Now that deregulation and mergers have doubled my phone bills; AT&T sends incorrect bills; MCI indulges in bait and switch telemarketing; and Sprint/Earthlink can sign you up by credit card,but neither are “enabled” to remove credit card charges, I’m ready to try 10-10 numbers or just buy a phone card. Which choice is better - meaning - cheaper?
10-10 numbers always add a connection fee (.99 and up). Phone cards are higher by the minute. I use phone cards because I MIGHT make 1-2 long distance calls a year. I was paying AT&T about $60-80 a year to NOT make any calls, but to have the privelege of doing so. If you buy a $20 phone card and it takes a year to use it, it cost you $20 for long distance that year versus $60+ for a service.
Phone cards. Definitely phone cards. While it might be $1 for the first ten minutes, who only makes LD calls that last ten minutes? Seven cents a minute after that.
I hope this doesn’t go against any advertising restriction here, but I advise you to get 7-Eleven phone cards. I’ve used them for the past year, and they’re great. $20 will get you 660 minutes of phone time – about 3 cents a minute. There’s a connection fee for each call, but still that’s 11 hours for $20! I believe each time you make a call the connection fee takes 30 minutes off the card – so that’d be yeah, about a buck per. Much better than any other phone card I’ve found, especially if you make long calls.
Some interesting deals on this page.
Phouchg
By far the best deal I have found for phone cards are at Sam’s Club. About 4.3 cents a minute, these cards do not charge a connection fee if you call from home. However if you dial out using a pay telephone there is a connection fee. I am told the cards never expire
Plus calling cards are nice in that they help you stick to a budget of long distance calls. No more surprise bills in the mail for $150 worth of long distance calls because you decided to “yak it up”.
MCI-Worldcom cards, available at Walmart or wherever, are pretty cheap. It’s 5.3 cents a minute to purchase one unit (one minute), and it only charges a fee (two units) if you use a payphone. Otherwise there’s no hook-up fee. They are rechargeable via credit card and have been very convenient for me.