First rule is compare. There are many prepaid phone cards, and each has different rates and fees to charge the user. In order to protect your hard earned money, it is wiser to compare different phone cards.

The next rule is to read the information written on the wrapper or advertisement of the phone cards. Always be aware. Let us say for instance, you bought a $50 prepaid phone card, and the card has a very low per minute rate, but it has high connection fee, let us say $2.50 for every call. So if you only have $2.25 remaining balance on your prepaid calling card, then you can not use it anymore, because the connection fee is $2.50, all you can do is throw the card, your $2.25 is put into waste.

Another rule to consider, protect your personal identification number or PIN. You have to memorize the number or keep it to a safe place, since this is your personal number and you must not share it to anyone unless you give the person the permission to use the prepaid phone card.

Next rule, know if the prepaid calling cards have a connection fees. This fee is being charge for each connected call. If in some cases, answering machines, fax machines, voice mails or pagers are the ones who pick up the call, the call you made is considered connected, so there is a connection fee charge to your phone card already. If you are going to make a short call, the connection fee alone will eat up your phone cards minutes. This will be best for those who make longer calls.

Making sure with the prepaid calling card expiration date is another rule. Prepaid calling cards have expiration dates, typically the time span from 3-6 months. It is wiser to use the prepaid calling card, before the said expiration date, so knowing the expiration date is important.

Know if the prepaid card is rechargeable, this is also a rule to consider. Several prepaid calling card are being thrown after the minutes are used and if the cards expires. But there are some prepaid calling cards that are rechargeable. If the calling card is rechargeable, you just have to contact the carrier and ask for additional minutes.

Another rule, know if the prepaid calling card have maintenance fee. This maintenance fee can be charge either weekly, or monthly.

It is also wiser to check out the pay phone fee. If you use the prepaid calling card in pay phone there is some fee to be charge on your calling card.

Check out the billing increment, another rule to look up into. For instance if the prepaid calling card has a three minute billing increment, if you made two minutes call, it will still be billed as three minutes call. So better to look for prepaid calling card that has a minute or less rounding.

You have to take this note, taxes and fees will use your remaining minutes, so it is wiser to use your prepaid calling card properly.