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Prepaid Phone Cards

Prepaid phone cards have been a boon for many consumers, particularly for people with family and friends that live in distant areas and overseas. Amazing low cost per minute rates and the opportunity to spend time on the phone with a loved one is something we only dreamed about a few years ago.

The advantages are great especially in the money saving department. But what's the point in shopping around for the lowest and least expensive prepaid phone card if you haven't taken the time to check for hidden charges that may be lurking in the background.

The main hidden fees to look out for are maintenance fees, connection fees, minute rounding and surcharges from public phones. These hidden charges can reduce your talk time in a hurry and leave you wondering where did my value savings go? It's easy to get caught up in the advertising hype surrounding low prepaid phone card rates. First thing you should always do is go straight to the fine print and see how much a great deal is really going to cost in hidden charges.

On going maintenance fees should be avoided. Connection fees in some instances may not be avoidable so be careful when purchasing a prepaid calling card and using it from a public phone. The surcharge could be excessive. The biggest complaint with many consumers is the multiple minute rounding. Whether it's three or five minutes or whatever, it really can reduce your talk time.

A few other pitfalls to look out for include poor customer service, expiry dates where you may not even use your card and find out there was a short term deadline which has been reached. The result? You lose your minutes. Long distance confusion, low rates within a state but different rates apply outside it.

One of the things recommended is heading straight for the fine print before deciding whether a deal is going to be a good one. No fees should mean no fees but make sure of it.