You may be an expatriate missing home. Or you may be a person on the go with lots of people to call and an empire to direct. Whichever you are, you will need a phone card to keep communication lines open. With the help of the Internet, you now have a choice from quality telephone cards online. You just have to know how to choose.

A telephone or calling card is used to place domestic and international phone calls. There are two types of telephone cards: prepaid and re-loadable. The prepaid cards have a set amount which is used up every time you make a phone call. After you have depleted the balance, you need to buy a new one if you wish to make more calls. The re-loadable cards begin with a set amount which when depleted, can be refilled. Most quality telephone cards online are of the re-loadable type.

There are also two types of telephone card technology: stored-value and remote memory. The stored-value card has a memory chip on the card itself where balances are stored. You need the card to make an actual phone call. Calls using remote memory cards require access numbers to reach a database where your balances are stored. You don't need a physical card, only your access numbers, to make calls. Typically, quality telephone cards online are of the remote memory type.

You have a virtually limitless choice when it comes to telephone cards online. There are a lot of companies who buy talk time in bulk from telecom providers and resell them to you through the Internet. Be sure to take advantage of the competition among the providers by picking only the best quality telephone cards online.

You should choose only those that will give you trouble-free communication anytime, anywhere, and a 24/7 customer service that can help you if any issues arise. The quality telephone cards online providers should also have a secure site so that you can safely enter your credit card information. To begin looking for quality telephone cards online providers, go to the companies' web sites and check their services. It would also be a wise move if you read the Internet reviews on the various providers. Only then can you have an idea on which companies really provide quality telephone cards online.

Quality telephone cards online also need not be expensive. Price is the other major consideration when choosing your phone card. With the stiff competition among phone card providers and their minimal operating expenses, quality telephone cards online should be cheaper than regular cards since the providers need not print physical cards. They need only give you access numbers to use the balance you paid for. To be able to choose wisely, you should visit each company's web site to check the rates that they offer, and then compare them against the rates offered by the competition. You should also be mindful of hidden charges. Sometimes, too cheap rates are too good to be true.