Before starting, let’s share a small story with you.
One of my friends lived in a European country and recently moved to Canada. There, he is facing a completely different calling service. In Europe, it costs minutes for outgoing calls but the incoming call costs nothing to him. Surprisingly, his minutes are being used even in the incoming calls in Canada! He got shocked after finding the incoming call cost on the phone bill.
The differences in calling services between Europe and Canada or the US are completely different.
You may be facing the same situation that your minutes are cutting out after incoming calls. Don’t worry you will get all your answers about this topic from this article. So, let’s read thoroughly.
Table of Contents
Do You Have to Pay for the Incoming Calls in the USA or Canada?
In the US or Canada, it depends on some issue whether you have to pay for incoming calls or not. Using the same network means you don’t have to pay for the incoming call. However, using the same network from a different country will cost you minutes for the incoming calls.
On the other side, if the caller and receiver are in the same country and using a different network, then the receiver will also have to pay the cost for an incoming call.
No specific area codes or ‘call-only’ prefixes can be found in the US or Canada. So, there are no differences between cell and landline numbers. However, incoming calls on landlines are more costly than incoming calls on a cell phone or mobile in these countries.
Do Incoming Calls Cost Minutes in Europe and The Other Countries?
The calling service in Europe has some huge differences from the USA or Canada. The person who is placing the call pays for all outgoing calls at the pre-determined call rate in Europe and many other countries around the world.
But the person who is receiving the call will cost nothing. This rule is applied to both landlines and mobile/cell phones. However, using a landline, the outgoing calling rate is cheaper than on mobile phones.
Mobile phones and landlines have their own prefixes or dialing code in other countries including Europe. Even the incoming calls from another operator or landline to mobile will cost nothing. You can receive any calls for free in other countries around the world.
‘Do Incoming Calls Use Minutes’ While Overseas?
Normally, if you receive an international call, it won’t cost you minutes or any charge. But if you go overseas, you may charge minutes for incoming calls. When you are out of range from your network provider, you can use roaming and it will cost you for incoming calls.
But you can avoid incoming calling costs by using a local SIM card. When you have the local number, an international incoming call will cost you nothing while the person calling you may cost a lot.
How to Reduce Incoming Call Charges?
If you don’t like the system of using minutes or charging for the incoming calls, you can avoid it in some ways. Here are some techniques to avoid incoming call charges:
1. Using Skype
You can use skype to receive calls and it will cost you nothing without the internet. You can open an account on Skype for free and you can receive calls when you are online or you can register a skype number on their website with a monthly subscription fee. In this way, anyone can call you to that skype number using their cell phone as long as you are logged in to Skype.
2. Using Communication Apps
You can dial or receive calls completely out of cost using some communication apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Line, Viber, and many others. You can find these apps easily on Google Play Store or App Store. But both parties have to logged in to the account of these apps to communicate with each other.
3. Using VOIP
You can reduce the incoming charge by using VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). However, it is a little bit difficult to set up. But you can receive incoming calls for free in this way.
First, you have to sign up with a VOIP provider from sites like VoIP and register a dial-in phone number. Then you need to download the VOIP app and connect to the provider using it. Finally, give people this new number to call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Pays for A Cell Phone Call?
In most countries around the world, the caller is the one who pays for the party who is receiving the call. But in some countries including the US and Canada, the receiver pays the payment for incoming calls.
Do I Have to Pay for Incoming Calls on Tracfone?
Yes, Tracfone generally charges minutes from your account for incoming calls. But it depends on the plan that you are using. You can reduce the incoming calling charges by changing your Tracfone plan. There are a lot of plans including unlimited talk time, text messages, and 1-gigabyte data for 1 month at $20.
Do Unlimited Incoming Calls Charges Minutes?
No, unlimited incoming calls will cost you no additional charges. But the condition is, that you have to stay inside your local coverage area. If you go outside of your local coverage area, then it will charge you additional fees according to your region.
Do I Have to Pay for Incoming International Calls in Canada?
You will never be charged for a long-distance incoming call as long as you are in your local area in Canada and have a Canada-wide plan. However, you may be charged a standard free if you travel elsewhere from your local area in Canada.
What Is Considered a Local Calling Area?
The local calling area is about 0 to 15 miles from your home. Calling from 16 to 40 miles to your home is considered a local toll call. Sometimes it is more than 40 miles in range. Long-distance calling is beyond the range of toll calls.
Conclusion
We have tried to provide all the relevant information about whether incoming call charge minutes or not in this article. We hope you have understood where, when, and why you will be charged for an incoming call by reading the information above.
If you have any further questions or any suggestions about avoiding additional incoming call charges, then please let us know in our comment section.
