NOTE: In July 2015 BasicTalk service home VoIP is available via NextAdvisor.
Q: I have an international calling card that works by letting me call an 800 number to make long distance calls. Can I use my calling card with a VoIP service?
This is a good question, because VoIP can often seem confusing at first. The good news is that VoIP works just like your regular phone service. So the short answer to that is yes, you can use an international calling card with most VoIP services. Phone cards are a great way to save on international calls. Most work by allowing you to buy or charge certain amounts of money on your credit card, and charge a certain amount of cents per minute for calls. You usually have to dial a 800 number first to enter your card details before placing your phone.
What should I know about using a calling card with VoIP?
Check based US-800 is the number. If you have domestic service through your VoIP provider, then you can be charged to call an 800 number outside the US and if you use a bare bones service as BasicTalk, you may not be able to use your calling card at all. BasicTalk the users can make calls to the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, so an international calling card with a non-domestic phone number would be a waste of money.
To determine whether it's worth the cost. Many VoIP services that we review offer comprehensive plans that allow you to make unlimited calls to certain countries for the cost of your monthly service. If you use calling cards often, it might be possible to save money by opting for a VoIP provider with a comprehensive plan. Some VoIP services such as Vonage, even sell calling cards themselves. On the other hand, if you do not plan to make frequent international calls using a calling card to an internal VoIP plan might be cheaper.
For more information on VoIP services, you can visit our review page of VoIP.