[Wannaway]

Can anyone help here. Bit of a thickie when it comes to using internet to phone home and phonecards. Don't really know anything about it except just that.

We don't ring UK much but off peak calls here are costing $6 for up to 2 hours I think. How do the various phonecards work and are they a lot cheaper? Also does anyone know how you go about using the internet to phone home?
If it were a lot cheaper I'd ring more often which I am sure my family would appreciate - any ideas fellow forum followers?

Nicky

[Beach Kiwi]

Don't know about the internet, or phone card side of things, but Telecom has a special low rate toll call service that costs only 19c per minute to the UK anytime, anyday. :cool

CLICK ME (http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,3900,101974-1029,00.html)

Applies to heaps of other countries too!

[Timbo]

Nicky. For internet based calls, it is as simple as downloading a bit of software from, for instance, Skype. Once both partys have the software, calls between them are free.

Software is also free.

http://www.skype.com/

[Tanya]

We use the Kia Ora card. It is only 7cents per minute with no peak times. You buy a card at a book shop then when you access the number it tells you how much you have left and how many minutes credit you have to make the call. You can recharge it using your credit card and keep the same access card. It's really handy - especially when you not at home but at someone elses house and have to call - it doesn't come up on their account.

We have researched a few cards and this appears to be the better deal - watch out for others, they have a lot of conditions and connection charges per call - this is just 7c pm (or 8c to Australia). You can also use it for national calls - anywhere in NZ is 8c per minute too.

Tanya

[veronica]

The rate saver card seemed to be the best value when we looked into it a couple of months ago but we were told the Kiora one was the best for national calls here. It may have changed though, ask at the counter when you buy them.

[pra]

I have been using Net2Phone to call overseas and it's definitely cheaper than pre-paid call cards. Voice transmission is okay even if you're not using broadband internet. You might want to check Skype (EU company), the cost of call per minute is lower than Net2Phone (US company). For both, you can call for free (PC-to-PC), but should be of the same service provider.

[veronica]

With skyp I understand that you need to have a reasonably high speed connection. off the top of my head can't remember what it is, but I'm fairly certain it doesn't work on a normal connection.

[wilson182]

We use CHI TEL available from most Dairy's and only 2.5 cents per minute. Really easy to use and 9 times out of 10 the line is absolutely clear.

Don't know anything about internet phoning though. :no