www.CostaRicaTicas.com

whai is the cheapest way to call CR ? Verizon wireless wants to charge me 27 cents/minute, penny talk wants to charge 10 cents/minute - any feedback is appreciated

I use an MCI phone card....about 25 cents per minute.

Skype-- $.08 per min.

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Why Chicas Come to CostaRica:

"Predators gather where prey abounds"

I have been using Tel3 Advantage at 8 to 10 cents per minute, prepaid. Daytime service is better than nighttime...but it isn't always reliable.

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My life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming...." MAN....WHAT A RIDE!!!!"

I too use Tel3 which is discussed here on the CRT board: https://costaricaticas.com/news.php?id=176

The cost to a landline in Costa Rica from anywhere in the USA is .07 and the cost to call a cell phone in CR is .076

I always has good connections irrespective of time. On the other hand, associates in Chicago sometimes are a little soft volume wise. I suspect it's because the system is being used a lot more there than where I am.

You can be "cagey" with Tel3 and WAIT until they offer a special wherein you will pay for $25 worth of time but be given $35. In fact, you can do this until the cows come home simply by re-registering with the service and listing a different home phone (Example: My first account was set up as 555-111-2222; my 2nd account (when I had used up the $35 on the 1st account) was 666-111-2222, etc.).

You can use this service on your cell phone: Call the access number from your cell phone and then follow the yellow brick road.....yes, you'll have the time deducted from your cell phone's plan for that month, but you'll be paying a lot less than .27 per minute.

An advantage I find with Tel3 is you are NOT tied to being around a computer.

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"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

Online pre-paid calling card... 4.5¢ per minute with NO fees (connection, service, maintenance)

http://www.comfi.com/Phone-Card/Jupiter

Other cards: http://www.comfi.com/calling-cards/Costa-Rica

I seem to remember that Verizon had an international plan to call Costa Rica from Atlanta that was 10 cents a minute. But that was 3 years ago when I was there.

Skype to Skype calls are free providing that both parties have downloaded the Skype software.

Before I got Magic Jack, my office was calling me using Skype. I thought it was 2 cents a minute but maybe its more.

Now everyone calls me on my Magic Jack, USA number that rings right here at my home in CR.

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* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

I got MagicJack a week ago and so far its working out great. I had Vonage before and this in my opinion is way cheaper and more convenient.

The only drawback is that your computer has to be running all the time.

verizion is .27min. from atlanta however connection is great.

Magicjack prepay international minutes .07 regular phone .08 to call cell.
Voice is very clear and you almost always get through.

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If a little's good than a lot's better and too much is just right

Just curious, but have to ask this. If a guy is asking to find out the cheapest way to call CR and says he already knows that Verizon charges 27 cents a minute and Penny Talk charges 10 cents, why would anyone post about a way that costs any more than 10 cents as Zebra and Mark have done? Mark even gave the rate for Verizon that Mikey already knew about.

Also curious and have to ask this follow up question, once somebody "lowers the bar" by providing a lower priced option, why would anyone posting after that post about a way that costs more than that? If Magicjack cost 7-8 cents per minute than Orange's Jupiter card at just 4.5 cents per minute already beat that.

Besides any of that, it seems to me this is not really a simple what is "cheapest" way to call question anyway. Skype to Skype may be free, BUT that means that BOTH computers have to have the free Skype software installed AND be turned on. If you're calling a phone the rates are actually 6.4 cents per minute to a landline and 7.4 cents per minute to a call. I'm not sure where Scubabum got his amount but either way that still leaves Jupiter on top.

Besides the issue of whether you have a computer that you can make calls from (and to), where are other issues that Orange alluded to. For example to get that 8 cent rate on Tel3 you have to belong to their premium plan which costs $2/mo. Depending on how many calls you make that might not be a big deal, but it will push the average rate per minute well over Orange's Jupiter Card and even over Skypes computer to CR phone rates.

There are actually prepaid phone cards that cost as little as 2.5 cents per minute to CR but they come usually come with extra catches. For example, how long are your typical calls? Are you thinking about talking an hour at a time with your novia (who does not have a computer loaded with Skype) or are you thinking more of making a bunch of 3.5 minute calls to arrange things before your trips. The cheapy cards often round up in 3 minute increments compared to the 1 minute increments on more expensive cards. For a 57 minute 1 second call that adds only about 1/10 of a cent per minute to the cost of the call but for a call just over 3 minutes it can double it (from 2.5 cents to 5 cents which is still pretty cheap).

Another catch is that some cards come with monthly or even weekly maintenance charges that can quickly eat up whatever balance you might have had left on your card. If you have in mind making a whole series of calls in a short time adding up to several hours, then that might not matter since you'll have little time left on the card and can just toss the extra minutes. But if you plan to make a smaller amount of calls regularly over a period of months, those maintenance fees can greatly add to your average costs. Even with a $1.20 per month maintenance fee if you spread that over 2 hours of calls per month it still only adds a penny per minute so a really cheap card with a reasonable maintenance fee might still come out cheaper for you. Again, you have to consider your particular calling requirements and shop around.

Some other factors to consider: some cards have a flat connection charge per call on top of the per minute rates (e.g. $.50-$1), some just charge that if you happen to be calling from a pay phone, some cards are "pinless" making it easier to place a call, some even allow for speed-dial numbers. Like anything you get what you pay for and extra features come with extra cost. So it is not just a simple matter of what is "cheapest", but what works best for you based on your calling patterns and what added conveniences you're willing to pay for.

Cause I guess we're just plain fools.

Zebra, you are no fool.

Hey, Whtnot is on the same page... I've been using the Magic Jack also. So far, no problems and VERY LOW COST!

NOW: here's what I'll be trying next week. I'll be hooking to the internet in CR, I believe I'll be able to call "to the US" from CR like a local phone call in the US. Hopefully it'll work, cause the Cell rate in CR is killing me.

Ditto. I think you probably just missed that before you made your post and we've all done stuff like that at times. I was more curious why so many people seemed to be doing it in the same thread.