Answering a private phone

British people usually give their name or number.
Hello. Susan Fernandez.

Asking for a person

To ask for a person you can say 'Could I speak to...? Americans usually say Could I speak with...?
Could I speak to Jane? (US Could I speak with Jane?)

Saying who you are
Hello, this is Jane. (Not usually I am Jane.)
Could I speak to Alice, please?

If it is Alice on the other side, she will say 'Speaking.' Or 'This is Alice.' In American English it is also possible to say 'This is she/he.'

Asking who somebody is
To know who is answering the call you may ask any of the following.

Hello. Who is that? (US Who is this?)
Who am I speaking to?
Who is that speaking?

If somebody is not there
You can use an expression with 'I am afraid' to say that somebody is not there. To take a message say 'Can I take a message?' OR 'Would you like to leave a message?'

Hello. Susan Fernandez.
Hello. This is Jane. Could I speak to Alice, please?
I am afraid she is not in at the moment. Can I take a message?

If you want to leave a message say 'Can I leave a message?' If you want to ask the person to ring you back you can say 'Could you ask her/him to call/ring me back?' OR 'Could you just tell her Jane called?'

Asking people to wait
You can use any of the following expressions.

Just a moment.
Hold the line, please.
Hold on a moment.
Hang on. (Informal)

Wrong numbers

I think you have got the wrong number.
I am sorry. I have got the wrong number.

Bad Connection
If it is bad line, you may want to hang up and try again later. You can use the following expressions.

Could you speak louder? It is a bad line.
Americans will say It is a bad connection.
It is a very bad connection. I will hang up and call again.

A lot of individuals today make frequent calls to business associates, co-workers, family and friends. In doing so, they turn to the affordable and trusted means of communication- prepaid phone cards.

Prepaid phone cards are popular choices because these are convenient devices, it can be used anywhere and, and because you pay in advance, you will not be paying for any monthly bills. These devices are very popular among immigrants, expatriates, travelers, students, and those who frequently call overseas, or those who haven't chosen a preferred long-distance service.

No Monthly Bills And Other Contracts To Sign

Choosing a specific call card is like p[laying Russian roulette, and the right card can make all the difference when it comes to savings and convenience. However, if you want to make the card truly work for you, you'll need to shop around for the best one. If you're one who just picked up a phone card recently, you're in the same company as with everyone else who's not into the regular service.

A lot of individuals today use these use to make more than 8 billion calls annually, according to data from the International Prepaid Communications Association. These communication tools are truly the favored choice of recent immigrants, students, military personnel, teens and travelers, senior citizens and small businesses. What makes these cards work wonders is that they are effective in controlling overhead expenses and lessening monthly bills.

Getting A Card Is Like Negotiating A Minefield Of Hidden Charges

While simply adding a good body finish to a commodity or product like a refrigerator or a bag, can attract people who really like good design, the more serious prepaid call user is rarely tricked or enticed by simple card design and flashy marketing.

These consumers find ways to properly negotiate a minefield field with hidden charges, confusing activation fees and disappearing minutes and sudden expiration rules. When a good card is on the marketplace today, according to an industry analysts, people find out very quickly, and could easily spot ones with spotty performance levels and unscrupulous marketing tactics.

Even Card Dealers Look For The Right Cards To Market

Most of today's street-level resellers and distributors make it a habit to routinely check how a card performs in calls to a variety of markets, looking for hidden bargains, just like commodity traders looking for the best deals, at the most affordable rates. Decades ago, when prepaid cards were relatively rare, some featured beautiful and eye-catching artwork, but more aggressive and unique designs have long since taken over.

Money-Saving Tips With Call Cards

- Buy a call card with a higher denomination. Many resellers and service providers today offer perks, like free minutes that go along with the purchase of a more expensive call card. A $50 phone card, for example, may give you extra minutes and expire much later than a $25.00 card.

- Verify what types of services you will need and go with a call card provider, aside from verifying the prepaid card's minutes.Some prepaid services offer text messages, Internet access, international calls and roaming fees as part of the prepaid package. Check on the services you will need before you decide on a provider.

- Practice budgeting your call time. Use your prepaid card only for important, emergency or brief social calls. Use your regular landline service or anything else, for long, unnecessary calls. While most phone cards are quite affordable as compared to the regular service, you don't want to run out of minutes and have to refill one when you need to make important calls.

These days, prepaid phone cards serve as easy connection tools for calling domestic or overseas.

These types of cards are sold everywhere and they give users amounts ranging from $2 to $100 or more, worth of long-distance calls. Consumers purchase a specific call card and use it with any phone to make the call. These communication devices have toll-free access numbers that you first dial when beginning to make a call.

In doing this, you enter a Personal Identification Number (PIN), which activates the card's account in the service providers computer system. The user will then be prompted to enter the number they wish to call, although this may take a few numbers to dial, but if you properly follow instructions, you can easily make a call.

The Number Of Players In The Phone Card Field Has Risen

At present, the number of service providers and retailers that are in the business of selling these prepaid cards are many. There is the long-distance carrier who sells blocks of time to resellers.

The resellers, in turn, work with or sell to the card issuers who set the card's rates, set up access numbers, provide customer service, and maintain account information as well as the PIN numbers. The distributors and retailers then sell the cards to their customers. This explains why consumers do not usually know who the long-distance carrier is behind their cards.

In addition, the per-minute rates of prepaid phone cards varies greatly, as do the number of additional fees that might be involved. A specific card may claim that you can talk for 120 minutes, however that may happen only under very specific circumstances. While there are certainly some call cards that offer great deals, and the convenience of the cards would be perfect for some scenarios, there are still a lot of scams and misleading claims out there, and take undue advantage of unsuspecting buyers.

Common Prepaid Phone Card Scams

Today, thee most common call card scams involve unadvertised call connection charges, unadvertised monthly fees, dubious minimum call lengths, mysteriously quick expiration dates, or sudden activation or setup fees.

These types of hidden or mysteriously-levied charges eat into the total monetary value of your call card, which will make a 120-minute card look much like a 90-minute one. These hidden fees truly lessen the advertised amount of calls you should make.

If a caller made a single call for 120 minutes, perhaps they would get the advertised deal. However, in making several shorter calls that each rack up connection fees and build up higher charges because of the minimum call lengths, this will result in getting far fewer minutes for the card. The other aspects to be wary of some prepaid call cards include:

-Unusual Billing Increments .

Some billing computations may be as high as five-minute increments, which means that even calls under one minute may utilize five minutes of the card's value, and any call less than 10 minutes, but more than five minutes, actually eats up 10 minutes of the card's value.

-Unadvertised Pay-phone Fees

Aside from the per-minute charge, there may be connection charges and other fees levied on you, especially if you make your call from a pay phone. While you should expect to pay an additional surcharge, and the FCC approves an extra charge, some card issuers vary largely in the amounts they pass on to users.