The ABC of Long Distance Phone Plans

In the age of emails and instant messaging, the business of long distance phone plans still holds it own. There are numerous companies offering different types and rates for long distance phone plans. The key in choosing the best long distance phone plans is knowing your needs and what is available.

There are four (4) general types of long distance calls. These are the following:

1. Local Toll

Calls made to areas outside just beyond your calling area are assigned local tolls. This type of long distance calls are also sometimes referred to as Intralata.

2. Intrastate

Intra is a prefix meaning within so these calls is calls to people within your state. Rates for this type vary according to states.

3. Interstate

Inter is a prefix meaning among or between so these calls originate from one state and connects to someone located on another state.

4. International

International calls are calls that connect the caller to someone located at another country.

Rates in long distance phone plans for the types of long distance calls also vary. Usually, the rates are expressed in terms of per minute but some companies express their rate in terms of units. These units can be equivalent to two or more minutes.

Some companies also provide long distance phone plans with lower rates when long distance calls are made in off peak hours. These off peak hours are the time when fewer people are using the system and are usually set at midnight to six in the morning.

The following are the three usual types of billing in long distance phone plans:

1. Flat Monthly Fee

A flat fee usually comes with a specified number of minutes or units that the customer can use. If the customer does not consume all the minutes or units for a given month, these unused minutes or units are usually forfeited in the following month.

2. Conditional Monthly Fee

A conditional monthly fee is similar to the flat monthly fee. A minimum amount is billed to the customer every month that provides the customer with a specific number of minutes or units that the customer may use. If the customer exceeds the minutes or units allotted, additional charges will be billed to the customer according to the excess usage.

3. No Monthly Fee

For large volume costumers, it is more economical to pay a certain amount annually or according to the span of time that the long distance phone plans is needed. This is also for those people who rarely make long distance calls but this might mean a higher rate.

A billing minimum is the minimum length f time that the customer will be billed for every long distance phone call made. The most common minimum billing lengths are 18 seconds, 30 seconds and one minute. For example, if a customer makes a call that lasted 45 seconds and the long distance phone plans minimum billing length is 1 minute the customer will be charged with a full minutes rate.

With this information in mind, customers can now choose from the various long distance phone plans offered by different companies. Keep in mind your needs when choosing long distance phone plans. If the customer usually makes long distance phone calls at off peak hours, it is more economical to choose long distance phone plans that provide lower rates during off peak hours. Or if the customer usually consumes only a certain amount of minutes in long distance calls per month, choose a monthly fee plan that is closest to it.