Questions to ask before switching long distance plans

Tips for choosing a new long distance plan

There are a ton of options available for long distance phone service. You can easily become confused or even frustrated when evaluating the best one for you. Often, you are better served by asking yourself some specific questions rather than just looking for the apparent lowest price per minute. At times, what at first appears to be the lowest cost may not be, because of monthly fees, call surcharges, or other items.

Some questions you might ask yourself:

What other states do I call most often?
If you primarily call just a few states, you might find long distance telephone service that has an advantageous plan that saves you money for certain call destinations.

Are most of my calls in-state long distance?
You live in Seattle and your sister lives in Spokane, the other end of a large state. Or, you live in Ft. Lauderdale and your mom lives in Jacksonville. If your long distance phone calls are primarily within your state, you could search for a plan that provides unlimited in-state long distance dialing for a lower cost than one that covers the entire U.S.

Are most of your long distance calls business related?
You might locate long distance carriers that specialize in business to further lower your long distance rates.

Are you often away from your primary telephone when making long distance calls?
Whether you dial the continental U.S. or make international long distance calls, you might consider a prepaid phone card to give you major savings regardless of the place of origin of your call. Just enter your unique card number, and then place your call.

Do you have absolutely no definable patterns to your calls?
Consider a 1010 dial around plan that gives you one low rate for calls placed from your primary phone or while away from home or office. You may be surcharged for calls from pay phones or some other special phone systems, but, if your plan charges you $.06 per minute, you can call anywhere you want for that low rate.

As with most products and services, a “one size fits all” solution is quite rare. If you ask yourself what you really need, the answers to these questions will help you select the lowest long distance dialing service available.