Tips For Making Free Phone Calls

Phone calls are not as popular in Switzerland as they used to be, as messaging apps and email have provided more practical solutions for many communications. Many people do not even use landline phones anymore. But there are occasions when nothing can replace talking to each other live over the phone. Follow these tips from moneyland.ch to make calls for less money, or even for free.

Use call apps

Many messaging apps let you make calls, and phoning this way is completely free, aside from possible costs for the Internet connection. All you need is an Internet connection. In most cases, both callers need to use the same app.

WhatsApp is the best-known and most popular app for Internet-based phone calls. Facebook Messenger and many other free apps like Signal or the Swiss alternatives Wire and Threema all let you make calls.

Many messenger apps also have desktop versions which let you make calls using a PC or Mac. You could, for example, make calls from a home computer to a mobile phone via a messaging app.

Use a mobile phone instead of a landline

Many mobile plans include call minutes or even unlimited phone calls in their flat fees. That is not normally the case with landline connections. If you have a flat-fee mobile plan, it can make sense to terminate your landline connection and make all your calls over your mobile phone. If your mobile service provider lets you get more than one SIM with your mobile plan, you can use one SIM for a phone which you keep at home.

Using mobile plans is never completely free because you pay for the plan which includes the calls. But the majority of Swiss consumers already use mobile plans or prepaid offers with flat fees. Even many cheap offers include unlimited calling within Switzerland. You can always compare Swiss mobile plans from time to time and move to cheaper plans as they become available.

Get people to call you back

If you know that the person you are calling has unlimited phone calls, you can save money by getting them to call you back. Simply let the phone ring a few times and then hang up before they pick up.

If you want to use the missed call method, consider discussing your setup with the people you call a lot before you miss call them. This will help you avoid annoying or confusing the recipient by ringing and then hanging up.

Use public phones

Pay phones have been discontinued in Switzerland. But advertising company APG maintains public phone booths at central locations across Switzerland. You can use these public phones to call Swiss landline and mobile numbers free of charge. The phone booths double as advertising billboards, and APG covers the cost of calls from these phones with advertising revenues.

Phone booths provide a way to make free calls without having to pay for a phone plan. They are also an emergency solution for making timely calls when your phone’s battery dies without having to pay for them.

More on this topic:
Compare Swiss mobile plans now
Tips for flat fee calls
International calls: A practical guide