As there are a number of bespoke shops and online companies who provide cards for individuals who want to contact their family, friends or business associated based within another country, due diligence is required in order to purchase the correct item for the respective residential area in question. Cards which allow individuals to make international phone calls are usually required by those who take the decision to move away from home either on holiday or as an expatriate, or for business purposes in which employees or managers may be required to re-locate to another country and keep in touch with clients and colleagues. Due to the vast number of international calling cards available to purchase which range between global, continental and each individual country, it is important to take into consideration a number of factors which will ensure the right card is purchased and maximise potential savings.
Although not directly related to phone cards, learning the dialling code for the specific countries in which prospective calls are to be made to the mobile or landline of intended relative or business contacts is important. A lack of knowledge within international codes is a common occurrence, particularly the individual numbers required at the start of a number to call individuals within their home country. Within this, purchasing international calling cards which ensure coverage to make phone calls to countries of interest is equally important as rates vary between each card and area, whether it is an individual country or a continent.
Consideration of potential call durations can determine which phone cards are suitable for each given situation. There are options for both short and long calls; shorter allowances results in cheaper prices, although purchasing a card with significant air time can save time and money as not only will any remaining minutes be available for more calls at a later date, but such cards are usually sold at discounted rates. Connection rates is another aspect to consider as certain cards come with a connection fee – although it may sound more expensive, it is in fact cheaper than phone cards without a connection fee due to lower rates per minute which is beneficial in the long run.