There’s a myth that VoIP can be “free” when dialing international numbers. But this is only true if the other recipient of your call is using a pure VoIP client. Often, as is mostly the case when dialing internationally for work, your employees will be calling a traditional landline which will incur termination costs. And increasingly, they may be calling an international number which is a cellular (wireless) line. In fact, in many Asian and European countries, cell phone use in every day business has become so ubiquitous this may more often be the norm and not the exception.

These 2 easy steps can ensure your SMB (Small- to Medium-sized business) pays the lowest possible amounts for doing business internationally. Note that calling both landlines and cellular numbers can vary widely in per minute charges per country and even between regions in countries. This is not a scheme on the part of the US-based carriers, but rather that each country charges different termination rates for receiving inbound calls into their network from the US. As a general rule of thumb, countries and regions within countries that have less competition often charge higher termination rates, especially for cellular numbers.

Step 1 – Enable International Number Calling in your RingCentral account:

Go to “My Settings” in the Account Summary Panel. If you don’t see this readily on your screen, look for the “Click Here to Enable International Calling” link in the upper right hand corner of the Overview Panel.

* Please note that this can not be enabled during a Trial Period. In order to enable International calling, convert your trial account into a paid account by clicking the “Upgrade” link found on the Overview page of your account online.

Step 2 – Know the Prefix Before Dialing:

Insert the country code as a prefix before dialing the number, and if the international number contains a leading “0,” omit it. For example, the Louvre Museum in Paris, France lists their contact number on their web site as “Tel.: +33 (0)1 40 20 51 77.” However,

• If you dial the number as 011 33 0140205177, it will fail.
• If you dial the number as 011 33 140205177, it will go through successfully. Omitting the leading (0) is usually necessary.

** If you need help, visit our knowledge center regarding VoIP dialing internationally.