what's the best way to call the US from abroad?

[origami]

I am moving in about a month and trying to figure out the cheapest/best way to call back to the states (non-video). I have FaceTime and (free) Skype already but I've heard about Magic Jack and Google Voice, etc etc but don't really understand the costs or how they work. Esp Magic Jack b/c their website is terrible at explaining what you're buying and how it works. I *think* you get a US phone number that rings on your cell phone abroad, even if your cell has a local, foreign number. Or something. Can anyone explain these services like I'm 5?

[origami]

Jun 8, 2014 14:37:24 GMT -5 atlas said:

Viber. It is a free iPhone app. Might be on andrioid too.

Thanks! Viber's site says calls and messages are free but also may use your data plan. Does it only use your data plan when your phone isn't connected to wifi or something? Can you use an existing mobile number if you transfer it to them?

[origami]

I think I read on their site that if you're calling a non-app user you have to buy credits, which is fine. Yeah I'll have to look into the carrier rules when I get there to see if they charge extra for internet calls or if it will just be part of the regular monthly data package.

[rupertpenny]

There may be something better out there but I just use the Skype app on my iphone. You have to pay to use a land line, but it is sooo cheap. It took me months to use $5 worth of credit.

I really only use this when we need to call businesses back home (like Comcast ugh  ) or occasionally to chat with my when I know she isn't in front of a computer. Most of the time we use Skype on the computer, and the rest of my friends and family have iphones so we facetime.

[Deleted]

We call from our normal home land-line. For 5 pounds a month we get unlimited calls to the US and most of mainland Europe.

[GilliC]

Most of my friends have iPhones so I use iMessage and FaceTime a lot.

Other than that, I use Skype. For around $60/year I have a Skype Online Number, which is a phone number with a US area code that's local to my parents so they can call whenever they need to. I can also give it to my US banks or other companies. It's set up on my phone app, and if I don't get the call because I have data turned off, I'll get the voicemail alert when I'm back on WiFi.

For outgoing phone calls I just use Skype as well, and a little credit goes a long way. Especially since they don't charge for toll-free 1-800 or 1-888 numbers in the US!

[dorothyinAus]

I use a Skype number like GilliC.

[origami]

Thanks! So you don't need to use credits for incoming calls to your skype number?

[dorothyinAus]

I don't. I pay about $60 a year for the number, but then I need to buy credit for calls to US numbers.  With my credit, I pay $0.02/minute for calls to the US, not including 800-numbers.  But I have noticed sometimes 800-numbers don't work with my Skype.

[GilliC]

The Skype number is a flat rate and covers all incoming calls. You still need to pay for credit to call out. And if you want your incoming calls forwarded to a local number, you pay the same amount as you would calling your local number from Skype. For my parents, I'd just call them on Skype for a minute and tell them to call me back, since it was a local call for them.

Also, when we were in Beijing, we just bought international phone cards to call other friends/family. It was easy enough to get them at the corner kiosk, and the prices were comparable or cheaper than Skype for longer calls. If I moved back, I'd see which was cheaper for outgoing calls.

[alleinesein]

Check the cell phone rates for calling the US. I know that when I was living in India we had INR 3000 (USD $60) put on our phones each month from work and it was more than enough to call home 2 times a day every single day.

As long as your new place will have wifi you should be able to just use skype on your phone with the wifi connection or skype on your computer.

[mrsukyankee]

I just use my home phone as it's 2 pence a minute which is cheap!

[House4Me]

Magicjack

[meshimeshi]

We've been using Magicjack for the last two years. You get a local number to wherever you want. You have to have it plugged into an Internet connection. I don't know about having it hooked up to your cell. It's only $40 a year though and then you don't have to worry about skype connection and paying for credits.

Although hearing the pp about skype, it seems nice to be able to have it everywhere and get calls on your phone while you're out. We don't keep our magic jack plugged in, we just plug it in when we need to use it, and unplug when we are done. Still get voice mail all the time though.

-I'm using the app!