Cheaper Internet Calls

ClaraCall works on a "top up" payment by credit card system; monthly subscribers pay £8.99 a month, and then pay for their phone call usage in units of 20 pounds (when the balance falls below 5 pounds the subscribers will be notified and their card debited accordingly). Annual customers pay £99 for the year and as an introductory offer get their first £20 of calls free! Customers can check their current status through a ClaraCall web page at http://customer.clara.net.

Using figures from the recent 1998 Computer Shopper Readership Survey (currently available to Computer Shopper subscribers), the average Internet user spends 4.3 hours per week (or nearly 19 hours a month) on-line. Typically, the savings that ClaraCall would give the average user could be in excess of £13.00 per month (equivalent to over £150.00 per year) on call charges alone. For higher users, the savings will be proportionately larger. ClaraCall is a "lower-than-average priced subscription service with cheaper call dial-up access and a local call help line that can save the average Internet user over £100 on the overall cost of internet access, even compared to 'free' providers". The only restriction is you must dial in from a specified British Telecom line (other carriers are not forced to carry ClaraCall).