Prepaid Long Distance Calling Cards

[nepean]

Has anyone used the prepaid calling cards that you can buy at Walmart, etc. from their hotel rooms in Orlando? Are they really cost effective? We would be calling Canada. I know tht the CICI card in Canada is great if you are using it from you home phone to call internationally (not Canada or US). The deals seem to be the farther you call.

Thanks

Nepean

 

[Cherylzw]

I have found that the AT&T phone cards I buy in Sam's Club are the best. They might be the same at Walmart since they are the same company.

 

[Steven]

AT&T phone cards are good but what is the price to USA/Canada? Any fees involved?

Steven

 

[utahkennedys]

I have a Sprint one from Costco and I have used it many times to call Canada. On the back of the package it should tell you the rate, I can't remember offhand. My rate is like 3.9 cents US, and I know it is double that to Germany to call BIL, and Canada is even cheaper...just look at the back of a few and you'll be able to tell. I have used mine for about 4 years and LOVE it -- saves me a ton.

 

[seashoreCM]

Some hotels including all Disney hotels impose surcharges for all calls including 800 calls and calls using your prepaid long distance card.

Using pay phones you almost always pay a surcharge, typically 50 cents to a dollar's worth of minutes off of the card up front for each call made.

In some instances prepaid cards used from home save you a lot of money compared with calling plans from the big phone companies like Bell South, Verizon, Sprint, etc. Calling plans also add on taxes and fees for the long distance calls you make while prepaid cards do not.

Rates vary for each country and each card.

You do have to dial lots of extra digits to make each call using a prepaid card.

I have gotten prepaid cards on sale at Walgreens with a final rate of under 3 cents per minute for domestic calls.

You will want to have your phone company arrange your home phone line so local toll calls are dialed differently from local area calls, for example dial 1 first only for the former. You need the distinction so you don't accidentally use the prepaid card for a local call or accidentally dial an in-state long distance call directly.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm