Once upon a time, picking up the phone to dial overseas was almost a social event; it just wasn't done on a regular basis given the exhorbitant costs facing consumers. Well, it seems consumers are having the last laugh over traditional calling methods.

Reuniting with Loved Ones Over The Phone

For immigrants, the international prepaid phone card allows new migrants to phone relatives for cents in the dollar. People who have lived in their adopted countries for 30 to 40 years have been able to contact friends and relatives they haven't spoken to for a similar length of time.

The downside is the amount of options available to people. Options are usually a good thing but in the world of phone cards, it has created a lot of confusion. The phone card industry has received bad publicity over the years with "fly-by-nighters" and scam artists causing problems and while it's cleaned up it's act, there are still some well worn guidelines you can follow to ensure you find the right company and card best suited to your needs.

Phone Card Checklist

Here's my shortlist of international prepaid phone card checks when I'm shopping for a card.

1. How long has the company been in business? You can check online and if the they've been plying their craft for any reasonable amount of time then they get a plus in my books.

2. Can the company be contacted? This is vital. Recently, I required a copy of my phone card records for immigration purposes. I rang my company and following a request, the information was provided to me within a week. The big factor here was I was able to call them.

3. Customer service was touched on in the previous point. It was excellent. Being able to talk to a real live person when you require assistance makes such a big difference.

4. Can the card be topped up over the phone? Being able to dial a central number when you haven't got internet access is another plus factor for me.

5. Check for hidden fees... these can eat away your payments in no time. Avoid them.

This is a shortlist of things to look out for but in the end, the first three points are the most important in my book for shopping for an international prepaid phone card. When you find a phone card company you like and it works well for you, stick with it and resist the urge to change to a cheaper rate. Sometimes, cheaper is definately not better!