Making an international call or sending an international text can often be an expensive affair. We look at ways to reduce the cost.
If you’re calling someone who’s in another country, it’s often an expensive affair to use your mobile phone. On a standard tariff from one of the UK’s major networks, you could be paying up to £1.50/minute when calling another country. For international text messages, the costs can also be quite high: as much as 24p per message. These rates make it incredibly expensive to stay in touch with friends and family who live abroad.
If you make international calls regularly, it’s often worth opting in for a package that gives you cheaper rates. On some networks, you can send a short text message to opt-in for lower calling rates. These rates are added to your plan at no extra charge. On other networks, you can switch to a plan that offers lower rates for international calling. These can be as low as 1p/minute and 8p per text message but your other allowances may be affected.
Cost of International Calls & Texts on Pay As You Go
The following table allows you to compare the costs of international calling and texting.
In the text box below, enter the name of the country you’d like to call. Alternatively, choose one of the most popular calling destinations from the list provided.
China (+86)
India (+91)
Ireland (+353)
Italy (+39)
Pakistan (+92)
Poland (+48)
United States (+1)
Please enter the name of the country you wish to call.
Alternatively, select a common calling destination from the list.
The costs shown here are the cheapest available on each network. For O2 and Orange customers, the costs shown here are for the International SIM and Camel tariffs. For T-Mobile and Vodafone customers, the costs shown here assume you’re opted in for International Pass or Vodafone International (both are free additions to your existing plan). For giffgaff, the standard rates are shown. There’s no need to opt-in for lower rates.
In general, you’ll find the lowest rates on giffgaff and O2. To benefit from the rates they offer, get a free SIM card from either network. For giffgaff, you can order a free SIM card here. giffgaff members will automatically benefit from the lowest calling rates. You can have a Goodybag whilst benefiting from these rates. For O2, you can order a free SIM card here. You’ll need to choose the “International SIM” option. Please note the O2 option is not suitable for smartphone users – it only comes with a small download allowance.
giffgaff
As of June 2013, giffgaff has reduced the international calling rates for all members. You’ll automatically benefit from the rates shown in the table above. International calls start at 2p/minute and depend on the country you’re calling. For texts, there’s a flat rate of 8p to send a message anywhere in the world.
A key benefit of giffgaff is that you can access their best rates for international calling on any tariff. To give an example, you could have a giffgaff goodybag on your account for calls, texts and internet browsing within the UK. Whilst having a goodybag, you can still benefit from the lowest rates for international calling. On O2 and Orange, this is not the case. To benefit from low cost international calling, O2 and Orange customers would need to change to a specific tariff. These tariffs tend not to be suitable for smartphone users (there’s no data or little data included).
If you’re not currently a giffgaff member, you can grab a free SIM card here from giffgaff.
International Calls: From 2p/minute, see giffgaff website.
International Texts: 8p per message
Availability: Automatically available to all giffgaff members.
O2
The standard rate for international calling on O2 is £1.50/minute. Sending an international text message will cost you 20p.
For O2′s lowest international calling rates, you’ll need to switch to their “International SIM” tariff. This cuts the cost of calling abroad to as little as 1p/minute. International text messages are also reduced by 50%: you’ll pay just 10p per message on International SIM.
If you’re new to O2, register for a free SIM card on the O2 website. Existing customers can switch by calling 2202 or by texting LINK to 21300. Please be aware that upon switching tariff, you’ll lose the inclusive allowances on your current plan.
See the O2 website for more information on “International SIM”.
International Calls: From 1p/minute, see O2 website.
International Texts: 10p per message
Availability: O2 customers who switch to the “International SIM” tariff.
Disadvantages: You need to be on to International SIM tariff. You’ll lose the free allowances from your current tariff. Data costs £1/day.
Orange
If you’re an Orange Pay As You Go customer, you’ll normally pay between 20p/minute and £1/minute when calling abroad. Texts are charged at a flat rate of 20p each.
You can reduce the cost of calling abroad by switching to the Camel tariff. This allows you to call abroad from 5p/minute. Texts are also reduced to 15p each. Whenever you top up by £10, you’ll get 60 minutes of free international calling. However, this will replace the free allowances on your existing plan. With internet browsing costing 69p/MB on Camel, this tariff is not suitable for smartphone users.
International Calls: From 5p/minute, see Orange website.
International Texts: 15p per message
Availability: Orange customers who switch to the Camel plan.
Disadvantages: When switching to Camel, you’ll lose the free allowances on your current tariff. Data costs 69p/MB so Camel is not suitable for smartphone users.
T-Mobile
On T-Mobile, the standard rate for calling abroad is between 70p/minute and £1.80/minute. T-Mobile has split the world into five bands – the exact cost will depend on the band of the country you’re calling. Text messages cost 20p to anywhere in the world.
By opting in to the free International Pass, you can reduce the costs of international calling to as little as 5p/minute. International texts cost 18p each with the International Pass. The International Pass is a free service but it’s “don’t ask, don’t get”. You can add it to your existing Pay As You Go plan by texting INT to 441. You can use the International Pass with your current tariff (e.g. you can still benefit from T-Mobile’s Smart Packs).
International Calls: From 5p/minute, see T-Mobile website.
International Texts: 18p per message
Availability: All Pay As You Go customers (opt-in to the free International Pass)
Vodafone
On Vodafone, the standard rates are £1/minute when calling a European country and £1.50/minute when calling a country outside Europe. For international text messages, you should expect to pay 24p regardless of the destination country.
To reduce the costs of calling abroad, Vodafone has a free service called Vodafone International. The service will give you access to cheaper rates when calling or texting abroad. Enrolling doesn’t cost a penny but the key thing is that it’s an opt-in service. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. To opt in, Pay As You Go customers should text INTERNATIONAL to 2345. Alternatively, call 36888 from your Vodafone handset. You can find full details for the service here.
For even greater savings, opt in to the Vodafone International Freebee. To do this, grab a free Vodafone SIM card. When prompted, select the International Freebee option. With the International Freebee on your account, you’ll receive a free allowance of international calls every time you top-up. A £10 top-up will give you 60 minutes of free international calling.
International Calls: From 5p/minute, see Vodafone website.
International Texts: 24p per message
Availability: All Pay As You Go customers (opt-in to the free International service)
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