How do prepaid phone cards work?
Of all the ways to make a phone call abroad, prepaid phone cards have been around the longest. They were created long before the arrival of mobile contracts and are currently still used by many.
Although they are less popular today, they are still practical in certain situations, especially when going abroad. Their simplicity and reasonable price make them ideal for communicating with loved ones when travelling abroad. But wait – how do they work?
To solve this question, Quick To Link's mobile top-up experts explain the ins and outs of prepaid phone cards!
What is a prepaid phone card?
As its name suggests, a prepaid phone card is a SIM card with a certain amount of prepaid credit loaded onto it. This credit can be used to make calls, send SMS/MMS messages, and use the internet.
As opposed to a mobile plan that is automatically renewed every month, prepaid phone cards only let you communicate with others until there’s no credit left. For example, a €20 prepaid phone card will only give you access to calls, SMS/MMS messages and internet covered by the €20.
Once this credit has all been used, you must top up your card or buy a new one. Certain prepaid cards also have an expiry date. Once this date has been surpassed, it’s no longer possible to make calls, send texts or use the internet with it.
Top up your cellphone !Why buy a prepaid phone card?
Since people are still buying prepaid phone cards today, they must have some advantages. These cards are ideal for one-off use. There is no commitment like with a mobile contract since you can buy them whenever you want without having to pay a monthly fee all year long for a plan that will not always be maxed out.
Additionally, prepaid phone cards are great for making international calls. Communicating oversees can be very expensive. For instance, with a mobile contract, calling from abroad usually leads to high roaming charges. However, with prepaid phone cards, there are no nasty surprises. You have control over your spending and only pay for what you use with no sneaky additional fees.
Today, prepaid phone cards are gradually evolving into online mobile recharge services, which are easier to use.
Prepaid phone card Q&A
Now that you know how prepaid phone cards work, here are several questions people often have about them.
Do I need a SIM card to use a prepaid phone card?
No!The prepaid phone card is the SIM card itself. You just need to buy one of these and recharge it each time it runs out of credit. You don’t need a third party SIM card.
Can I recharge a prepaid phone card?
Absolutely! Prepaid phone cards can easily be reused and recharged when they run out of credit. To do this, you can go to the same shop you bought yours from or go online.
Note that you can buy a mobile top up for another person. All you need to do is send them the prepaid card’s activation code.
Where can I buy a prepaid phone card?
Everywhere! In the past, you could only buy these cards in tobacconists and newsagents, but now you can buy them in many different stores (electronics stores, network providers, shopping centres, etc.) or online.
For more information on this topic, read our article on where to buy a prepaid phone card!
Top up your phone online: the new generation of prepaid phone cards
As you can see, prepaid phone cards are still popular and useful today. However, the next big thing these days is online mobile top up platforms. There’s no longer any need to go into a newsagent’s and buy a physical card. Our online international mobile top up service allows you to recharge your prepaid phone wherever you want, whenever you want. We offer the exact same advantages as prepaid mobile cards, but with even more freedom!
In addition, our mobile top-up service lets you recharge your phone for use in any country you want. With our online top-up service, you can use your phone all over the world.
Recharge your phone online with Quick To Link!
Online mobile top up services are the worthy successors of prepaid phone cards. For occasional use, especially when abroad, the efficiency of recharging your phone online is difficult to match. Additionally, using our online service lets you recharge your phone anywhere, anytime!
Recharge your phone online today with Quick To Link! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our mobile top up service. 😊
