International calling plans often have varying rates depending on the type of phone number being called. This article clarifies the difference between calling landlines and premium services, and how these calls are billed under typical international plans.
Many international providers, including Verizon, differentiate between calls to standard landlines and those to premium services. Premium services often include calls to mobile phones, pagers, personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), satellite phones, and information services like chat lines or 900 numbers. These calls often incur higher per-minute rates due to fees imposed by foreign telecommunications companies. These premium termination fees are added to the standard international calling rate.
Subscribers to international calling plans with a set number of included minutes (e.g., 300 or 500 minutes) typically find that calls to landlines are included within this allowance. However, even within the included minutes, calls to premium services might be billed at the difference between the standard and premium rate. Once the included minutes are exhausted, all subsequent calls, whether to landlines or premium services, are billed at the applicable standard or premium rate.
Some international plans offer a more inclusive approach, covering both landline and premium service calls within the initial minute allowance (e.g., the first 300 or 500 minutes). After exceeding this allowance, both landline and premium calls are billed at their respective standard or premium rates. It’s crucial to understand the specifics of your chosen international plan to avoid unexpected charges. Always refer to the plan details to determine whether calls to landline and premium services are included in your monthly allowance and what the applicable rates are for exceeding the limit.
