Everything You Need to Know About International Calling Rates

Is your notion about international calling rates is that it’s expensive? Well, you’re not wrong at all. However, it’s not always the case.

This notion may have come up because of someone’s experience or your own. One of life’s disappointments today is certainly expensive phone bills because of accidental international calls. Despite how short an international call is, it will rake in a disheartening amount. 

So, read on to know more about these rates, why these can be extremely hefty, and what you can do to be free from such fees. 

Basis of International Call Rates

Call rates are based on a couple of factors. Primarily, these include the countries involved, the service provider, and the added tax imposed by the responsible communications council or committee of the country where the call is made. 

As these three factors vary from country to country, it is easy to grasp why international call rates are never consistent even those within the same continent. 

Why is it Expensive?

Apart from the factors mentioned above, international call rates get really expensive because of the processing fee. The process isn’t a simple one, hence the higher cost.

In essence, the process for each international call is difficult to process by the network or service provider. It also comes at a price as it is a bilateral process, involving the host or where the call is made and the recipient or where the call is received. There are also aggregate fees. 

So, naturally, since it costs the business much, they make up for their potential loss by also racking up the fees from their clients.  

Are There Ways to Get Around It? 

Since it is well-established that international call rates are expensive even before learning the reason why, innovations have stemmed to solve this issue. 

To ease your mind, the answer is yes, there are ways to avoid paying hefty international call rates. Modern technology made sure that even though the world is vast, the connection has never been easier. 

The list below contains options that will help you save your money. 

1. Opt for International Calling Apps

International calling apps utilize VoIP technology, which stands for Voice-over-Internet Protocol, for low-cost international calls. With this technology, cheaper premium-quality international calls are attainable because use a broadband internet connection instead of the usual phone lines, which are the expensive ones. 

Apps like Talk360 use this type of technology that’s why you can enjoy its premium offers for a cheaper price. Some international calls may even be more expensive than the premium fee of similar apps. So if you want, you are free to call Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and other neighboring countries when you have any VoIP-equipped calling app from wherever you are in the world. 

1. Internet Calls are Always Available 

Aside from VoIP-equipped calling apps, the internet has truly connected everyone as several other platforms can also support free calls from one point to another. 

Social media platforms are now well-equipped with voice and video call features that are easy to use and readily available for anyone with active accounts. The only catch here is that the recipient also needs a stable internet connection for the call to go through. Otherwise, it becomes more of a hassle than an advantage. 

Facebook Messenger is the top pick for this. But even Instagram already offers the same voice and video call features. There’s also Zoom, Google Meet, and Discord if you want to have an entirely separate video calling platform.

1. Settle for Messages and Emails

But if you don’t want to download a separate app or you’re not a fan of making calls entirely, you can always fall back to simply sending messages and e-mails back and forth with your recipient. 

Beware though, international messages can still cost you for outgoing messages, particularly if send a message to someone overseas that doesn’t own a roaming sim yet. The good thing here is that it can be more manageable than making international calls. The pricing is per message, which can be easier to keep track of, as compared to the per-minute pricing of calls which can be quite difficult to keep up with.  

And If You Really Need to Make International Calls, Remember These…

1. Check-In With Your Service Provider 

Before making that call, circle back to your provider first. Your phone plan may provide free minutes that can lessen your supposed bill. Don’t forget to ask if they offer premium plans that cover international calls, especially when you travel often. Opting for such will save you more money in the long run.

Aside from that, check with them if they established certain guidelines or instructions in making long-distance or international calls. You may ask them these questions:

• What codes are needed to input before the recipient’s number?
• Are there any numbers to dial aside from the recipient country’s code?
• Are there any prompts that I need to wait for? 

You can also ask them for the specific country’s code and the city code, if necessary, to also save some time on your part.  

Also, checking in with them will help determine whether calling a landline would be cheaper than calling a mobile device. Albeit still costly, every penny saved is still worth it.

1. Keep It As Short As Possible 

As we have mentioned, international call rates are expensive. Staying on that call for more than five minutes will cost you precious money. Keep the call succinct. You can even practice what you need to say before making the call. 

In Conclusion

International call rates are expensive primarily because of the cost of the process that goes into it. Much like anything else, the brunt of the expenses made by the company is passed on to the customers, hence the hefty rates. Luckily, there are online solutions are already available and easy to use. These technologies will also continue to evolve as we have seen in the innovation of VoIP technology.  

Basic processes, like messaging and emailing are also available as safety net options, in case you don’t want the hassle of making international calls and to generally avoid any cost that comes with it.