How to make free international calls (from UK)
Though calling overseas from the UK is comparatively quite cheap nowadays what it used to be a few years ago and there are some good deals around which allow you to do even better – not to spend any money at all when making international calls from the United Kingdom!
The main two deals we are going to talk about would require you to be on either O2 and Vodafone. Both mobile networks provide free international calls to many countries around the world if you top up by certain amount of money every month. The good thing is that your top up amount would still be reserved for you and you can use it for however you please and it will not be taken off against the free international calls.
To enjoy free international call all you have to do is to buy a sim of O2 or Vodafone if you already have not got one. The sims can also be ordered online free of charge. Visit O2 or Vodafone to order your sim.
How does it work and what is the catch?
Mobile phone networks are constantly devising new ways to attract customers. You might have seen adverts of free calls, internet access and free text messaging etc to name a few. Free international calls are just one of the ways to attract new customers and keeping the existing ones.
Free international calls with O2
The mobile network gives you certain amount of free international calling time if you are on O2 Pay As You Go tariff. All you have to do is to activate “Your Country” reward option and in return you get 50, 100 and 200 minutes of free international calls to many countries around the world. One of the best things with this option is that you can ring an international number directly from your mobile phone without needing to dial any specific phone or pin number.
The minimum amount you would need to top up every month to enjoy free international call is £10 a month. If you top up £15, or £30 the free international talk time increases to 100 and 200 minutes respectively.
However do note that this reward scheme does not allow you to ring countries such as Afghanistan and many countries in Africa. For the full list of countries which are excluded from free international calls can be found on here
If you currently do not have “Your Country” reward option activated, ring O2 customer service at 2202 from your O2 mobile.
Free international calls with Vodafone
Vodafone similarly has the same reward scheme and anyone who tops up at least £10 a month is eligible to receive 60 minutes of free international call credit a month. If you top up £15 or £30, the free international calls increases to 100 and 240 minutes a month respectively. Click here to find out which countries are included on this plan
One major difference between these two free international call awards are that while O2 counts your international call on per second basis, Vodafone counts them on per minute basis*.
Note that your credit for free international calls expire in 30 days and does not get carried on to next month.
Once your free international call credit is used up the mobile networks charge you its standard rate for any ongoing international call. So it is a good habit to know how much free call credit is available to you.
If you top up twice or more in any given month, you do not get any additional free international call. Say for example you top up twice with £10 in a given month, the first 50 minutes of your free call credit will be available to you right away but the credit for you second top up will only be available once your 1st credit has expired.