Other Calling Card Fees & Surcharges

Connection Fee

Many cards charge a fee each time you connect to their calling network. Strictly speaking, a 'call' isn't the same as a 'connection' since most vendors allow you to make multiple calls on a single connection.

So with a little planning, you may be able to avoid being charged a connection fee for every call you make. But since this is harder to do than it might seem, it often works out in practice that you incur a connection charge for every call you make.

The amount charged for a connection fee varies, but is usually less than 50¢.

FYI, to make another call on the same connection, many vendors have you enter '**' to terminate your current call and begin a new call. Then you just dial the next destination phone number as normal.

Termination Fee

A termination fee is basically the opposite of a connection fee - you get charged at the end of the call, not the beginning. Termination fees are relatively less common than connection fees.

The amount charged for a termination fee varies, but is usually less than 50¢.

Note that some cards that market themselves as 'no connection fee' cards instead apply a termination fee. But again, termination fees are relatively uncommon.

Maintenance Fee

Many cards charge a 'maintenance fee' which is deducted automatically from your remaining card balance. Sometimes it is just a one-time fee, but usually it is a recurring fee charged each week or each month. In some cases, you may be charged both a one-time fee and a recurring fee.

Recurring fees are usually charged at the end of each week or each month that the card has a remaining balance. The amount charged can vary widely, though 49¢ a week or 99¢ a month are fairly common.

So, for instance, if your card has a weekly maintenance fee of 49¢ and you keep your card for 25 days, you will be charged for 3 weeks x 49¢ per week or a total $1.47.

Carrier Service Fee / Service Taxes & Surcharges

'Carrier service fee' is one of several names for a percentage surcharge charged by many cards. Other names include 'service taxes & surcharges', 'communication fee', and 'service charges'. Whatever they are called, these fees can really add up, so look very closely at this.

Carrier service fees are normally stated as percentage that is added directly on top of your advertised per minute rate. If you have a 10% service fee, then 10% of billed time will be added to each call.

Service fee percentages vary widely. Some cards don't charge any service fee, but fees of 10% - 20% are common. Some cards charge really high service fees - as much 30% or even 45%! A 45% service fee means an advertised per minute rate of 5.0¢ is really costing 7.25¢ (not including any other charges).

Toll-Free Surcharge

Many cards charge a slightly per minute rate if you access their network via a toll-free number instead of a local number. Advertised rates often apply only to calls made via a local access number. Toll-fee surcharges vary, but an extra 1¢ per minute is typical.

Payphone Surcharge

Most cards, at least in the US, charge an extra fee if you connect from a payphone. Note, the fee is usually per 'connection', not per 'call' if you are making multiple calls on the same payphone connection.

For US calling cards, the payphone surcharge is typically 79¢ - 99¢ per connection.

Card Denomination

Most calling cards can be bought in varying face values - e.g., $5, $10, $20, etc. In general, the denomination has no impact on the per minute rate or any other fee - you pay at the same rates with a $50 card as with a $5 card.

In other words, card denomination is generally not a factor in comparing calling card prices. Mostly it is important as you try to figure out how big a card you need for the calls you are planning to make. Given how complicated all the above fees are, that isn't necessarily easy to do.

Connection Fee

Many cards charge a fee each time you connect to their calling network. Strictly speaking, a 'call' isn't the same as a 'connection' since most vendors allow you to make multiple calls on a single connection.

So with a little planning, you may be able to avoid being charged a connection fee for every call you make. But since this is harder to do than it might seem, it often works out in practice that you incur a connection charge for every call you make.

The amount charged for a connection fee varies, but is usually less than 50¢.

FYI, to make another call on the same connection, many vendors have you enter '**' to terminate your current call and begin a new call. Then you just dial the next destination phone number as normal.

Termination Fee

A termination fee is basically the opposite of a connection fee - you get charged at the end of the call, not the beginning. Termination fees are relatively less common than connection fees.

The amount charged for a termination fee varies, but is usually less than 50¢.

Note that some cards that market themselves as 'no connection fee' cards instead apply a termination fee. But again, termination fees are relatively uncommon.

Maintenance Fee

Many cards charge a 'maintenance fee' which is deducted automatically from your remaining card balance. Sometimes it is just a one-time fee, but usually it is a recurring fee charged each week or each month. In some cases, you may be charged both a one-time fee and a recurring fee.

Recurring fees are usually charged at the end of each week or each month that the card has a remaining balance. The amount charged can vary widely, though 49¢ a week or 99¢ a month are fairly common.

So, for instance, if your card has a weekly maintenance fee of 49¢ and you keep your card for 25 days, you will be charged for 3 weeks x 49¢ per week or a total $1.47.

Carrier Service Fee / Service Taxes & Surcharges

'Carrier service fee' is one of several names for a percentage surcharge charged by many cards. Other names include 'service taxes & surcharges', 'communication fee', and 'service charges'. Whatever they are called, these fees can really add up, so look very closely at this.

Carrier service fees are normally stated as percentage that is added directly on top of your advertised per minute rate. If you have a 10% service fee, then 10% of billed time will be added to each call.

Service fee percentages vary widely. Some cards don't charge any service fee, but fees of 10% - 20% are common. Some cards charge really high service fees - as much 30% or even 45%! A 45% service fee means an advertised per minute rate of 5.0¢ is really costing 7.25¢ (not including any other charges).

Toll-Free Surcharge

Many cards charge a slightly per minute rate if you access their network via a toll-free number instead of a local number. Advertised rates often apply only to calls made via a local access number. Toll-fee surcharges vary, but an extra 1¢ per minute is typical.

Payphone Surcharge

Most cards, at least in the US, charge an extra fee if you connect from a payphone. Note, the fee is usually per 'connection', not per 'call' if you are making multiple calls on the same payphone connection.

For US calling cards, the payphone surcharge is typically 79¢ - 99¢ per connection.

Card Denomination

Most calling cards can be bought in varying face values - e.g., $5, $10, $20, etc. In general, the denomination has no impact on the per minute rate or any other fee - you pay at the same rates with a $50 card as with a $5 card.

In other words, card denomination is generally not a factor in comparing calling card prices. Mostly it is important as you try to figure out how big a card you need for the calls you are planning to make. Given how complicated all the above fees are, that isn't necessarily easy to do.