How many different cell phones have you bought in your life just because you needed to change service plans or providers? Maybe your latest mobile phone contract ran out or you moved to a new state and the cell service at your new residence is non-existent. Whatever the case may be, you now have several useless mobile phones and their corresponding chargers in the junk drawer and you have absolutely no idea what to do with them. This is why you need to unlock your phone.

Whether you buy your cell phone or it’s considered “free” after rebates and such, every mobile phone has a “serial number” that’s referred to in the industry as an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). This number connects a particular phone to a service. At the same time, it connects the subscriber (you) to the phone, so in the long run you (the subscriber) are directly connected to a cell phone subscriber.

Inside the majority of these phones is a removable card called the SIM (Subscriber Information Module). This card also connects the phone to the subscriber (you) and the phone to the service. Many cell service providers will put a lock on the SIM so that the phone at hand will only work with their service. Even if you used your hard-earned money to pay for this new phone, the cell company can force you to use their service. This hardly seems fair, doesn’t it? This is why it’s a good idea to unlock your cell phone.

By unlocking your cell phone, you will be able to use any cell phone service provider that you’d like. In addition, you’re getting rid of roaming charges completely while increasing the resale value of your phone. Basically, you have a clear phone with no legal attachments to any one location. As long as the unlocking is done right, your phone should operate fine and your service would go on as normal.

A note worth a mention: If you have a service contract with a particular provider, complying with its terms and conditions (including any maintenance fees) is par for the course. A contract is a legally binding agreement and it would definitely be in your best interest to follow along until the end.

It wasn’t all that long ago that a cell phone owner needed to send their phone away to a reputable company to do the cell phone unlocking for them. But times are changing, and recent advances allow cell phones to be unlocked with a “secret code” based on the mobile phone service provider and the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). This way of unlocking is not only more cost efficient, but much quicker, too. Instead of waiting for the mail to come, close to immediate results are granted with an email address and the downloading of a mobile phone unlocking kit.

Samantha Hasson
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/unlock-your-phone-heres-why-and-how-75437.html

Although traditional cell phone plans offer the most economical calling for most cell phone users based on their lower per minute cost, there are certainly other options. Prepaid phone cards are one of the alternatives. By eliminating any deposits, credit checks, commitments, and monthly fees, prepaid cards can be a good choice for international travelers, infrequent users, and those with poor or no credit history.

Anyone purchasing a phone card might also want to be aware of some of their quirkier characteristics as well. To understand charges and how things will be billed, buyers need to be sure to read the fine print on the card and its packaging. Within this text should be an explanation of a few of the little extras and surprises that can crop up unexpectedly if buyers don’t study these details regarding a prospective prepaid phone card.

What does a minute cost?

Certainly the first question is the per minute cost of calling. Rates tend to be higher outside of traditional cell phone plans. This is the cost of avoiding commitments, deposits, monthly fees, and credit checks.

Is a minute really a minute?

Obviously, the per minute rate is a primary consideration just as with any cell phone plan. But knowing how a minute is billed is important also. Some cards will round billing out in 2 or 3 minute increments; thus, although a given call might only last 1 minute, that very call may consume 3 minutes of calling time. Without being aware of the strange math behind the billing of a particular phone card, a user would be unable to solve the mystery of evaporating talk time.

Connection fees, maintenance fees, and taxes oh my!

Reading further, users may discover that not only is there the per minute rate to consider but also a handy connection fee which is charged every time they hook up with someone. The amount varies from card to card, but can be significant. Other cards tack on a maintenance fee; these are often added on monthly throughout the active life of the card.

The description on the card may also explain any applicable tax or additional fees that may come up.

Your time is up!

One final thing to be aware of is the time limit on using the minutes on a card. Many cards have a set period of time in which minutes are to be used; after this point in time the minutes are forfeited. Being aware of these time limits can assure users don’t find themselves without calling time when they least expect it.

Prepaid phone cards are certainly a convenience and an appropriate choice in a number of situations. However, cell phone users need to become acquainted with the details outlined on the card and packaging to assure they understand the true cost of using them.

Christine Peppler
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/phone-cards-reading-the-fine-print-124481.html

Purchasing a phone card without being tricked can be difficult since phone card sellers often advertise low rates to attract shoppers than charge cleverly disguised “hidden fees” which can more than double the cost of making a call. In many cases, the phone card with the lowest advertised rate also has low quality and is not the cheapest to use since it can be loaded with a variety of hidden charges. It is generally best to make a purchase from a reputable phone card website that discloses all of the details for each card listed. These details should include all charges for making a call (including taxes, fees and surcharges), a customer service phone number, customer ratings on quality and service and a money back guarantee. In addition, we offer the following 5 important tips to phone card shoppers.

1. Purchase a Minimum Denomination. Unless you are familiar with a particular phone card it is usually best to purchase a minimum denomination and make some trial calls with the card to the locations you wish to call before purchasing a large denomination. We suggest purchasing a phone card with a face value of $10 or less before making a large purchase.

2. Check and Compare Rates between Phone Cards. Most phone card websites include a rate finder which shows the cost per minute for making calls from one location to another. The rates listed in these rate finders are generally just the base rate. They do not show all of the added fees and taxes that can vary significantly between phone cards. Therefore, it is important to read the fine print before purchasing a phone card and be sure to include all fees and taxes when comparing rates between phone cards. There are a few companies that charge a connection fee for each call. These can significantly increase the cost of each call so we feel that calling cards that charge a connection fee should be avoided. Some other common fees are maintenance fees, pay phone fees, toll free access number fees, taxes, service fees and surcharges. Other less obvious hidden fees include rounding interval (the increment used in rounding off the duration of a call for billing purposes) and a long call fee. A card with a larger rounding interval is generally more expensive since the length of a call is rounded up to the next rounding interval for billing purposes.

3. Customer Reviews. Websites like Smart Global Call International Phone Cards include customer reviews for the phone cards they sell. We have found that these reviews are useful since they provide a good indication of calling card quality based on the experience of other users.

4. Access Numbers. Check for the availability of access numbers in the locations where you plan to use the card before making a purchase. Toll free access numbers are convenient but some phone cards charge a relatively high fee (more than one cent per-minute) for using them. In some cases toll free access is free or the charge is relatively small (less than one cent per-minute). There is typically no additional charge for using a local access number but some phone cards do not have local access numbers or they only have a few.

5. Phone Card Coverage. Phone cards typically have limited coverage so check the rates for making calls to the locations you wish to call before making a purchase. Also check rates to the type of phone (land line or cell phone) you plan to call. Some phone cards offer great rates to land lines but very high rates to cell phones in the same country. There are honest phone cards that offer high quality and good rates for making cheap international calls to almost any location in the world. However, there are others that advertise super cheap rates but load the product with so many hidden fees that the cost for making calls is actually much higher than normal. The purpose of this article is to help shoppers avoid some common pitfalls and make informed choices.

Bob Graham
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/five-phone-card-purchasing-tips-727034.html