subject: How To Use A High Tech Prepaid Calling Card Service [print this page] Today, it is important to people to control their expenses without compromising the efficiency of what they do for business, pleasure, emergencies or just to keep in touch with their loved ones. The use of calling cards can become a useful tool to do this.
What is a pre-paid phone card service? An individual purchases a calling card for a price and a certain amount of minutes as defined on each particular card. These calling cards are issued by a communications company.
The phone card service has the advantage of controlling the budget for use of international and local calls. Parents will consider this service for elementary school children for emergencies, as well as students away from home for the first time whether travelling with teachers or away permanently for school or vacation. College students moving out for the first time will find it to be a vital tool to grasp the experience of controlling a budget. On business or pleasure trips, this method is a safety measure where the use of other devices may be difficult or impossible.
When the individual initiates a phone call, a Personal Identification Number or PIN, is requested from the user, to apply the payment to the amount previously covered. The card can be purchased on-line or at points of sale such as a commodity stores or supermarkets. Each communications company has different arrangements, which are basically regulated by federal laws both in the U.S., as well as by the governments of the countries where the call is being received.
The calling cards will quantify the service by local minutes. Long distance phone calls will require more minutes than actually used. As an example: a call to India will be more expensive, or require more minutes from the calling cards, than a call to Mexico.
Technology is speeding up in production and marketing systems. Some of the calling cards also have the ability to provide an email address and Internet service.
Service providers upload information on their website for the client to keep track of how many minutes they have used, what telephone calls have been placed and how much is remaining on the account. Recharging is offered in different ways. It is important to keep in mind that phone card service does not send out a bill, so the user is required to keep control on a personal basis as needed. Depending on the service, expiration dates can be as of purchase or first use, or may be simply linked to whether or not it is funded.