Calling from Outside the USA :International callback services

International callback services

If you live overseas, an international callback service may offer the cheapest way for you to place international phone calls.

In many countries one or two local phone companies keep international calling rates very high. To get better rates you have to go "around" them. That's what callback services do. They route phone calls through the USA, so you can dial abroad with the cheapest possible rates. Keep reading for more about how callback services work, then see my recommended international callback service to the right.

How international callback works

Have you ever called someone, hung up, and had the person call you back so that you wouldn't have to pay for the call? Many people living overseas do this all the time, because their outgoing rates are so high. By comparison, it's much cheaper for the other person to call them (especially if the other person is calling from the USA, where the rates are very low).

Many years ago an American living in France got frustrated with the high rates charged by the France Telecom. He returned to the USA and developed the first callback service. Live switchboard operators in the USA answered calls, hung up quickly, called back, and then reconnected the callers to the phone numbers they wanted to reach. It worked well and the service grew.

Today there are many international callback providers, but instead of live operators, they have computers. Instead of answering the phone, they give you a unique "trigger" number to call. You just dial that number, let it ring once, and hang up (so there's no charge for the call). The computer will call you back, and you dial the number you want to reach.

It's actually very simple, and a good you should get excellent connections if you're using a quality callback provider.

Callback quality

Callback services are automated switchboards that reconnect calls to any phone number in the world. In order to redirect a call to an international phone number, the connection must be routed through phone lines belonging to various companies. Every callback provider (and phone card providers, too) try to create routes so their connections will be both cheap and high quality.

To make a long story short, some providers do this better than others. The quality of various routes is always changing, so the best callback providers are always making adjustments to give their users the best services and pricing.

United World Telecom (UWT)

A few companies provide the majority of international call back services. I have experienced using and working with UWT). UWT has many of cheapest international callback rates worldwide. They also provide quality services and treat customers quite well. If you are ready to try out a callback service, then do yourself a favor and sign up with UWT.

Payment in US dollars / international credit cards

Most international callback providers are US companies, and customers are billed in US dollars. UWT accepts international credit cards, so payment in US dollars is not a problem.