Cost to recieve a call from VoIP

Don1

Howdy, I have a friend in the US who hasn't got access to skype yet (long story) but does, as one would expect, have a "cell" phone!

Thing is, I want to phone her from Skype on my computer and am fairly aware of the charges from this end, but don't know what charges she might be lumbered with on the other end. AFAIK its going to be something like the local call rate in her area.
Anybody any the wiser? Want to be 100% sure of what it'll be before I go ahead as its a family contract and I don't want to see her disowned for running up an enormous bill talking to some foreigner they've never met! :P

paulm17781

Erm, why not get her to call her operator? They'll have a better idea than people here.

Don1

Why didn't I think of that! Thank you!

NetLink

If the cell phone is switched to a local operator - i.e. if your friend isn't roaming, she wouldn't incur any charges for taking calls.

Did you know that for about 30.00 EUR per year you get unlimited free calls to practically anywhere in Europe (landlines) through Skype, but as well as that you get a free fixed "virtual" phone number?

You could get a free US phone number with an area code from wherever locality your friend is in. That way your friend could call you at local rates. Sometimes (like here in Ireland) they have bundles where local calls are free of charge.

I think you can also lease that number regardless of whether or not you purchase the "European calls" bundle.

Don1

Cool. Thanks for that!

probe

NetLink wrote: »

If the cell phone is switched to a local operator - i.e. if your friend isn't roaming, she wouldn't incur any charges for taking calls.

I don't think this is correct for US cellular networks. If someone has a subscription for 500 minutes a month of calls, those minutes are used up both on outgoing and incoming calls - even when on the home network.

Calls to mobile numbers in the US don't incur any surcharge - they are not premium rate numbers as in Europe. The mobile company charges for the airtime on incoming calls - by billing the called party (either by taking it off their bundled minutes, or charging per minute or whatever for excess time).

NetLink

probe wrote: »

I don't think this is correct for US cellular networks. If someone has a subscription for 500 minutes a month of calls, those minutes are used up both on outgoing and incoming calls - even when on the home network.

Calls to mobile numbers in the US don't incur any surcharge - they are not premium rate numbers as in Europe. The mobile company charges for the airtime on incoming calls - by billing the called party (either by taking it off their bundled minutes, or charging per minute or whatever for excess time).

I knew that calls to US cell phones don't have extra charges - I think cell phones are given a local area code as prefix unlike here where we have 087, 086, etc. but I didn't know that about incoming call charges. I just looked it up and you appear to be correct. I don't think that even makes sense though! It basically means you have to pick up the charges for when a crazy ex is stalking you, if some trigger happy caller dials the wrong number, or if some annoying telemarketers make cold calls

Anyway, I apologize for my incorrect statement.

Dankoozy

Its because in the olden days only the super rich could afford a mobile phone and they decided to go with this system where mobiles are given ordinary phone numbers so not to discourage ordinary folk from calling them and having to pay extra

cooperguy

Ya cell phones are charged for recieving as well as making calls in the US no matter where the call is coming from. You will have to ring the provider for the exact rate though