Dont Call before 7 p.m. Weekdays

Most long distance companies have changed their day, evening and night/weekend calling periods for standard rate plans. Under the old system, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. used to be an "evening" rate period with discounted rates. "Night rates" started at 11 p.m. Not so any longer. There are in-effect no nighttime rates, with a few exceptions. Your rates will either be "peak," which are the old higher "day rates," or "off-peak," which are the old, somewhat discounted "evening rates." The lowest rates, "night" are relegated to weekends only for the basic rate plans of the big three carriers. Therefore, you save the most if you call weekends and you save a little if you call after 7 p.m. But remember calls made from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, which used to be "evening rates," are charged now at the highest day rates

Call on Sunday if You Can

Sunday calling can be the least expensive, especially if you are an MCI customer and can take advantage of their 5 cents a minute rate. Weekend rates are typically the best rates for all carriers, and they now run through Monday morning. Under the old time period scheme, rates changed to "evening rates" at 5 p.m. Sunday. Now for many carriers the weekend rates run from Friday at 7 p.m. until Monday at 7 a.m.

Watch Out For Monthly Fees and Minimums

Many plans now impose a monthly recurring charge that is added to your bill on top of the calling fees while others may feature a monthly minimum that is charged even if you make no calls. These fees can range anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00. Fees will be added to your bill regardless of how many long distance calls you make (monthly minimums are waived if the charges for your calls meet the minimum fee). A plan that features a 10 cent per minute rate yet carries a monthly fee probably wont make sense for most lower volume users. Also, in many cases the long distance provider will waive the monthly fee, either by request or automatically at a certain level of usage. It cant hurt to ask.

Dont Fall Into the Random Rate Trap

Something new is the emergence of high "random rates." These are like penalty rates charged by long distance companies when consumers use their networks without having a formal account. AT&T, MCI and Sprint charge a $1.99 per call surcharge for their random rates. You will then be charged their basic per minute rates. Carriers differ on when they hit you with these higher rates, but it could possibly occur when: (1) You "dial around." For example, if you want to try out another long distance carrier by dialing 10-288, 10-222, 10-333, etc., you will be charged random rates for that long distance call. Dont do this! (2) Your long distance carrier, such as MCI, can cancel your account if you dont pay your bill. If you continue to use long distance without changing carriers, you still use their network and will be charged "random rates." (3) If you change long distance carriers on one phone line but not other phone lines in your house, in some cases the second and third lines will be hit with random charges.

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