Frequently asked questions
- How do I use this site?
- What kind of phone services are there and what are the differences?
- Do I have to dial from a BT landline?
- Is this website connected with any of the telecoms providers listed?
- Where can I find the call prices of the main telecoms providers like BT or NTL?
- How do I use this site?
Go to the Calls tab and click on the initial letter of the country you want to call to. Countries beginning with the letter a are displayed already.
Find your chosen country and click on 'landline' if you want to call a landline number in that country, or click on 'mobile' if you want to call a mobile phone in that country.
A list of results will be displayed sorted by price with the cheapest providers at the top. All the providers we have are checked for the best rates.
Help is available on the results page to explain how to dial your chosen number. The method used will depend on the type of service offered.
See What kind of phone services are there and what are the differences? for an overview of the different services listed.
Top - What kind of phone services are there and what are the differences?
- CallThrough
CallThrough services are the most common form of service. They require no registration or pre-payment. On your existing telephone, you simply dial the service provider's number for the destination you require. You usually hear a introductory pre-recorded message and you then dial the number you want to talk to. You are charged by your existing telephone provider for the call to the initial number at the rate published by the CallThrough provider.
For example, if a CallThrough provider published a number to connect to a mobile phone in Nigeria of 0844 220 0000 and you want to connect to a mobile number in Nigeria of 00 234 1200 1234, then ...
From your existing telephone in the UK dial 0844 220 0000, wait for the message then dial 00 234 1200 1234 then press #
Top - CallBack
To use a CallBack service, you tell the provider what number you are calling from and what number you want to call, and the provider calls your origin number back and when you answer it calls the destination number for you. You are then connected as usual. The service usually relies on you dialling from a phone using caller id so the service provider knows what number to call back. Some providers have the facility of allocating special personal numbers for those people whose phones don't exhibit caller id.
CallBack services are pre-pay services. This means you need to register with the provider and have some kind of account with them. You credit your account with funds and the provider debits this account when you call via their service.
Some Callback providers ask for credit to be set up by sending a text message to a special number. This may cost £5 for instance, but gives you £5 to spend on calls with the provider. The same mobile phone is used to initiate calls.
After setting up a form of credit you can call the Callback providers normal rate prefix number to initiate a call. You are not charged by your main telecoms provider for the callback as you receive an inbound call to your phone.
Some Callback providers use the standard telephone network (PSTN), others use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). PSTN providers claim voice quality is better than VoIP.
A key feature of this type of service is the ability to make a call from any phone, anywhere in the world. This makes it particularly useful for people who travel abroad and want to call from those foreign locations.
For example, if a CallBack provider has a call back number of 01234 567890 and you are in the UK and want to call a number in Austria of 0043 234 567 8901, then ...
From any phone with caller id, dial: 01234 567890 and then hang up
When the phone you called from rings, you enter the number you want to call: 0043 234 567 8901
Top - PrefixSelect/Register
These services involve registering your existing telephone number with the service provider. You also register a form of payment which is usually a debit or credit card. When you make a call from your registered telephone, you prefix the number you want to call with the providers own prefix number. You are then connected as usual, but are not charged by your existing main telecoms provider. Instead the prefix telecoms provider charges you via the payment method you have previously set up. Typically, there is a small connection charge per call followed by the call tariff per minute. There will usually be a logon page on their website for you to examine the charges against your registration.
For example, if a Prefix provider had a prefix number of 12345 and you wanted to call a number in America of 001 234 5678901 then ...
From your registered phone, you would dial: 12345 001 234 5678901
Top - TopUp
The principle of this type of service is to initially call a premium rate telephone number from your existing phone, typically costing £1.50 per call. This 'tops up' your number giving you credit with the top-up service provider. You then call the top-up provider's standard rate telephone number as a prefix to the actual number you want to call. You are charged for the standard rate call by your main telecoms provider as normal. The follow on call is charged at the top-up providers rate and is debited from your credit with that provider.
For example if a top-up provider had a top-up number of 0912 345 6789 and a standard rate prefix number of 01234 567890 and you wanted to call a number in Russia of 007 123 456 7890 then ...
To top up credit (this is done periodically of course, not each time you call), dial from your existing number: 0912 345 6789
To make the call, you would dial from the same phone used above: 01234 567890 007 123 456 7890
Top - VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
These services are computer based (though other service providers often use VoIP behind the scenes to enable their telecoms offerings). Skype is a well known example. Computer to computer connection and call costs are typically free. Both parties must be running the VoIP program on their PCs and if that is the case then that's a good way to go. You use broadband or a dial up connection to your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Services to call from a computer to an ordinary phone are also available. SkypeOut is a well known example. This type of service allows ordinary landline or mobile telephones to be called from a PC for a small per minute fee. Again, you use broadband or a dial up connection to your ISP.
A key feature of this type of service is that their prices are the same regardless of what country the call is initiated in.
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- CallThrough
- Do I have to dial from a BT landline?
No, you can usually dial from any telephone, but most providers require that the phone be based in the UK. If you're not using a BT landline, the prices offered by the listed companies may be different. If you dial from a non-BT landline or from a mobile phone you will need to check with your main telecoms provider as to the costs of using the listed services. Most numbers are in the 0844, 0870 and 09 ranges. Your main provider will be able to tell you what the cost is of calling these numbers.
Some providers (CallBack and VoIP) allow you to call from anywhere in the world and are not restricted to initiating the call in the UK. You need to be aware of the costs of initiating calls from abroad, especially if you're using a mobile.
Top - Is this website connected with any of the telecoms providers listed?
No. We are completely independent and have no affiliations or connections with any of the companies listed on the site.
Top - Where can I find the call prices of the main telecoms providers like BT or NTL?
BT's call prices can be found here: http://www.downloads.bt.com/pricing/UKInternationalprices.pdf
NTL's call prices can be found here: http://www.ntl.com/home/telephone/pdf/TelcoTariff.pdf
There are other providers of course and their tariffs can usually be found on their respective websites.
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