Phone Card Access Numbers Explained - Who pays what?
(see diagram below)
Index
a) Toll free USA (1-800, 1-888,1-877,1-866)
b) Toll free International
c) 0800 free - UK (and 0808)
d) 0845 access - UK
e) Exceptions to the rule, pay phones, cell phones, hotels etc
f) Diagram
a) Toll free USA (1-800, 1-888,1-877,1-866)
In the USA number starting with 1-800, 1-888, 1-877 and 1-866 are toll free numbers which means that you do not pay for the access call from a standard line. Generally with a toll free number the international call charge is charged to the phone card. There are some exceptions, mentioned below.
Toll free international numbers will vary by country. As they are toll free, this means that you do not pay for the access call from a standard line. Generally with a toll free number the international call charge is charged to the phone card. There are some exceptions, mentioned below.
0800 numbers in the UK are toll free numbers that start with 0800 or 0808. As they are 'toll free'
you do not pay for the access call from a standard line. Generally with a toll free number the international call charge is charged to the
phone card. I.e.
no charge is made to the phone you are using. There
are some exceptions, mentioned below.
Note: Some cards may operate via an 0845 number but provide a toll free access number and add a 'per minute' surcharge if used. This is very common in the
UK. If using our call calculator we do show this surcharge in a separate column for your convenience. It will also be shown on the product page. the
surcharge with such cards is charge to the phone card not the phone.
d) 0845 access - UK
0845 access is fast becoming the norm in the UK today. Calling an 0845 number generally charges
the phone you are using with the rate of a local call. For a landline this is normally between 1p and 3p/min but may vary depending upon your phone
service provider. Quoting rates via the 0845 number allows card manufacturers to show lower per minute rates, as they then do not bear the cost of a free
phone number. When dialling an 0845 number the phone you are using will be charged at a local call rate and the phone card is charge at the rate shown in
the rate table or calculator. There
are some exceptions, mentioned below.
Many people like the 0845 number as they can usually dial this number on their mobile for the price of a normal call. This allows them to make a cheap
international calls from their mobile phone. On some cards 020 (London) access also serves this purpose.
e) 020 access - UK
020 access or London access is often used by people calling from cell/mobile phones. Sometimes 0845 or 0800 numbers might be charged at a higher rate on some cellular networks. 020 access is treated like calling a UK city (London) and is therefore charged as a standard rate call to the cell phone. Throughout Europe more standard city access numbers are being used to allow greater access from cell phone networks. (on some cards accessing the 020 access number may have a per minute surcharge (above the 0845 rate) which is usually quite low, if applicable)
In some countries (not UK at present) some access numbers have been set-up in conjunction with a mobile operators and an agreed per minute surcharge is added to the card.
f) Exceptions to the rule, pay phones, cell phones, hotels etc
Life would be much easier if these didn't exist but they do. In most cases you will need to do some further research before being confident in the costs you are paying.
As pay phone operators makes no immediate money from people dialling toll free or 0800 numbers, they generally will make a 'payphone surcharge' for calling a phone card access number. This will normally be levied to the phone card itself and does vary by country. Where we have these details, UK, USA we publish them but in some other countries they may vary. Although not ideal, sometimes it's a case of try it and see. Some UK cards do not have a payphone surcharge. Usually the makers of such cards absorb the costs themselves. In some countries, the access numbers may be blocked by the payphone operator. If this happens to you then please try either a hotel or someone's home phone.
In some countries you may need to deposit a coin in the pay phone, which in some cases is returned to you at the end of the call.
An enormous amount of people use cell phones, sometimes called mobile phones. Generally each service provider have the freedom to create their own tariffs for calls to local, national, mobile and non-geographic numbers etc. If in any doubt please ask your cell phone provider for the cost of the call made to the access number. You do not need to highlight that it's a phone card number just mention the number itself.
E.g. With our mobile phone we can dial the 0845 access number as part of our free minutes (UK-Vodaphone). For any minutes used above and beyond the free ones we get charged the national rate which is 8p/min peak on our tariff.
In some countries the local mobile service provider may block phone card access number. If this happens to you then try an use an alternative phone, home phone or hotel phone.
We always recommend that you check the rate from your mobile before using a card. When roaming, that is using cell phone in other countries you may get charged much higher charges for using cells when roaming. I recently used my UK cell to call a French free phone number and was charged over £1/minute.... the second time I went I used the hotel phone :)
We are finding that most hotels do not charge for accessing 0800 or toll free numbers. In some established markets such as the USA, some hotels charge a connection fee of 99 cents or similar for each call made to a calling card. Many don't charge. In some countries the hotels may block access numbers although this tends to be rare. Some hotels do charge for calling access numbers even if the access number is 'toll free'. We would suggest that you check with the hotel before using your card. If in doubt purchase a low value card and renew by email if OK.
FAQ's------------------------------------
Q. Can I use phone cards from my home?
A. Yes, if you are using a touch tone.
Q. Can I use phone cards from my cell phone?
A. Yes in most cases, but be aware of the charges. See the note above.
Q. Do I need a 'touch tone' phone?
A. Yes. Most new telephones are touch phones. If you pick up the handset and press any number then
you will here a sound, usually a tone or a clicking noise. If it is a tone then there is a good chance you are using a 'touch tone' phone. Some payphone
needs to be told that you wish to use 'tones'. For example in the UK you may need to enter a * after the access number to switch on tones.
Q. Can I get a new card whilst away on business or holiday?
A. Yes, we can send you another card by email. As we need to verify all first time orders you may
wish to order your first card before you leave which will make reordering much easier. This happens with all first time orders. We can then email you with
another card if needed, using your portable email account... such as Yahoo or Hotmail.
