What is the difference between the SmartReach Long Distance service and a Calling Card?
Your guide to pathway services
A Prepaid Calling Card requires you to enter a PIN code each time before dialing a long distance number. When you use up the prepaid minutes available on the card, you need to purchase a new one.
Besides this, Calling Cards use a variety of hidden fees and surcharges, designed to ensure that you never fully use the number of minutes that are advertised as being available to you. Card issuers charge these, because they need to show consumers the lowest per minute rate to get your business. To lower the per-minute rate means to take a cut in profit, hence the extra fees. Here are some of examples of hidden fees:
- Surcharge: A percentage added on to the per-minute rate.
- Connection Fee: A flat rate deducted from your calling card's prepaid balance once you connect with the party you are calling.
- Maintenance Fee: A fee charged when the calling card is not in use, i.e. a calling card maintenance fee of 25 cents per week will mean 25 cents per week reduced from the total pre-paid balance regardless of whether you use the card or not.
- Service Charge: A flat fee deducted from the pre-paid balance after a certain call duration - almost like a delayed connection fee.
- Rounding Charge: Calls are billed in blocks of three minutes.
With SmartReach Long Distance service, you are not required to enter a PIN code and you have the convenient option of auto-recharging your account. Also, there are NO hidden charges. SmartReach service provides clear, uninterrupted service 24 hours a day. Unlike calling cards, your SmartReach account will not expire.
