Prepaid Phone Card Business
Are you interested in starting a prepaid phone card business? Given the emerging VoIP industry, the most lucrative opportunity with high potential for entrepreneurs to obtain a strong flow of revenue is a VoIP based calling card business. Whether you’re a retail distribution channel, a hosting provider looking to expand its services, or an entrepreneur, starting a prepaid phone card business can be a very rewarding expenditure if executed properly. Even with the rise of cell phones, prepaid phone cards are still widely used by consumers everywhere. It is a great way to offset the high rates of international calling and roaming charges for travelers. A prepaid phone card is inexpensive, easy to use, and flexible enough to offer its clients the usefulness of VoIP calling to connect to phones located across the world. International calls are made simple with these phone cards, as they are inexpensive and easy to use. Anyone who frequently makes international calls will find that a prepaid phone card can come in handy. There’s a considerable market demand for phone cards, as international phone rates for traditional landline calls raises. The misconception that cell phones will make the phone card obsolete is unfounded and has thus far been proven inaccurate due to the market growth of a prepaid phone card business.
How to Start a Prepaid Phone Card Business
Similar to starting a VoIP business phone service, careful planning and hard work must be put into the process. Colocation America has a complete guide on how to start up a prepaid phone card business but here are some quick tips:
- Have a solid infrastructure for your prepaid calling card system.
- Choose the right calling card software.
- Make sure the hardware (VoIP server) can handle the volume of calls from your customers.
- Host your calling card hardware in a data center for reliable Internet services and power.
- Find a good company that can provide you with DID services or 1-800 number.
- Find a company to design and print the calling card.
- Choose a reliable phone service and long distance provider. It’s best to select multiple carriers for support in multiple regions (A-Z long distance providers).
- Balance price, quality, and reliability.
For in-depth information on how to start a calling card business, check out our page on how to start a calling card business.
IP IVR Automation for Prepaid Calling Card Business
An IP IVR system can be a great addition to a prepaid calling card business. With an IP IVR system, customers who bought a calling card from local stores can dial a 1-800 number and be connected to an automated touch tone or voice recognition portal. The IVR system will then play a recorded message and give a list of options for the recipient. The calling card owner can then press the number of the option he/she wants, or simply state the option. IP IVR allows customers check their phone card balance, log their user ID, input their PIN number, add minutes to the phone card, add extra services, and dial a call. All of these services are done through an automated system that does not require any interaction from the calling card provider. The calls that are made are passed along, thanks to the underlying software, to the switch server where the call will be routed to landlines across the world.
