An international phone card or calling card is a card which allows the caller to call from a number of countries around the world to any destination in the world. International calling cards come in both pre-paid and monthly billed or credit forms. International phone cards are routinely used when the cost is cheaper than the local service provider in that country. When you make a call, the total cost of the call (which is often made up of several components) is accumulated to the card.
When purchasing an international prepaid calling card, it is extremely important to check if service is available in the country from which you will be calling. (Your destination country if you are a tourist or travelling on business).The reason is that a number of international calling card carriers have agreements to provide service in a limited number of countries. The rational is complex but in the end basically boils down to the volume and expense of setting up service using an independent international carrier.
