My Belong mobile phone plan does not permit international calls but I need to make about half a dozen calls to the UK each year so the obvious answer appears to be an international pre paid phone card and this is where it gets confusing.
Google reveals many cards but as soon as you look at their individual terms and conditions you realise you should have completed that degree in rocket science after all.
Flagfall charges, minute charges, disconnect charges, service fees, extra fees if your mother-in-law's middle name starts with a 'T' and so on....
Question: Is anyone using one of these cards and is happy with it? And, if so, please provide a link in order that I may retain the little of my sanity which remains.
rockylizard said
08:24 AM Aug 5, 2018
Gday...
Check out Skype, or one of the similar VOIP services.
Cheers - John
SouthernComfort said
08:40 AM Aug 5, 2018
Mike, we're in the same situation needing to make calls to the UK. Not sure if you're tied to a contract with Belong, but if you're open to other mobile plans, we use Aldi Mobile which has unlimited local & international calls (to 15 countries incl. UK) plus 10gb data for $35 per month and it's on Telstra network. They also have a plan for $25 p.m. with 100 mins international calls. They're all month to month, no contracts and does everything we need.
dorian said
10:21 AM Aug 5, 2018
It's not a phone card, but you might like to consider Viber.
Viber-to-Viber calls are free, while Viber-to-landline calls (Viber Out) are charged much like Skype or other VoIP services.
villatranquilla said
11:46 AM Aug 5, 2018
we have been using facebook to talk to our grand daughter in Scotland - reception her end is not good enough for face to face contact but actual speaking is just like a phone call with no lag and no costs
SouthernComfort said
12:45 PM Aug 5, 2018
Re. the Aldi plans, forgot to mention that the international calls are to mobiles and landlines.
The Belmont Bear said
03:37 PM Aug 5, 2018
I would never use a prepaid card to make a phone call overseas again as long I had access to the internet, Facebook messenger is brilliant and served my wife and I well when making video calls at least once a day it cost me virtually nothing for communication the 9 months that I was in the middle east. Other people were using different programs like Viber, Skype, Whats App etc. but in some countries you need to run a VPN as they try and block access to social media sites in order to force you into using local carriers. In Oman if you either called or received a phone call from Australia it would cost both of you $3.80 a minute - apparently because there is no agreement between these 2 countries on prepaid call rates. Mike if it's possible try Facebook messenger you will be surprised at how good it is, you don't have to put up with all that other Facebook rubbish if you don't want to. Both ends just need to have access to the internet and accept each other as contacts in messenger then off you go using either video or text messages.
Cheers
BB
Mike Harding said
05:25 PM Aug 7, 2018
Many thanks all for your informative replies.
I hadn't thought of the VOIP options and they do look attractive but I decided I didn't want a, no doubt resource hogging, app. on my phone simply to make half a dozen calls a year - fewer if my sister is in my bad books :)
I reposted this question on Whirlpool (which is probably what I should have done initially) and a reply recommended "Skype to go":
This is, of course, Skype but no app. or similar is required instead one sets up an account with Skype dumps a bit of cash in it (UK calls A$0.04.4/minute) and gives Skype the UK (or other country) number to be called. Skype then map the UK number to a local Australian number and by calling that Oz number the call is automatically put through to the UK - a neat idea. Of course if you are paying for local calls or have limited minutes this may not be so good for you but my Belong plan give me unlimited national calls.
Mike Harding said
11:51 AM Aug 9, 2018
Update:
Or, I may go for this:
https://ringbritain.com/
1.4c/2.7c minute - landline/mobile
No other fees, one minute rounding, balance never expires.
Tempting.
Rob Driver said
03:47 PM Aug 9, 2018
Some providers include overseas calls in their packages Mike,
We have Boost and we currently get an allowance for overseas calls included in our prepaid plan. We pay $30.00 a month.
I called my sister and spent 53m chatting on a very clear line with no lag or doubletalk issues - their system informs the call cost 75c so I reckon that's where I'll stay.
Thanks again for all suggestions :)
Aus-Kiwi said
11:24 AM Aug 10, 2018
Talk to your provider . We have 3 countries we can nominate, ring almost free . From memory $5 a call . Far cry from years ago when it was $7 a minute talking to NZ. Double to Europe. Skype can be a little crackly reception wise .,
My Belong mobile phone plan does not permit international calls but I
need to make about half a dozen calls to the UK each year so the
obvious answer appears to be an international pre paid phone card and
this is where it gets confusing.
Google reveals many cards but as soon as you look at their individual
terms and conditions you realise you should have completed that degree
in rocket science after all.
Flagfall charges, minute charges, disconnect charges, service fees,
extra fees if your mother-in-law's middle name starts with a 'T' and
so on....
Question:
Is anyone using one of these cards and is happy with it? And, if so,
please provide a link in order that I may retain the little of my
sanity which remains.
Gday...
Check out Skype, or one of the similar VOIP services.
Cheers - John
Viber-to-Viber calls are free, while Viber-to-landline calls (Viber Out) are charged much like Skype or other VoIP services.
Cheers
BB
Many thanks all for your informative replies.
I hadn't thought of the VOIP options and they do look attractive but I decided I didn't want a, no doubt resource hogging, app. on my phone simply to make half a dozen calls a year - fewer if my sister is in my bad books :)
I reposted this question on Whirlpool (which is probably what I should have done initially) and a reply recommended "Skype to go":
https://www.skype.com/en/features/skype-to-go-number/
This is, of course, Skype but no app. or similar is required instead one sets up an account with Skype dumps a bit of cash in it (UK calls A$0.04.4/minute) and gives Skype the UK (or other country) number to be called. Skype then map the UK number to a local Australian number and by calling that Oz number the call is automatically put through to the UK - a neat idea. Of course if you are paying for local calls or have limited minutes this may not be so good for you but my Belong plan give me unlimited national calls.
Update:
Or, I may go for this:
https://ringbritain.com/
1.4c/2.7c minute - landline/mobile
No other fees, one minute rounding, balance never expires.
Tempting.
We have Boost and we currently get an allowance for overseas calls included in our prepaid plan. We pay $30.00 a month.
I went for:
https://ringbritain.com/
And bought $10 of credit.
I called my sister and spent 53m chatting on a very clear line with no lag or doubletalk issues - their system informs the call cost 75c so I reckon that's where I'll stay.
Thanks again for all suggestions :)