°µÍø½ûÇø

To summarise the thread.

Card are available (Usually from various Asian shops)
To use them, you usually have to call a charged access number, and their value varies wildly.
They have only one advantage over other methods, in that they offer total security. Absolutely no way to trace a caller if they chose the call box carefully - ie - no CCTV.

Skype works pretty much every time
Skype calls to land lines are charged at a cheap rate, very reliable, and they offer a US local number with answerphone. Should you miss a call, the caller gets your recordable answerphone message, and you get an instant email informing you of it.
The main advantages are reliability, and the fact it works from anywhere in the world, to pretty much anywhere in the world.
I use this service a lot, find it cheap and reliable, it has a Sheffield UK number (with answerphone) and it works from my tablets, computers and smartphones, so I have it available anywhere there is an internet connection.
The local number option is very cheap, it allows a US local number in one of a wide variety of cities, and has the answering service, so works extremely well.

Google has a service that will call most US numbers at no cost, but not all.
After testing their version, I found it will call the US, but failed quite a lot, and kept asking me to send SMS requests. It failed on every non US number I tried, so is a little limited for anyone wanting to call other than US numbers, and was really annoying to use because it blocked any call from your phone book unless they had the same software, or you sent an SMS request.
Remember, as with all internet calling software, even a free call isn't free if you have a limited data package as you're charged for the data usage. With unlimited internet access, this isn't an issue.

Giff Gaff , and very likely other similar services off cheap call option to the US (and probably other destinations)

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Fred, I did say it would only work for US and Canadian numbers...

Thanks to all of you!

I use goggle voice and call from my computer. Dirt cheap.

Cartoonist wrote:

Thanks to all of you!

I have to admit I don't really understand that one.
However, your cartoons would make a nice thread for °µÍø½ûÇø cafe.

Excellent summary.
I would add FaceTime as being a great option for people who use iOS.