Access Numbers. Types of access numbers for prepaid international calling cards

There are two types of access numbers: Toll free access numbers and local access numbers.

Local Access Numbers

The local access numbers are numbers offered by a company for access from several origination cities. The main advantage of local access numbers is that most of the calling card companies will offer a discount on the rate. Usually not much but it can make a difference when you call to destinations with a low rate per minute.

A call to a local access number will appear on your regular phone carrier's bill in case you are not calling to a number that has NO Toll for it.

Make sure that you check with your regular phone provider if the call to a specific access number is considered no toll, toll call or long distance call.

The calling card company has to gain too as providing a local access number for their customers has a lower cost per inbound minute than to a toll free access number.

Toll free access numbers

All the calling card companies offer Toll free access numbers. If you read the Prepaid International Calling Cards History you will see that the first company that introduced toll free access numbers for calling cards users was New York's RBOC or Regional Bell Operating Company back in the 1990s.

It's a valuable convenience as toll free access numbers can be called from any touch tone phone within the continental USA. A toll free access number can be called even from a cell phone too.

As I explained a bit earlier using a toll free access number can determine the rate per minute to be slightly higher but again that should not discourage you from using a calling card even if you don't find a local access number in your area.

International access numbers

When using calling cards from outside the USA please do not expect that the toll free access numbers look like in US. I.e don't expect the number to be something like 1800-xxx-xxxx. Toll free access numbers in Europe for instance may start with 900 or 808, etc. It's best to inquire though with your calling card company whether the access numbers provided from abroad are toll free or local numbers.

VERY IMPORTANT! If you are outside US and call an access number from your hotel room it is CRUCIAL to inquire with the hotel's reception whether there will be any charge incurring on the hotel's bill.

Back when I was doing Customer Service for a major calling cards company, i spoke to a customer that was calling from a hotel in Australia. He had a $20 calling card. Guess how much he was charged by the hotel for calling the TOLL FREE access number in Australia? ... Stop guessing! I'll tell you: $640 US. My point here: PLEASE CHECK with the reception before calling to the access number.

International access numbers restrictions

If you travel abroad and plan to use calling cards to call back home it is very important to make sure you understand the restrictions that may be present on international acccess numbers.

Let me explain. I know from experience that in some countries some access numbers may not be available from a cell phone or from a payphone. Please make sure when buying the calling card that you are aware of these restrictions, if present, and investigate to the full extent whether you will be able to use the access numbers while abroad.

All of the top calling card companies researched on this website provide prepaid international calling cards with support for international access numbers.