International Calls

<" alt="" border="0" />—[if gte mso 9]> < ![endif]--> Pre-paid calling cards represent telephone calling time you buy in advance. You pay from $2 to $20 or so to buy local or long-distance calling time; the amount of time you buy depends on the rate-per-minute charged. For many people, pre-paid phone cards are very convenient. You’ve paid for the phone time and you can use the card from any phone to make your calls.

But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, says that some pre-paid phone cards can have hidden costs. As a result, they don’t deliver the number of calling minutes they advertise. Because you pay in advance, you may be out of pocket — and out of luck — if you discover a problem trying to use the card. That’s a big difference between prepaid phone cards and traditional long distance calling cards, where charges don’t appear on your bill until after you’ve made the call.

You can buy pre-paid phone cards at newsstands, grocery and convenience stores, travel agencies, retail stores, and on the Internet. People who regularly call overseas use them, as do travelers, students, and those who may not have long-distance telephone service. You can add minutes to many pre-paid phone cards, usually by charging the additional cost to your credit card.
(source of the article: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro04.shtm)