What does Rounding really mean?!?!

Ever wonder what the difference between one minute rounding and three minute rounding is? Have you asked yourself why the rates so different if you're calling the same place? Which one is best for me?

When you come across a calling card or phone card product that offers 1 minute billing, it basically means that each call is rounded up to the nearest minute. For example, if you make a five and a half minute call, you will be billed for six minutes.

3 minute billing is similar, except the rounding will be for 3-minute increments. The same five and a half minute call you were billed six minutes for with the 1 minute billing card will now cost be rounded to 9 minutes.

Why would I get the 3-minute billing card if I were getting charged for more minutes even if I use the same amount?

Simple! The rate. Most companies will offer incentives to customers by dropping the per minute rate on their 3 minute billing products. For the same destination you can pay up to a few cents less per minute on the 3 minute billing product simply because of the rounding.

How do I know what's best for me?

The easiest way to decide which rounding will work best for you is to figure out whether you want to make one very long call or several shorter calls. If you want to use your card once and make a long call to your destination and then be done with it, you'll benefit from the 3 minute billing products. If you will continue using your calling card to make phone calls and the duration of the calls is shorter, you will benefit more from the 1 minute billing product.

Remember, if you use the entire value of the card in one call, the rounding will work with you rather than against you, it will lock in the lower rate per minute. Continuous use of the card and short duration calls will work adversely with the 3 minute billing product, as the rounding will chip away at your balance.

Hope this clears up the rounding confusion. If something isn’t clear, leave a comment and I’ll address it on the next entry.

Introduction

Hello All,
We're excited to launch our International Calling Guide to help answer questions and make international calling simple, fast, and convenient. There are a lot of easy to use features and tricks to help you save both money and time. Check back with us as we'll update frequently. If you have any questions, or need any tips, leave us a comment and we'll be sure to address them as fast as possible.