ACCESS NL > Living in the Netherlands > Mobile and postal services > How can I make my international calls cheaper?
Mobile and postal services
How can I make my international calls cheaper?
There are several ways to make your international calls cheaper:
- Video call programs or apps
- The 0900 numbers: There are several companies that use 0900 numbers to provide cheap international calls. These 0900 numbers are paid service numbers and prices for using them can vary. You pay an initial connection charge and then the costs for the call (normally per minute or per second). Check Bellen.com for a comparison of prices for different providers
- Discount telephone cards. In the Netherlands there are many discount telephone cards available (belkaarten or telefoonkaarten; also known as ‘calling cards’). These can be purchased at telephone shops, post offices and tobacco shops. They have a fixed purchase price, but call costs may vary depending on the destination being called and the method of access. Some cards offer special rates to a particular world region – such as the Americas, Europe, Africa or Asia. It therefore pays to purchase a card which offers the cheapest rate to the destinations you most frequently call. Most cards have an expiry date, and a limited period of use, once activated. The cards can be used with domestic landlines, mobile phones, and with public pay-phones. Unfortunately, not all companies offering these cards are reliable. Some charge additional, unannounced costs or the card expires before the official expiry date.