dont use them anymore.

[fred]

last time I checked skype to the Phils it was 16 pence per minute.

Oh right... Wonder why am I only paying 0.017 p to call the UK from here??

[PeterB]

Oh right... Wonder why am I only paying 0.017 p to call the UK from here??

... because connections to the UK are plentiful and cheap.

[georyz]

my wife gets sms messages from the phils thru her roaming sim which only cost 1 peso for them and she replied using her nomi mobile and/or idt mobile which only cost her 10p either to text and call and sometimes nomi mobile got promotions just like now they have free 88mins international call if u top up 10 pound which is of great savings :)

[Fitzy]

Using Skype, from a PC, is cheaper than that .. only 4 or 5 pence a message. I never got on well with Chika, which seemed to upset my PC.

I had Skype set up so that messages appeared to come from my Philippines phone ... this meant that replies only cost 1 peso.

Go to settings and change port # to 80

[pennybarry]

I don't use cards except if emegency. I used VOIP calls and my family can use my VOIP account to call me here for FREE. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

I use chikka for text for free sometimes.

I have also my Skype. It is also cheaper.

If I am not at home and no internet access, I use Telediscount.

Oftentimes, I use Email and offline messages :xxgrinning--00xx3: