Phone Cards

[jimeve]

Just got one, tiger 7 pence min. phone wifey up later when she gets up, remind her to get on the plane:doh

[KeithD]

...remind her to get on the plane:doh
:icon_lol:

[englishbird]

Is a phone card the cheapet way for me to call a Philippine mobile number?. I have normally used my mobile but it costs £1 a minute,:yikes: so our conversations are very short.

How do the cards work?

Thanks:)

[JimOttley]

Is a phone card the cheapet way for me to call a Philippine mobile number?. I have normally used my mobile but it costs £1 a minute,:yikes: so our conversations are very short.

How do the cards work?

Thanks:)

Looks like it is, these are the cheapest prices I've seen.

They are all VOIP services (Voice Over Internet Protocol) you buy the card and that gives you an amount of credit on an access number in the UK.

You have to be careful because the local UK access number is often 0845 or some other 08.. number that costs a lot to call from a UK mobile.

Best to always call from a UK landline so as to keep that part as free as possible.

Apart from that it's a way of buying credit to call a UK number which is basically a computer that then allows you to make a further call to a remote number elsewhere in the world.

Sometimes the system allows one big long access number / phone number combination, sometimes you have to enter the remote phone number once the local UK computer answers your call.

Alternatives are Skype which costs around 15p a minute to call a Philippines mobile and around 10p to call a landline.

It's a complex thing to get into but there are ways of communicating cheaply.

I think I am going to try one of the Bosses cards as since Ana went back to Manila I no longer get international calls to her included in my t-mobile allowance and although I can call my Skype to go number in the UK for free (in the UK) it's still 15p a minute on the Skype part of the converstation :(


Jim

[KeithD]

I picked those cheap phone cards as they default in $$$$ so as the exchange rate increases (which it is) you get more value. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[somebody]

Is a phone card the cheapet way for me to call a Philippine mobile number?. I have normally used my mobile but it costs £1 a minute,:yikes: so our conversations are very short.

How do the cards work?

Thanks:)

Jeezzz 1 pound a mintue!

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-overseas-calls

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/philippines-mobile

[Northerner]

I picked those cheap phone cards as they default in $$$$ so as the exchange rate increases (which it is) you get more value. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

Aahhhhhh... Clever fella :xxgrinning--00xx3: I was wondering why they were in dollars:Erm: Very good idea!

[JimOttley]

Aahhhhhh... Clever fella :xxgrinning--00xx3: I was wondering why they were in dollars:Erm: Very good idea!

It IS a good idea but this week, this last few days, the pound is plumeting against the dollar and as a result against the peso.

A few days ago we were at 81 peso to the pound now it's 77.6

The dollar is now at 1.627.

Pesonal view is - expect it to plummet a lot in the next few months :(


Jim

[johncar54]

One of the cheapest ways to call Phil is online using say www.voipcheap.com. That is 8 pence a minute, no connection fees. SMS are 3 pence. Both include VAT

On reflection through, a cheap per minute rate does not necessarily mean a lower bill. My wife's bill is the same as when she paid a lot per minute, its just that now she chats for a whole lot longer !

[KeithD]

It IS a good idea but this week, this last few days, the pound is plumeting against the dollar and as a result against the peso.

The dollar is now at 1.627.

Pesonal view is - expect it to plummet a lot in the next few months :(

Jim
The £/$ is just in the normal Forex 'breathing' range of 1.6-1.7 It is a fine balancing act between bad news in the UK, and then bad news in the US. It took a big fall the other day, which means it will at some point over the next few days climb. Big changes on Forex 95% of the time result in a rebound.

If Gordon Brown goes in January, it should break the 1.7 mark, otherwise it will probably be around election time.

[JimOttley]

The £/$ is just in the normal Forex 'breathing' range of 1.6-1.7 It is a fine balancing act between bad news in the UK, and then bad news in the US. It took a big fall the other day, which means it will at some point over the next few days climb. Big changes on Forex 95% of the time result in a rebound.

If Gordon Brown goes in January, it should break the 1.7 mark, otherwise it will probably be around election time.

I really hope you're right Boss, 65 peso to the pound was painful last year :(

You are right about bad news thing, both sides of the Atlantic are bound together in a bad news war just now, I'm just worried that there is a lot more bad news to come in the UK.


Jim

[KeithD]

.....I'm just worried that there is a lot more bad news to come in the UK.

Jim
Gordon Brown wins another term!!! :omg:

Hang on, that's not bad news..... it's the End of the World :cwm24:

[JimOttley]

Well I tried the Tiger card and the voice quality is impressive much better than Skype to a Philippine mobile.

The system is a bit confusing though, if you call the 0800 access number the actual rate you get is higher, it does state this on site and it does make sense as it costs them to provide an 0800 number, so it's important to use the London direct number to get the advertised rate.

The second point that was the confusing bit for me was that the automated call system states I have 20 pounds credit, I think it means 20 dollars as that is the amount I paid :)

Good service the voice quality is superb.


Jim

[englishbird]

Jeezzz 1 pound a mintue!

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-overseas-calls

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/philippines-mobile

Thanks for those links. I can't believe how cheap I can get the calls. I wont be paying a pound a minute anymore!:icon_lol:

[KeithD]

....call system states I have 20 pounds credit, I think it means 20 dollars as that is the amount I paid :)....
Shhhhhh...... :rolleyes:

[ivybridge]

Think we will stick with 18866 or 18185 whichever is the cheaper at the time.
Unlike the cards there is no maintenance fee to eat into the balance and calls are not rounded up to nearest 3 minutes.
Landlines 9p (18185)
Mobiles 12p

[johncar54]

Think we will stick with 18866 or 18185 whichever is the cheaper at the time.
Unlike the cards there is no maintenance fee to eat into the balance and calls are not rounded up to nearest 3 minutes.
Landlines 9p (18185)
Mobiles 12p

As I said above:-

One of the cheapest ways to call Phil is online using say www.voipcheap.com. That is 8 pence a minute, no connection fees. SMS are 3 pence. Both include VAT.

I would add there are no extra charges, just that one must pay up front by credit/debit card, but one also gets unlimited free calls to almost the whole of the 'western world' and, which can be useful sometimes (buying on the internet for example) access to toll free calls in USA and some other countries, which are not normally available on domestic telephone services.

[smiler78]

I have Virgin media land line and through them you can buy a add on package of 800 anywhere minutes for £30 a month which i use to call her mobile. I think thats a good deal. :)

[johncar54]

I have Virgin media land line and through them you can buy a add on package of 800 anywhere minutes for £30 a month which i use to call her mobile. I think thats a good deal. :)


That's 3¾ pence per min, for 26 mins per day, per month, just about beats all I would think. Pity I can't access it from Spain !

[KeithD]

800 minutes is one phone call for a Filipino :doh

[johncar54]

800 minutes is one phone call for a Filipino :doh

This is from Virgin on line info:-

Talk Anywhere 800

Perfect for you if you make lots of calls to mobile phones, UK landlines and international numbers.

* 800 minutes a month to call anyone, anywhere, any time, on any phone, including UK landlines, mobile phones and international numbers

[KeithD]

If you are buying phone cards for Filipina's with a weekly service charge, trust me, you never get to pay it they don't last that long :icon_lol: ...and at the current exchange rate on the cards I sell it is about 4.5p/min

[antony73]

Great help this. 'Somebody,' thanks for the moneysavingexpert link, where would we be without that web site!

[johncar54]

We just signed up with www.voipblast.com. (rates are in euros, so in sterling maybe a fraction less) Calls to Phil land line or mobile 5 cents a minute + 3.9c connection fee; SMS 3 cents (thus a 20 minute call £1 or 33 SMS £1 ) SMS 3 cents.

There are also all the usual free calls as with other voip suppliers.

[johncar54]

Well we have been using www.voipblast.com for a couple of weeks now.

At first I had a problem getting the site to accept a credit card or PayPal, at last the PayPal option worked.

The calls work out at a 20 mins cal for a Euro, just a bit less than £1. That is the cheapest we have found. The sound quality is very good.

[South-east boy]

I have Virgin media land line and through them you can buy a add on package of 800 anywhere minutes for £30 a month which i use to call her mobile. I think thats a good deal. :)

I'm with Virgin media too but when i'm home and can chat in the eves because of the time difference she is in bed asleep!

[South-east boy]

Does Voipblast only work through a PC? As most times when I'll be calling her it will be during late weekday afternoons, so can't really us my work PC for that +we're not allowed to download stuff on to the PC either.

I'm a bit confused on the website as it's got for the from section: UK Mobile, UK 0845, UK National and UK personal. And for Method: PC to phone, phone to phone and Access no. I want to phone from my UK mobile to her Phils landline, so can I do this with Voipblast and if so whats the best way? I don't want to use the 0845 no. as that's expensive from mobile phones. What's the access no. in the method section?

I have used Rebtel before from my mobile to her landline and that was 9p a minute and I bought £25 worth the last time. Am trying to see if I can get a better deal than that.

Thanks for any help!

[johncar54]

South East Boy

VOIP is:- voice over internet protocol,

thus it is for use on the internet.

Sorry as we only call from PC or Laptop I cannot help re calls on mobiles. Some, maybe most or all VOIP give a facility to make phone to phone calls but fore that you need to open the prog on the PC, then instruct it to call you on your phone, when you pick up the number you are calling will be be ringing, just as if you had made the call from the phone. On Voipcheap there is a connection charge of 5p for each phone to phone call

[simplyxiao]

before i was using nomi and idt sims which is not bad 8p/min for landline and mobile to phils., but now i able to save using my 02 mobile your country as when i top up 30 a month i get free 200 mins.

[South-east boy]

After spending a lot of time looking at all the phone cards on the 'Calling now' website I found the best card deals to be Worldpay-2x£5 cards for £10 and each £5 card gives you 400 minutes to Phil landlines or 300 minutes to Phil mobiles. The cards are valid for 180 days. There is a 50p connection charge on top though. The other best deal card was Maxitalk which again has 2x£5 cards, but 500 minutes to Phils landlines or 500 minutes to Phils mobiles. The cards are only valid for 30 days though. Again there is a 50p connection charge.

[antony73]

South-east boy - that's a very good offer. I bought the Babylon card, £10 for 10 hours, valid for 90 days. Nice one - thanks mate!

[South-east boy]

Have to say that I'm a bit confused, as when I phone Suzie on Saturday (on my mobile) it said I had 267 minutes. Now I know there is a 50p connection charge, which I wasn't sure if it came out of your minutes or was extra on top. But if it was out of my minutes, as 50p is 10% of £5, I though I might have 10% of my minutes taken off for the connection charge. As there was 400 minutes per £5, than should give me 360 minutes, not 267. Anyway I chatted to her for 2 hours and then the call suddenly ended (was cut short by the connection). 2 hours/120 minutes isn't the same as 267 minutes! So it seems that instead of me thinking I had 400 minutes, I actually only got 120! I hope, I still have the other card left and that it's not all used up?!

[darren-b]

Have to say that I'm a bit confused, as when I phone Suzie on Saturday (on my mobile) it said I had 267 minutes. Now I know there is a 50p connection charge, which I wasn't sure if it came out of your minutes or was extra on top. But if it was out of my minutes, as 50p is 10% of £5, I though I might have 10% of my minutes taken off for the connection charge. As there was 400 minutes per £5, than should give me 360 minutes, not 267. Anyway I chatted to her for 2 hours and then the call suddenly ended (was cut short by the connection). 2 hours/120 minutes isn't the same as 267 minutes! So it seems that instead of me thinking I had 400 minutes, I actually only got 120! I hope, I still have the other card left and that it's not all used up?!

What number did you use to call? As I've seen different rates depending on the access number.

Wonder also if any call is restricted to 2 hours rather than you running out of minutes, though with a 50p connection charge the card is probably not got enough left to make a call now anyway.

[johncar54]

South East Boy. Have you tried asking the card company? Their help address is:- info@digicallingcards.com

PS I have just sent your post to them as a question.

[maria_and_matt]

hmmm, phone cards published minutes are nowhere near the actual minutes you get.
i have been using 1st dial asia, you have to register online, they then give you a london number to call your contacts anywhere in the world. you can use that with your inclusive minutes on you mobile, or landline. it does not have a connection fee, and no maintenance either. if you top up with £20 they give you £30.
it is about 8p per minute and the quality is really good. details on their website.

http://www.1stdial.com/

[KeithD]

....or you could use the ones I sell http://www.onlinecheapphonecards.com/

[maria_and_matt]

....or you could use the ones I sell http://www.onlinecheapphonecards.com/

:icon_lol::icon_lol: i can look into your site, the only thing i like about 1st dial is its direct calling i dont mess around with pin numbers:D

[antony73]

http://www.ratebuster.co.uk/pages/money-saving-tips.aspx charges 7p to philippines landline and 8p to mobile.

Virgin who I'm currently with, offers £35 per month for 2mb broadband, unlimited download, line rental and 400 free minutes to any number, landline or mobile anywhere in the world. That's 90 minutes a week for £3.92 per week (4p/min). 3 hours per week free minutes also available but for an extra £13. That's 3.6p/min to Philippines inc. mobiles.

[South-east boy]

What number did you use to call? As I've seen different rates depending on the access number.

Wonder also if any call is restricted to 2 hours rather than you running out of minutes, though with a 50p connection charge the card is probably not got enough left to make a call now anyway.

I used the 0207 no. as the 0845 is expensive on mobiles. I'm not sure what access no. gives you the 400 minutes? Guess it could have been the 0845 on a land-line? Maybe I had less minutes as I phoned on my mobile, but I couldn't see anywhere where it said less minutes if you phone on a mobile. When I phoned, I could have actually used the landline (when most times I need to use a mobile), but just thought it was easier speaking when not attached to a cable!:icon_lol:

I'll give them a call later and see what I can find out. They seemed very nice when I called last week.

[KeithD]

http://www.ratebuster.co.uk/pages/money-saving-tips.aspx charges 7p to philippines landline and 8p to mobile..
My cards are only 7c :)

[johncar54]

South East Boy.

Sorry my post was a reply from another supplier so I have removed it to avoid confusion. Sorry for the error.

[South-east boy]

hmmm, phone cards published minutes are nowhere near the actual minutes you get.
i have been using 1st dial asia, you have to register online, they then give you a london number to call your contacts anywhere in the world. you can use that with your inclusive minutes on you mobile, or landline. it does not have a connection fee, and no maintenance either. if you top up with £20 they give you £30.
it is about 8p per minute and the quality is really good. details on their website.

http://www.1stdial.com/

It now says for 1st dial 5p for landlines and 6p for mobiles! :)

Am not sure if John was getting confused, but I bought the Worldcall card from Calling you. Anyway, I phoned Lycatell who the Worldcall card is with and they said the carrier of the phone no. that you call also charges and the daily maintenance charge can be as much as 10p, so although I thought I was going to get near 800 minutes, all I got was 120 which is not quite the same and rather misleading! Apparently the 0845 no, gives you most minutes if you make less phone calls and from a landline and the 0207 is the next best.

It's a shame the rates to Phils are not as cheap as to China, Thailand or Australia as they are very cheap!

[antony73]

Win2Win - 7c, that's cheap! I've just switched from Virgin to BT in the uk. 3rd party numbers prices are quoted at BT prices, and so I've been told, are stable, whereas Virgin prices tend to change and often cannot reach certain numbers as easily as BT. Not sure if this is true, but many of my Chinese friends swear by BT.

The cheapest way is maybe to buy a netbook (£100 from HMV) and pay a 900-2000 pesos internet charge for Philipine gf. Long term this would save money and make talking easier for both. No interent cafe bills, no phone calling bills and crystal clear calls via Skype.