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How To Make A Call

Call Rates Scanner - How To Make A Call

How to use this site to make cheap or even free calls.

Below, you'll find several topics which provide useful information about information on this site and how to use it for making cheap or free calls abroad.
  • How to use this site? Explains how to find cheapest rates using this website. arrow_downward
  • About main table. Explains information presented in the table on the main page. arrow_downward
  • About country table. Explains information presented in the table on the country specific page. arrow_downward
  • How to make a call? Explains how to make a call using access numbers from this website. arrow_downward
  • About inclusive minutes. Explains free calls with inclusive minutes to 01, 02, 03, 0845, 0870 access numbers. arrow_downward

How to use this site?

This is a comparison site for cheap calls abroad. It aims to present you with the cheapest way to call landline or mobile number of destination of your choice, by showing a relevant access number and the price of a call per minute. The site gives you a number of ways to find the appropriate access number:
  1. All the destinations are listed in alphabetical order in a clearly presented table, where destination can be found by simply scrolling the page
  2. There is a search/filter field in the head of the table (right hand side). By typing any part of your destination you can filter out all destinations that do not match the typed text
When you find your destination in the table you're presented with the cheapest access number and the price charged per minute. If you wish to see few other options, click anywhere on the row of your destination. The row will expand with 5 alternative access numbers plus a link to see all 74 alternatives for this destination. By clicking on the latter you will be taken to a new page with all the options for the given destination.
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About information in the table on main page.

The call rates in the tables on the main page are listed in the order of cheapest and most reliable provider first, for each country. Initially, only one access number is visible for landline and mobile destination in the country. This is the cheapest, most reliable access number. You can reveal additionalaccess numbers by clicking on the country row. This action will expand the row, displaying additional numbers. You can see all the access numbers (all the providers) by visiting a country specific page via a link at the bottom of the expanded row. The information in the table is organised in the following columns:
  1. Country - name of the country or other destination to which the entire row applies.
  2. Price p/min - price of the call (pence per minute) for the given access number, which is applicable for the given country. Each access number may have a different call rate. Your line is charged this amount per minute, when you make a call to this access number plus a connection charge. You begin to be charged the moment you make a call to this access number and not when someone picks up the phone on the other end. For more information on call charges please refer to How much are you charged to make a call and by whom?
  3. Type - a type of line of the desired destination that you're trying to call. The type of line can be: Landline, Mobile or Satellite.
  4. Access Number - the number to dial before calling your desired destination. There is no subscription or pin code to enter, when you dial it. Just dial this access number, wait for the prompt and then dial the phone number where you wish to call. For instructions on how to make a cheap international call please refer to How to make a call using access numbers?.
  5. Provider - the name of cheap calls provider. Call Rates Scanner does not list url links to websites of providers compared. If you are one of the listed providers and wish the link to your website to appear here, please contact Call Rates Scanner with the request. Please refer to Contact on how to contact Call Rates Scanner.
  6. Time Now - current time at the capital of the country or other destination. Note, this information maybe incorrect due to the fact that Call Rates Scanner relies on other services for accurate time.

About information in the table on country pages.

The call rates in the tables on this page are listed in the order of cheapest provider first. They are all for the sme destination. Landline rates are listed in the first table, followed by the table listing call rates to mobile phones. You don't need to browse through numerous providers web sites to get up to date call rates and access numbers, they are all listed here. Brief text headlining each table denotes other relevant information, such as destination and the current time. The information in the table is organised in the following columns:
  1. Access Number - the number to dial before calling your desired destination. There is no subscription or pin code to enter, when you dial it. Just dial access number, wait for the prompt and then dial the phone number where you wish to call. For instructions on how to make a cheap international call please refer to How to make a call using access numbers?.
  2. Price p/min - price of the call (pence per minute) for the given access number. Each access number has a different call rate. Your line is charged this amount per minute, when you make a call to this access number plus a connection charge. You begin to be charged the moment you make a call to the access number and not when someone picks up the phone on the other end. For more information on call charges please refer to How much are you charged to make a call and by whom?
  3. Call Quality % - the quality of the sound for the given access number. 100% represents perfect quality, whereas 0% means nothing can be heard. Please note that this information is not updated daily, unlike access numbers and prices. In addition, only a handful of access numbers and destinations were used for each provider, in order to establish the sound quality of the call, due to the limited resources that Call Rates Scanner has at its disposal. If you found that the sound quality for a specific provider is different from that stated here, please inform Call Rates Scanner, stating which destination you called and which provider and access number you used. Please refer to Contact on how to contact Call Rates Scanner.
  4. Call OHD sec - the time overhead of the call in seconds. This is and average combined time that the caller has to wait before actually speaking to someone on the other end. This is the time you pay whilst not actually talking. This is different from the connection charge, but rather time you waste before dialing your destination number and whilst waiting for the ring on the other end. For more information on call charges please refer to How much are you charged to make a call and by whom?. Please note that this is an average information, it is not updated daily, and only a handful of access numbers and destinations were checked each provider. This is due to the limited resources that Call Rates Scanner has at its disposal. If you found that the wait times (overheads) for a specific provider is different from what is stated here, please inform Call Rates Scanner, stating which destination you called and which provider and access number you used. Please refer to Contact on how to contact Call Rates Scanner.
  5. Data Verity % - the accuracy of information on the provider's website or other media of distributing up-to-date access numbers and prices. For example, if the data about access numbers is out of date or inaccurate, you end up paying for the calls that are doomed to fail. This usually happens when the information o the website is updated much later than access numbers themselves. Normally, you'll hear a new valid number for your desired destination but only after you made a call to the destination via the old access number and are charged for a minute or two of this call plus connection charge. The smaller the value in this column, the more likely you are to incur additional charges due to invalid access numbers being advertised. Please note that data verity is not updated daily and is based on historical occurrence of provider's stale or incorrect data - it indicates provider's past performance of keeping the data fresh. It is also possible that some providers are caught more than others, due to the limited resources that Call Rates Scanner has at its disposal.If you found that the freshness of information that a specific provider offers is different from what is indicated here, please inform Call Rates Scanner, stating which destination you called and which provider and access number you used. Please refer to Contact on how to contact Call Rates Scanner.
  6. Provider - the name of cheap calls provider. Call Rates Scanner does not list url links to websites of providers compared. If you are one of the listed providers and wish the link to your website to appear here, please contact Call Rates Scanner with the request. Please refer to Contact on how to contact Call Rates Scanner.

How to make a call using access numbers?

This is site presents you with all information you need to make a cheap call abroad. It is organised to allow you to access required information as quickly as possible, so that you don't waste your time on unnecessary clicks and page load waiting. Please refer to How to use this site? to learn about different ways you can use the information on this site and find the fastest way for you.
  1. Lookup the country you wish to call to find the corresponding access number. There is a number of ways you can use this site to find one or more access numbers to call your destination. See information in How to use this site?
  2. Dial the access number of the country you wish to call. The main page presents the cheapest access number for each destination. However, sometimes the provider may have some technical issues. By clicking on the destination in the main page you will discover 5 alternative access numbers within the table. Also, you can see all the access numbers for given destination. Please refer to How to use this site? for more information.
  3. When connected, enter the phone number you wish to call, starting with 00, and finish with the hash-key (#). After you dial access number, you will be connected to automatic answer machine, which will prompt you to dial the number. Please wait until you hear the recorded voice message before dialing your destination number. Most providers allow you to start dialing the moment you hear the voice, you don't have to wait till the end of the message. by pressing the hash-key (#) after your destination number you speed up the process of connecting to that number. If you don't press the hash-key (#), you will be connected after some pause. Note, that you will be charged from the moment you hear recorded voice message and not from the moment someone answers the call on the phone of your destination number. Please refer to How much are you charged to make a call and by whom? for more information about pricing structure.

How to make free calls with inclusive minutes to 01, 02, 03, 0845, 0870 access numbers?

The aim of this site is to present information you need to make a cheap call abroad, optimised to reduce time it takes for visitor to find this information. Plese read sections How to use this site? and How to make a call using access numbers? if you have not done so already, since this section builds on that.You may have noticed that some of the access numbers start with 03, 0845 or 0870 which cost anything between local rate to 15 pence per minute. The website orders access numbers according to the cheapest rate. However, if you have inclusive minutes package to 0845 and 0870 numbers then you would probably like to see those access numbers at the top of the search priced as 0.0p/min, because that's what they cost to you. You can do this by clicking on Optimise search for inclusive calls to 01, 02, 03 numbers or 01, 02, 03, 0845, 0870 numbers. located in the top left corner menu on any page. When selecting adjustment options for inclusive calls in the menu, the search will be optimised for your call package, either inclusive minutes to 01, 02, 03 numbers or inclusive minutes to 01, 02, 03, 0845, 0870 numbers respectively. This action will reprice all access numbers that are included in your package to be 0.0p/min. This means that calls to those numbers are completely free, subject to fair usage as defined by your landline provider. Usually, you will not be paying either access charge nor service charge. So, by optimising the search according to your calling plan (or call package) on this website you will be presented with prices that are true to your circumstances. Note that this optimisation setting also works on the country specific page (click on the country row on the main paige then, once the row is expanded click on more_horiz at the bottom of the expanded country row), until you disable this optimisation setting in the top right menu.