Details of International Cell Phone Plans
January 24th, 2012Having an international cell phone is not enough, it needs service to work. There are many different international cell phone plans out there, and most of them are minute-based. Aside from calling, you will probably want to text and use data, and getting an international cell phone plan that allows this will give you more freedom with your phone. When choosing between different factors for your plan, these are the things you should look for.
Price
The majority of international cell phone plans are charged to you each month, so you want to look for a plan that offers affordable pricing. Getting the absolute cheapest plan often leaves you with few minutes and poor service, but price is still important. Just look for a plan that you can afford without breaking the bank.
Number of Minutes
Unless you are looking to just have the phone as a backup, you should seek out a plan that has between 500 and 1,000 minutes. This gives you the freedom to talk with friends and clients, without having to cut them off. If you want to more easily land sales and help your clients feel comfortable, you need enough time for extended conversations.
Extra Phone Numbers
A good international cell phone plan will give you the option of having two numbers. One will work in America, and the other will work in the UK or Australia. Having that second number helps you abroad. It enables you to better connect with those areas, and it allows you to better serve your UK and Australia clients when you are over there. This extra number should come free of charge with you plan, it should not be an extra charge on top of it.
Data
Do you want to check emails, go online and serve your clients on the Internet? The best way to do that is with a data plan. For a good data plan, expect to get 500 to 1000 MB. You may be able to get away with 100 MB if you are lucky, but this leaves you little room to really use the Internet’s power. Even you really need data, you may need to get an add-on plan that features an extra 500 MB of data on top of your regular plan.
Texts
In this modern time, texting is just as important as calling. It gives clients a way of sending you a message without going through voice mail, and it is perfect for small questions and conversations. Make sure that when you choose an international cell phone plan, you get one that offers enough texts for you to comfortably work with clients.
Out of Service Benefits
An international cell phone plan usually does not cover every country in the world, and you may find yourself in one of those countries. Many plans just leave you flat. However, you should look for one that gives you benefits, such as helping you save money, even though you are not in the plan’s supported countries.