Shopping for Long Distance Service

Every day you are bombarded with long distance service advertising.You may see it on television,in your mail,internet ads and many other forms of media.All of these companies claim they have the best rate.A low rate is good... but it is not the only thing you should consider.Below we have listed some things you should consider in addition to a low rate.With a little consumer education you will be able to match your calling needs with a long distance service plan thats right for you.

Know your calling habits

Where do you call the most?-within your state(intrastate) or out of state(interstate)? Do you make any calls to other countries?Most long distance carriers will advertise their state to state rate.A plan with a state to state rate of .039 cents per minute is good if that is your main calling pattern.But,what if you do an equal amount of instate calling? That same carrier with the low state to state rate may offer a high intrastate rate for your state.Then you will need to find a more balanced service between the two.A dial around service would be helpful in this situation.

Look for monthly fees

In addition to the per minute rate...look for any monthly charges ,minimum use fee or per call fees. Some long distance carriers will charge a fee if the set minimum usage is not met.The service may have a low per minute rate,but if you do not meet minimum usage you will be charged more.So,make sure you read all the fine print and ask questions about anything you are unsure of.Be aware that some calling cards have per call connect charges.

After the switch

Once you have started using a diferent long distance service,make sure you go over you first bill carefully.Are you getting the rates you agreed to? Are you paying fees that were not on the sign-up agreement.