Local or Long distance call? How can I know for sure before dialing?

[Geizkragen]

Ok,

I know this has probably been beat to death in the past, but I have searched the posts and the site for more time than I wish to disclose for my sake of embarrassment, for what ever reasons my searching comes up short of definitive?

Is there a way to know if the Phone number I am about to dial is going to be Local or Long Distance for me?

Is there a way to check?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[manhattanNYC1]

you do not need to know local or L-D, it is same price , If it is international call,you must dial 011 before the number

[minded]

This is old school, but if you have a phone book it has everything listed on the front.  Else, I tried this website and it seems to work well.

http://www.localcallingguide.com/lca_prefix.php?npa=908&nxx=835&x=&ocn=&region=&lata=&switch=&pastda...

If your number is 123-456-7890

NPA is your area code (123)

NXX is the exchange (456)

It will then bring up your city, and the cities local to you, and then the exchanges local to you if you click again.

[minded]

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@manhattanNYC wrote:

you do not need to know local or L-D, it is same price , If it is international call,you must dial 011 before the number

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I assumed that her plan did not include either regional/long distance calls, as many people have that as a per minute rate.  Of course, if it is a Freedom plan or FDV, then it is included in the monthly price.

[Geizkragen]

Ok, so maybe a little more of a description of what my current plan is may help.

I have only the basic service plan and am on the California Life Line plan. And currently have the Verizon Long Distance 5cent for any long distance, SEE BELOW for exact Description off - My Services Page….

------------------ ---------------- -------------

Your Services

Current                              

Phone                                                   Monthly Price                                    

Lifeline Service                                       $20.91

Long Distance Plan                               Verizon Five Cents Plan

Directory Listings                                  Non-Published Service

Inside Wire maintenance                    goflow_name

International Calling                             No international calling plan

Verizon Five Cents Plan

Simplify your long distance calling with the Verizon Five Cents Plan. Call across the U.S. for only 5¢ per minute.

Requires Minimum Monthly Charge (MMC) of $9.99.

See plan details

You currently have this plan on your account

$6.00

------------------ ---------------- -------------

The (MMC) Minimum Monthly Charge??? Not sure exactly when or how it applies??? I was charged $7.91 last month for long distance, my wife or I only made 3 long distance calls/faxes last month, from the home phone, not a great deal!!!

So the reason I’m trying to figure out how to tell if the call is long distance is to know if I’m going to get charged the initial $6 to start up the Long Distance Charges for the month. And whether or not I should modify my Long Distance plan? or Company as to keep from getting hit for a few long distance Calls/Faxes I Could/May make a month??? Not often but will be required over the next 2-3mos.

Does that help us understand what and how a little more,

Thanks for your time and help.

[minded]

With Lifeline, my original post does apply to you in regards to finding out which numbers are not local to you.  Mind you, there are local, regional, and long distance calls.  All local calls are included in your plan.

Now the rest of what I am about to say is conjecture, as I do not quite remember the calling plans like I used to.  You probably have one plan for regional calls, and one plan for long distance.  Regional calls are longer distance than local, so farther than the next town over, but within the few close counties most likely.  Long distance is anything beyond that, and can include international, if not outright blocked.

When I see the 9.99 minimum charge, I think of a plan that would either have a small monthly fee, and a few minutes included before they began charging you per minute.  If the plan says 9.99 minimum charge, the monthly recurring charge may be, say, 5 dollars per month, minutes may be say, 25 cents per month, but you get charged for 20 minutes each month whether you make 20 minutes worth of calls or not.  It's an obtuse way of saying that you have a ten dollar plan that includes 20 minutes that's 25 cents per minute after the first 20 (disregard all the figures as the numbers are made up, but the concept is the same).

On the subsequent pages of your bill it should break down all these charges and the cost of each individual call.