Want to stay in touch with your loved ones abroad?  Here are some budget-friendly prepaid international call or text card options for communication between OFW parents and their kids or relatives:

PLDT Budget Card

Requirements: PLDT landline or payphone
P1.50/minute for calls to the U.S. and Canada.
Available in P100 (30 days valid) and P200 (60 days valid) card denominations

Sun Todo Tawag IDD

Requirements: Sun Cellular mobile prepaid SIM
P2.00/minute for calls to the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and China.  Other countries are at P5.00/minute.  Comes with 25 minutes free.
Available in P100 (30 days valid) and P50 (15 days valid) card denominations

Smart HelLow Card

Requirements: Smart Talk ‘n Text cellphone
The Philippines’ first reloadable IDD card offers P2.00/minute for calls to the U.S. and Canada (up to P20/minute for the rest of the world). This card allows people who don’t own mobile phones to use any Smart Talk ‘n Text phone to make international calls—charges are deducted from the HelLow Card.  Has P30 load free.
The reloadable card is P30. Reloads are in P15 segments.

Globe tipIDD

Requirements: any Globe mobile
P2.50/minute for calls to the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong. P5/minute for calls to China, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia. 
Available in P100 (30 days valid), P50 (15 days valid) and P25 (7 days valid) card denominations.

Text Wise

Requirements: any mobile phone
Unlike the other cards on this list, Text Wise is primarily for international text messaging only.  You can send messages at up to P5/text to 120 countries worldwide.
Available in P100 (30 days valid) and P50 (15 days valid) card denominations.

Other Options
These aren’t prepaid cards but offer the best rates for your money’s worth:

magicJack

This little USB device plugs into your landline and PC, allowing you to make unlimited VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) calls to any landline in the world.  Base cost is P1900 for the unit and one year’s worth of unlimited calls and P920 for an additional year.

Skype

The best option of all, Skype is a VOIP service—you can make voice calls (with video too) from computer to computer for free. However, Skype also offers the ability to use your computer or Skype-enabled smartphone to make unlimited duration calls to any landline or mobile phone in any country for monthly rates of up to P300 per month on a single country or P600 per month worldwide. Transactions may be done online via credit card or PayPal. 

Have you tried any of these international prepaid call and text cards to call abroad?  Tell us about it now!  Leave a comment below.

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