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WHAT IS THE BEST CALLING CARD TO PHONE CEL PHONES IN COLOMBIA?

What is the best calling card to phone cell phones in Colombia?

Cost per minute, connection fees, timing (in seconds, minutes etc) and maintenance fees?
They all contribute to cost.
Would like calling card with No Connection Fee, No Weekly or Monthly Maintenance Fee.
What is your experience?

By ronaldo on Sep 21, 2008, 08:20 in Friendly Talkzone.

Bill Turley (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 21, 2008, 09:01:

The choice is dependant on the service where you expect to be. For example most of our family have TIGO but they can't use them here when the Visit.

Mr. Bill Somondoco

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island girl says on Sep 21, 2008, 09:22:

do you mean calling cards for calling colombian cellulars from us or canada or another country outside of colombia?

If so:

I think skype is IN GENERAL the way to go. your friends in colombia do not need an account. you can top up your skype account with a credit card and call colombian land lines or cells, whatever. Works for me when travelling.

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Robert Jorge says on Sep 21, 2008, 10:00:

Assuming you want information on calling cards, like your post asks, I have found Pingo to be the best deal and most reliable. A $20 usd card gets a couple hundred minutes. I can't remember the exact amount. And that is to a CELL phone in Colombia, not a land line. Pingo can be found Online - not sold in stores.

"You can not take the barrio out of the girl you really can't." Oneforamillion

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ronaldo says on Sep 21, 2008, 10:50:

Yes, from calling Colombia from Canada or USA. Sorry, I should have been more specific.

Ronaldo

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ronaldo says on Sep 21, 2008, 11:12:

Here are PINGO rates from their website today:

US to Colombia - Calling from you own landline
Mobile 9.2 cents - Barr/Bog/Cali 3.8 cents - Other 5.8 cents - Using Access# 0.1

Canada to Colombia - Calling from your own landline
Mobile 11.6 cents - Barr/Bog/Cali 6.2 cents - Other 8.2 cents - Using Access# 0.1

Alll in US$.

Ronaldo

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bopenyan (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 21, 2008, 12:28:

The quality of the service is another key factor. In Canada, a number of the cheaper services have terrible call quality. The number you are phoning cannot be reached; the voice is drowned out from static and the calls get dropped.

Call quality, for seveal different call cards, varies from city to city. It generally tends to be good for Bogota; okay for Popayan (strange, given that the city is not a major centre) and horrendous for Cali.

I use YAK in Canada (which is not a card, but is a subscriber service, but works like a card), and have had no problems with call quality. It is $0.15 Canadian per minute to a cell phone; $0.065 for land line.

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ronaldo says on Sep 21, 2008, 13:48:

bopenyan:

Is there any monthly charge for YAC?
What is their URL?

I'm searching to find a cheaper way to call Colombia. Here is one that I have found.

Legacy Card - US to Colombia..........not sure if works from Canada but will find out.

Uses access #.
1 min billing.
Expires in 3 months.
79 cents to call from payphone.
.79 cents a week maintenance.
Bogota 1.76 cents
Cali 1.98 cents
Medellin 2.861 cents
Pereira 2.861 cents
Cel 4.622 cents
Cost in US$
Use for 30 minutes a month and you will pay for the maintenance fee.

May have to use a conbination of systems to effect the savings I am trying to acheive.

Here is another:

STSunlimited - US to Colombia - Again not sure if works from Canada, but will find out.

Good for long winded callers.
Unlimited calling.
Call as often as you want.
Call for as long as you want.
Cost per minute (0) zero.
.99 cents from a payphone.
Connection fee (0) zero.
Maintenance fee $1 day.
Expires in 7 days.
Cost in US$
From what I understand you can load this card.

So far the Legacy Card and YAC looks like a good combination. Legacy at 4.622 to a cel phone and .065 Yac to a landline.

Anyone else with a suggestion?

Ronaldo

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MitchAlvarez says on Sep 22, 2008, 14:00:

yo uso la orbitel y la telecom aca en new york. me sirven pa lo que las necesito

"...Sure some people will say that you are a sexist, very generalizing and opinionated but they are you opinions and yours alone and you don't change your mind because everybody else might disagree with you. Good for you!" -PCL

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 22, 2008, 14:16:

I agree with Mitch and Roci. Orbitel is great. They charge $.10 a minute to cells suring peak daytime hours and $.05 after 6PM eastern time. They don't any type of hidden fees, taxes, etc. so you truly get what you pay for. Their call quality is excellent. As Roci mentioned, you can save money by hunting down a wholesaler. However, if you can't just get a Virtual PIN from OrbitelUSA.com. It is a bit more convenient.

Yo me como los mocos debajo de la ruana pa que no me pidan.

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 22, 2008, 14:24:

The main benefit of their virtual PIN is that you don't have to remember a PIN as it allows you to program several phone numbers. Also, you can quickly recharge it online in $10 increments.

Yo me como los mocos debajo de la ruana pa que no me pidan.

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mark1 says on Sep 23, 2008, 19:52:

skype, through your computer. i think it is 2 cents a minute. www.skype.com

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ronaldo says on Sep 24, 2008, 13:46:

Mark1:

Skype.com is 9.9 cents a minute from US to Cel phone in Colombia and 11.5 cents a minute from Canada. Too high for me. Any other suggestions?

Ronaldo

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ronaldo says on Sep 24, 2008, 14:13:

Remember I am calling from a land line in Canada and US to a cel phone in Colombia.

bopenyan............sorry, I made a mistake........Legacy card does beat YAK.......I read the YAC charge wrong. So far the Legacy card seems to be the best choice.

Ronaldo

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