# Calling Cards from a German Payphone



## Guest

Hi There,

I wish to obtain a cheap to moderate priced calling card that allows me to call from a payphone in Germany to a mobile phone in Sweden.

Does anyone have any recomendations for brand of calling cards?

PS: is it true that local calls in germany from a payphone are timed? so i would have to pay for both the local call and the calling card?


Thank you!


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## synthia

Welcome to the forum! I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you, but the way phones are handled in different countries varies widely. In Denmark, not only are they timed, but the timing starts when you put the money in, and the time you spend dialing and the time the phone rings counts, and you pay even if no one answers.


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## Bevdeforges

It has been a few years since I lived in Germany and I'm sure the pay phones there have changed (as they have here in France). But be aware that if you're calling a mobile phone in Sweden (or anywhere in Europe), you're paying already a premium rate - usually a minimum of 12 to 18 euro cents per minute. The cost of the local call portion is usually only 2 or 3 euro cents a minute on top of that.

If you've got a mobile phone provider in Germany, you might check to see if there is a Europe-wide tarif you could take advantage of. For a set monthly fee you can make calls within Europe - sometimes limited to a fixed number of hours a month. It would certainly be a better deal than paying mobile phone rates to Sweden.
Cheers,
Bev


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## synthia

If you have computer access, you could use Skype. I pay 1.7 Eurocents to any phone anywhere in the world. I have never figured out why I am billed in Eurocents (surely they know how to convert?).


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## Bevdeforges

synthia said:


> If you have computer access, you could use Skype. I pay 1.7 Eurocents to any phone anywhere in the world. I have never figured out why I am billed in Eurocents (surely they know how to convert?).


Skype is headquartered in Luxembourg, so you're billed based on their currency. What's nice about it is that you're also billed Luxembourg's rate of VAT, which is a couple of points cheaper than here in France!

Why not let your credit card company handle the conversion? Probably saves them on overheads.
Cheers,
Bev


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## synthia

Ah, the overhead. You are right on, Bev. I have to pay the conversion fee. It doesn't mean much to me, because the amounts are small, but in aggregate it would mean a lot to them. I'm willling to pay it in exchange for the low per-minute rate.


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## Guest

Have they improved the considerable echo/delay problems I experienced a few years back? I know it's down to the quality of the connection/hardware but it seemed to happen far more often than not.


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## Bevdeforges

frogblogger said:


> Have they improved the considerable echo/delay problems I experienced a few years back? I know it's down to the quality of the connection/hardware but it seemed to happen far more often than not.


Apparently they have. I use my Skype line all the time now, especially when I'm in the US, and generally the quality of the line is excellent. Oh, you get the odd day when it's a bit echo-y but I guess that's due more to the Internet than anything else.
Cheers,
Bev


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## moxwell

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