Net2Phone Review

Net2Phone rates are well above prevailing industry rates. As an example, in a recent check we did the Net2Phone calling card per minute rate from the US to the UK was 5.00¢ per minute when other quality cards are charging 1¢ to 2¢. We were surprised to find that the Net2Phone PC2Phone (softphone) rate was virtually the same at 4.90¢ per minute - you would expect a considerably lower rate.

Net2Phone charges an extra 3¢ per minute when you use their toll-free numbers in the US (industry norm is more like 1¢). Net2Phone charges a $1.49 monthly maintenance fee and 90¢ for calls from payphones. It does not charge a connection fee.

Net2Phone tacks on fewer extra fees than some cards, but they aren't as clean as the best. What gets them a demerit here is high toll-free access charges in the US.

Net2Phone is not a reseller and so it does not not sell lots of different cards. Instead, it sells only 1 calling card with a comprehensive rate plan for all locations it serves. This keeps things simple and we like that.

Net2Phone does a good job of disclosing all its rates and fees. The main Net2Phone pricing elements are: per minute rates, toll-free surcharges (3@cent per minute for US numbers), a $1.49 monthly maintenance fee, and 90@cent payphone surcharge. IDT has been cited for poor disclosure in the recent past, but their current practices seem ok now.

All Net2Phone calls are carried by IDT, their parent company. IDT is a well established global communications provider. We strongly prefer calling card companies that carry their own traffic - it leads to less finger pointing if something goes wrong. It also generally indicates you'll get higher call quality and reliability.

The Net2Phone.com website is a bit of a mess and it feels somewhat dated compared to some newer competitors. With all the different Net2Phone offerings, we find it confusing to figure out what's what. It would be easier if the products were somehow more integrated and pulled together. As well, some offerings are very poorly described - e.g., PC2Phone. If you don't already know what a softphone is, you'll have no idea what this is.

Net2Phone.com provides prominent links to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use disclosures. Neither document contains anything unusual. Net2Phone.com does not state whether it uses SSL for secure credit card transactions - presumably they do, but one demerit for not saying so explicitly.

Net2Phone.com provides customer support via phone and email. Phone lines are open 12 hrs a day during the work week and 8 hrs a day on weekends. In several test calls we made, we got quick pick-up by a service rep, but the quality of their support was mediocre.

In the US, Net2Phone provides hundreds of local access numbers. In Canada, there are about a dozen local access numbers. Toll-free numbers are available in about 30 countries, including the US and Canada. Local number usage is free. US toll-free numbers carry a surcharge of 3¢ per minute in the US. Non-US toll-free numbers have no surcharge.

If you go back a year or so (2009), you will find that Net2Phone's parent company IDT was cited in a number of legal actions for deceptive calling card marketing and pricing practices. They appear to have since cleaned up their act and become a model citizen since then. In other words, maybe they deserve 'green' for their current behavior, but the dicey history is recent enough that it makes us cautious.

As an integrated operator, Net2Phone should be able to offer much more innovative features than they do. The lack of a mobile app and a very dated softphone app suggests they are no innovating like other calling card providers.

Net2Phone's return policy is to refund any remaining balance in your account. This is fairly typical in the industry.

Net2Phone is not strong on the incentives front. There are no referral bonuses and no first-time customer deals. There are some volume bonuses (e.g., spend $100, get 500 free minutes), but these are nothing to write home about compared to some other companies (e.g., Pingo).

Net2Phone rates are well above prevailing industry rates. As an example, in a recent check we did the Net2Phone calling card per minute rate from the US to the UK was 5.00¢ per minute when other quality cards are charging 1¢ to 2¢. We were surprised to find that the Net2Phone PC2Phone (softphone) rate was virtually the same at 4.90¢ per minute - you would expect a considerably lower rate.

Net2Phone charges an extra 3¢ per minute when you use their toll-free numbers in the US (industry norm is more like 1¢). Net2Phone charges a $1.49 monthly maintenance fee and 90¢ for calls from payphones. It does not charge a connection fee.

Net2Phone tacks on fewer extra fees than some cards, but they aren't as clean as the best. What gets them a demerit here is high toll-free access charges in the US.

Net2Phone is not a reseller and so it does not not sell lots of different cards. Instead, it sells only 1 calling card with a comprehensive rate plan for all locations it serves. This keeps things simple and we like that.

Net2Phone does a good job of disclosing all its rates and fees. The main Net2Phone pricing elements are: per minute rates, toll-free surcharges (3@cent per minute for US numbers), a $1.49 monthly maintenance fee, and 90@cent payphone surcharge. IDT has been cited for poor disclosure in the recent past, but their current practices seem ok now.

All Net2Phone calls are carried by IDT, their parent company. IDT is a well established global communications provider. We strongly prefer calling card companies that carry their own traffic - it leads to less finger pointing if something goes wrong. It also generally indicates you'll get higher call quality and reliability.

The Net2Phone.com website is a bit of a mess and it feels somewhat dated compared to some newer competitors. With all the different Net2Phone offerings, we find it confusing to figure out what's what. It would be easier if the products were somehow more integrated and pulled together. As well, some offerings are very poorly described - e.g., PC2Phone. If you don't already know what a softphone is, you'll have no idea what this is.

Net2Phone.com provides prominent links to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use disclosures. Neither document contains anything unusual. Net2Phone.com does not state whether it uses SSL for secure credit card transactions - presumably they do, but one demerit for not saying so explicitly.

Net2Phone.com provides customer support via phone and email. Phone lines are open 12 hrs a day during the work week and 8 hrs a day on weekends. In several test calls we made, we got quick pick-up by a service rep, but the quality of their support was mediocre.

In the US, Net2Phone provides hundreds of local access numbers. In Canada, there are about a dozen local access numbers. Toll-free numbers are available in about 30 countries, including the US and Canada. Local number usage is free. US toll-free numbers carry a surcharge of 3¢ per minute in the US. Non-US toll-free numbers have no surcharge.

If you go back a year or so (2009), you will find that Net2Phone's parent company IDT was cited in a number of legal actions for deceptive calling card marketing and pricing practices. They appear to have since cleaned up their act and become a model citizen since then. In other words, maybe they deserve 'green' for their current behavior, but the dicey history is recent enough that it makes us cautious.

As an integrated operator, Net2Phone should be able to offer much more innovative features than they do. The lack of a mobile app and a very dated softphone app suggests they are no innovating like other calling card providers.

Net2Phone's return policy is to refund any remaining balance in your account. This is fairly typical in the industry.

Net2Phone is not strong on the incentives front. There are no referral bonuses and no first-time customer deals. There are some volume bonuses (e.g., spend $100, get 500 free minutes), but these are nothing to write home about compared to some other companies (e.g., Pingo).