How to Choose the Right International Phone Call Service

Introduction

Even with No1Reviews.com providing information and guidance on the best services available within this industry, exactly what these services do may still seem like a bit of a mystery to our readers. This is where this buying guide comes in – it helps our readers to pinpoint exactly what they should look out for within our reviews, defines key terms and lets users know what makes a great service within this industry. Armed with all of this information, as well as the specific detail included within our individual expert reviews, we’re sure our readers will be well placed to make a great choice!

What are ‘International Call Services’?

International Call Services is an umbrella term for a number of different types of services all of which have one thing in common: they help users make international calls to almost every country in the world at vastly reduced rates (when compared to regular landline and mobile telephone providers).

Broadly speaking, the most common types of services in this category include VOIP and other ‘internet phone’ style services, access number services and callback services (both of which work by acting as a ‘go-between’ between the customer and the intended recipient of the call). While all of these different services have different advantages and disadvantages, all provide international calls at rates that simply cannot be found elsewhere.

Key Features:

In order to help our readers know exactly what they should be looking out for when reading our reviews within this category, as well as providing suggestions for the most important features and functions every good international call service should have, check out the list below for the full low-down on the most important features:

1. Call Rates, Pricing & Promotions
   Easily the most important thing to consider when checking out an international call service is the cost per-minute of using the service compared to regular mobile and landline providers. Our reviews highlight the per-minute cost of services in five of the most-called international countries (India, Nigeria, Thailand, Poland and the USA/UK depending on where the service is based), helping to give our readers an idea of how the services in this category compare to one another. All services clearly display their call rates to particular countries, so if you regularly call one or two countries in particular, be sure to check how much a call to those countries would cost to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Finally, it’s also worth checking whether a particular service offers any promotional benefits such as free calls, free minutes or deposit bonuses – all of which help to reduce the overall cost of making calls with these services.
   
   
2. International Coverage
   While most services cover the vast majority of countries in the world, some services do not, while other services only permit users based in certain countries to use them. It’s important to work out whether the country you intend to call is excluded by a particular service, or whether you are resident in a country where a particular service does not operate. Whilst in most cases you should be able to quickly decide whether a service is for you, it’s important to double-check the website in question carefully!
   
   
3. Apps, VOIP & Technology
   The vast majority of services that use VOIP calling (voice-over-internet-protocol) provide users with a number of different ways to access the technology. An important consideration is whether the service provides software (and if so, what the quality of this software is like) and whether these services can be accessed on-the-go using a mobile phone. If so, look out for services that offer users downloadable apps (paying particular attention to the compatibility of these programs with your brand of mobile phone), which help to make accessing the benefits these services have to offer even easier.
   
   
4. Help, FAQs & Technical Support
   While this particular set of features and considerations isn’t necessarily the most exciting, it’s certainly important to bear in mind regardless which service you choose in the end. Even though most of our readers will have a completely hassle-free experience with their chosen service, it’s important to choose a service that provides extensive help and customer support in the event that things go wrong. Look out for services that have customer services and technical support by email and phone, as well as a frequently asked questions section to help with common issues!
   
   

The Small Print…

Although the vast majority of users never encounter any problems when using the services we have reviewed, it is worth checking the small print and terms and conditions that govern each service to ensure that it matches your needs and requirements. From our experience, there are a number of restrictions or considerations that should be borne in mind.

Firstly, consider whether the service has any minimum usage requirements or a minimum top-up amount if the account is pre-paid. Another common restriction is the expiry of credit, requiring users to use up credit added to their account within a specific period of time. In addition, users should bear in mind that they may be subject to a fair usage policy and may have to take into account provider costs if using wifi or 3G on a mobile phone.

The Bottom Line

As with almost every service and product we review, our readers should find a service that provides the particular things they need, at the best possible price. Quality is also a major consideration and as customers can often shop around without having to commit for any great length of time at many services (particularly those that do not have prepaid accounts but simply use access numbers), our readers should be sure to check out the quality of calls at more than one service before committing to any one in particular. As always, we have delved deep to ensure all of the major services in this category are thoroughly reviewed, so return at any time to find out everything you ever need to know about all providers in this industry!