How to make an international call
Leaving the country for a family vacation, a work trip or a university course abroad prompts several questions around how to call your loved ones while you’re on the other side of the world. We’ve all been there!
Finding out the cost of that international call you made while on vacation can quickly bring down the mood. Unfortunately, that frustrating text message stating an additional fee for the quick chat you had with your mother, while topping up your tan by the pool, catches out many of us.
To efficiently make an international call, you’ll need to activate roaming. But wait - what even is roaming? What are the most cost-effective ways to make an international call? Quick To Link, the international mobile top up expert, is here to help you!
What is roaming?
Roaming allows a user to keep hold of all their usual mobile services when they go to another country. This means that they are still able to call, receive calls, and use their data abroad.
Roaming involves the migration of these services to another network provider located in the host country. It usually comes at an additional cost depending on whether their usual provider has connections to network providers abroad.
Did you know? All 28 countries of the European Union have an agreement: there are no roaming charges for citizens of these countries when they travel around the EU. This means they can freely use their phones abroad without worrying about any additional charges.
Top up your cell phone !Check the country dialling code
Before calling an international number, you must add the relevant country dialling code at the beginning. It replaces the first zero.
For example, if you want to call a French number, you should dial +33 6 XX XX XX XX, and not +33 06 XX XX XX XX.
Here’s a list of international dialling codes for every country to help find the one you need.
Check with your network provider
Before calling someone abroad, you should firstly check if your phone contract includes international roaming, and if so, which countries are covered. A Parisian, whose roaming package doesn’t include Canada, yet proceeds to call a Canadian number from France will encounter a hefty bill at the end of the month. Don’t be that person!
These expensive calls come as a nasty surprise! It’s important to check which countries are covered in your contract with your network provider.
If you are worried about receiving additional fees, you can always deactivate roaming on your phone while abroad.
The best ways to call abroad
Now you have a good understanding of how roaming works and the unpleasant surprises it can bring, let’s find out the different ways to make an international call!
Buy a local SIM card
Getting a local SIM card when abroad lets you benefit from the local rates, which are sometimes cheaper. Depending on the country, this method can be more cost-effective!
Buy a prepaid mobile card
A prepaid mobile card lets you purchase a specific amount of credit for calls, texts, and internet abroad. After you’ve used it all, you can simply top it up.
How does a prepaid mobile card work? Unlike a regular monthly package, you only have to put credit on your prepaid card occasionally to benefit from its services (SMS, MMS, internet, etc.).
International mobile top up online
Staying in touch with your loved ones who live abroad can also be done through an international mobile top up website. This service allows you to recharge a prepaid mobile remotely. It’s basically a digital prepaid phone card. All you need to benefit from this service is an internet connection.
Using an online international mobile top up service has many advantages:
· It’s easy to use
· It only takes a few seconds
· It covers a wide range of countries that you can choose from
In other words, using an international mobile top up website is the best choice for international calls.
Online apps
Some apps allow you to make calls abroad if you have an internet connection or available data. The call itself is free, but the 3G or 4G is not.
If you are abroad or want to call your family living in another country, make sure you have a WiFi connection or a mobile plan that includes a certain amount of international data. Note that these calls consume a lot of phone battery, even more so if you activate video.
For cheaper international calls, use Quick To Link!
Quick To Link allows you to call abroad at low rates, without additional charges! Simply enter your phone number and desired area code and we'll take care of the rest.
International mobile top-up online is our specialty! We offer our services all over the world. Contact us today if you have any questions!
