Calling Card Rates and Fees

Phone Card Rates and Fees

Here is a quick list of common calling card rates and fees. To learn more, click the links below or visit our detailed calling card rates and fees page.

• Advertised per minute rate
• Billing increment / minute rounding
• Carrier service fee (aka service taxes & surcharges)
• Toll-free surcharge
• Connection fee
• Termination fee
• Maintenance fee
• Payphone fee
• Card demonination

While not all cards charge all these fees, many do. You should carefully examine which rates and fees apply before buying any card.

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Full Disclosure of Rates and Fees

Unfortunately, not all card vendors fully or prominently display all applicable fees. In fact, hidden fees and overstated minutes are a plague on the industry.

Sometimes these practices are so flagrant that lawsuits are filed and government agencies take action.

Here's an article about a recent calling card case in Florida, USA from Sun-Sentinel.com.

A very good indicator of a calling card vendor's trustworthiness is how clearly and prominently they display applicable rates and fees. If vendor seems to be playing games with their rates, look elsewhere.

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Advertised vs. Actual Per Minute Rates

Advertised per minute rate is the stated rate you will be charged per minute of billed time. Actual per minute rate is the rate you actually end up paying. It is calculated by applying your billing increment and adding on all other applicable rates and fees.

If you buy a card that is well matched to your usage profile, the actual rate will be relatively closer to the advertised rate. If you buy a card that isn't well suited to your usage profile, you could end up paying much higher rates than you should be.

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