I met up with one of the managers from BackChat Mobile this week to learn a little more about what their services do and how they compare with simply using the roaming service on on your prepaid mobile or contract mobile plan.
The way these international roaming sim services work is that they establish a base service in a country whose residents actually do more international roaming (ie making calls when they are o/seas) than make local calls. When you sign up, you get a sim card with an international phone number. Backchat’s is via the UK which allows them to offer free incoming calls from many countries.
You then replace the sim card in your phone with the new one and proceed to make calls at significantly cheaper rates than roaming. A case study I was shown had saved the traveler more than $500 over a 3 month period. They were traveling all over Europe using the sim card.
A few things to look out for from international roaming sim providers is the call rates and the currency they are in. If for instance in $US, then you can get some fluctuation which way may benefit you some times but not always. Also be wary of rounding. No service is perfect.
Backchat’s rates are in $AU. To use their service you simply dial an access number and then your destination number. The service then calls you back instantly and connects you to your destination. The reason for this step is because it is actually cheaper for them to call you.
Credits lasts indefinitely as long as you use the service atleast once every 3 months (simply text yourself to restert the 3 month period).
To find out more about BackChat, check out our new International Roaming Sim section.
