Hello
The main two disadvantages of international calling cards are listed below.

1. Hidden Charges - some cards have hidden charges that you should take care of before buying.

2. Zero Balance - if you run out of your balance in between a call then you will be cut off during your conversation.

Hidden charges are nothing but the charges that will automatically get deducted from your calling/phone card balance. For example, you have recently purchased a calling card having $50 credit. Assume that from the day you purchased the card, you have not used it for around a month. After a month when you use your card to make an international call, you suddenly realize that you have $0 in it. There are a few companies which deduct a certain amount of money from your calling card even if you have not used it. The deducted amount would be their maintenance charges or daily rental.

Next is the balance. Let us take a similar example, where you have purchased a phone card of certain amount and you make call to your friend. Your call may get disconnected in middle of your conversation. It is because once your balance comes to zero most of the cards will just cut off the line, no matter how important the call was for you.

Here are some important tips which will help you in buying a phone card that suits you the best. Always make sure that the company from which you will be purchasing the phone card is well established and has a good background. A good company will always be ready to answer a customer's queries. So make sure to get the answers to some of your queries. Some of the questions are listed below.

- How much will you be charged for the calls you make?

- What additional fees should you pay?

- Does the calling card have a date of expiration?

Once you get the answers to these questions, you will be in a position to decide whether or not you should purchase the calling card from that particular company. Getting fooled by these companies can be avoided by little search done on the internet. This would be one of the easiest ways to avoid any loss.