Skype to Skype, in other words computer to computer is free on a global basis. Essentially all you are doing is an MSN messenger voice chat. When my friend Mitsuko and I talk ( Japan to US), even though we both have Skype phone accounts, we talk on the free Skype-Skype system.

Where Skype differs is that you also have the ability to call and receive calls from regular telephones. SkypeIn gives you a phone number, choice from North America or about 10 foreign countries. SkypeOut is a way to pay an annual fee and call for free to telephones in the US and other places.

Now, here is where it gets tricky. If I use my Skype account, based in the US, to call a phone from say Italy, then it costs me about 2 cents per minute to talk. For that I have a Skype Balance running (like $10). That is in addition to my normal SkypeOut account. The reason for this is that I am making a phone call from/to Italy, so Skype has to pay the costs for Italy, which include taxes. That cost is passed on to the user.

If I call a cell phone, while I may not be charged or perhaps only charged 2 cents, the cell phone user may have some big charge, depending on the provider, just like they would have for any incoming call.

For the person talking about the 28 cent charge. I think you missed a decimal place, if you were looking at the Skype website, it was probably 2.8 cents per minute.

Yes, if you have the Skype WiFi phone (about $150) and find a hotspot in Europe then you can make really cheap phone calls. You can also take a set of headphones to almost any internet cafe that has Skype, rent their computer, plug in, sign into your skype acct and call away.

Nice part about skype is that you can send a text chat to someone that is not online and when they log in the text chat appears.

I use skype as a backup phone system in the US, but I use it extensively when travelling abroad. I also use it to stay in touch with my friends around the world. Sometimes sound quality isn't that great, sometimes an annoying echo, but hey, for the price it is fantastic.

dave

Hi Dave,

I'm the .28 person! :-) If you look at rates for SkypeOut, they show that as the rate for calling a cell in Estonia. It is indeed .021 to call a regular phone in Estonia. Please tell me I am missing something!

If it is in fact true that calling a cellphone is 10x the cost, I am thinking that I can find a payphone in France, use callbackworld to call my DD and then have her Skype me on the pay phone. My incoming calls would be free on the cell phone, but maybe I can talk ~10x as long by using Skype-to-Payphone vs. Skype-to-cellphone. ;-)

I don't really understand why, but it always seems that calling a cell phone in France costs the caller much more. I suppose it would be better to have a French SIM, but I like the international capabilities and the single phone number of the TravelSIM scenario.

Hi Amy,

Wow, that is interesting. Wonder why it is so much more? Maybe EU has some kind of cell taxes that must be paid.

Oh well,

Dave

Yeah, oh well...

We're spending so much anyway, what's another 5-10 bucks a day to keep tabs on our teenage daughter back home?!

ttt

I am a 76 yr old grandma & I have Skype & instant messenger I think skype is best .I also have an account with Voipcheap I get landline calls from a the UK from a friend who dials through his PC that calls his landline & that only costs just 5 pence connection & we talk free . although I have an account etc I am unable use Voipcheap . can anyone help !!! I have em-mailed Voip no reply.









7

It is definitely more expensive to call cellphones -- on Skype or on a landline. I'm not sure why that's the case, but it must have something to do with how cellular service is set up overseas.

The typical rate is definitely over 20c a minute.

<b>DON'T MISS</b>

this way to carry Skype on your keychain! fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?tid=35069332

is it true that in the US you do not have 911 capability w/ VOIP? and Skype is just one VOIP service, no? What are others, so that one can compare and contrast? or, who are Skype's competitors?

bookmarking

I used to have Skype on my old laptop but when I got a new one with Windows Vista, Skype said it was not compatible with that operating system. Now granted this was about 6 months ago so maybe that has been worked out now, but has anyone had that problem? I am now using Yahoo Messenger instead - I think its got similar rates.

I am using Skype from Paris now on a Vista machine. There was a new download after the crash.
Service is better than at home and I have used Skype between computers including video (webcam) to N.America (free) as well as phoned to a land line @ 2 cents a minute.
The video feature allowed us to talk and see the grandkids (we may never have to come home!).

For Momliz...

It is true that Skype does not have 911 capability, but other VOIP providers do. Net2Phone and Vonage both have it. Skype is not considered a &quot;primary&quot; phone system, so it was not required to provide a 911 system, while most other VOIP providers are considered a primary system.

Remember, Skype quality is not exactly the best, but the prices are fantastic, although higher now than when I originally posted. SkypeOut is $30 and SkypeIn is $60 per year. I use skype as a travelling comm system and as a backup phone service.

dave

dave - 911 with Vonage must be a new feature as they didn't have it a year ago when we tried them?

They have actually had it for about 2 years, it is called e911. It came about through a settlement with the FCC. Your house information is held in a database, so when you dial 911, it actually goes to a company that then contacts your local emergency services.

All primary VOIP companies are required to provide it.

about cell phones in europe.. they do not have the same beginnig digits as landlines and have special rates that have nothing to do with local operators of landlines.. ( in US the numbers &quot;look&quot; like landline numbers)

we do not pay to receive calls while we are in our base country, but are charged per minute/call to make.

I have a Voipcheap installedon my PC but cannot phone out on it does anyone know how to fix it.