www.CostaRicaTicas.com

All online calling cards charge "taxes" that range 10-40%. Honestly, I have never done the math to figure out what the tax is, but it's not even noticeable. I think it may even be less than 20%. But there is no monthly/weekly maintenance fee unlike many other cards. And like Prolijo said, PIN-less dialing.

You can program your phone to call the access number, pause 2 seconds, and then dial the CR number. I don't have to punch in ANY numbers at all, just the speed dial button.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. They may all have taxes in their rates, but if so for some of them those taxes are already included in the rates they've quoted, while tack it on top of their promoted rates and bury the it in the smaller print. For example, we already know that the Jupiter Card specifically mentions taxes on top of their quoted rates of "Up to 20% for most countries" (with an additional footnote that they could go as high as 40%). OTOH, the Tel3 card that Steven1 was promoting specifically says "no hidden charges or taxes". The Pingo website says "No hidden charges or fees". It does reveal a few misc. charges like the surcharges for calling from a payphone or calling through their toll-free access #'s (which ARE typical of all cards), but I've never seen any mention of any "taxes". So unless they lied and they really ARE hiding something or I completely missed it, either of which I doubt, that suggests to me that any taxes are "absorbed" by them and already included in their quoted rates. I might add that at the beginning of each call, they tell you how many dollars you have left and how many minutes that translates to for the number you're calling. Since when I've used it I've always called one number after the other and have always seen the minutes and dollars decrease by the rates they've quoted (e.g. always some multiple of 6 cents for calls to cells), I'd be very surprised if they charged any extra taxes.

BTW, Pingo also has PIN-less dialing (they call it "PINpass") and Speed Dial and no maintenance fee IF you use up your $10 card (equal to ~160 minutes, so not that hard to do) in 1 month (98 cents/mo after that).

Not "promoting". Simply providing intel. I believe if you use the link from our site, a "referral number" or whatever may appear and someone may be getting a sales commission. It's not me! And, actually, given the rates, I'll continue to personally buy. I AM keeping a close eye on this "JUPITER" product. That company has many long distance calling products that might assist me.

_________________
"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

damn no shortage of opinions on this topic--- i'm thinking i' ll go with Tel3

"Promoting" or "opinions"? Perhaps those aren't really the best choices of words. All that we're all really trying to do is lay out the facts for the products that we each have brought to the table. And its all really just splitting hairs since we're only talking about a difference that amounts to less than a buck per hour. HOWEVER, if you really want my OPINION, based on all the facts laid out here, I'd probably be most inclined to go with "Orange's" Jupiter card rather than the Tel3 or even the Pingo card that I've used before. Even WITH taxes added (whatever those might be), it will come out to be at least a little cheaper than Tel3 and most likely even Pingo as well.

Prolijo- u are right on splitting hairs but the guys delivered with viable options so i'm happy