How to Call Family Abroad Without an International Plan (US and Canada)

If your family has a smartphone and internet, a free app to app call is the cheapest way; if they're on a landline or basic phone, use a calling app or a carrier add-on instead of pay per use rates. Which one wins depends on how often you call, whether they pick up on a landline or a mobile, and whether they need to call you back.

Maybe it is a weekly call to your mom, a birthday call to a grandparent who only answers the house phone, or in-laws who would call more if it did not feel expensive. This guide explains how to call family abroad from the US or Canada without paying per minute carrier rates. It covers both directions: you calling them, and them calling you.

What are your options for calling family abroad?

There are four real options. Most families end up using two of them.

• Free app calls: both of you need the same app and an internet connection.
• A carrier add-on: a monthly international pack on your normal number.
• A calling app: an app that reaches landlines and mobiles over Wi-Fi or data.
• A local number for family: a number in their country that rings on your phone, so they call you locally.

When are free app calls enough?

When both of you have a smartphone, the same app and a decent connection. WhatsApp, FaceTime and similar apps make app to app voice and video calls with no per minute charge, only data.

The limits are real, though. App to app calling cannot reach a landline or a basic phone. Both people need the same app, and an older relative has to keep it updated, signed in and charged. If your dad only picks up the house phone, a free app will not ring it.

Is a carrier international add-on worth it?

It can be, if you call one country a lot from your normal number. You pay a monthly fee and get unlimited or discounted minutes to a list of countries. Prices below are as of 22 Oct 2026; check the page before you sign up.

In the US:

• Verizon: its international calling FAQ lists Global Choice at $10 per line per month: pick one of 140 countries and get up to 300 minutes a month to it, with reduced rates after that and unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada. Global Calling Plus is $15 per line per month for unlimited calls to landlines in over 60 countries and mobiles in over 30. Global Calling is $5 per line per month for unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada, plus discounted calls to 220+ countries. Verizon notes that adding an international plan replaces any existing one on your line.
• T-Mobile: Stateside International Talk is $15 a month for unlimited calls to landlines in 70+ countries and destinations and mobiles in 30+, with discounted rates elsewhere. T-Mobile says prepaid plans of $40 a month or more can add it.
• AT&T: AT&T International Calling is $15 per month per line for unlimited calling from the US to 85+ countries, including China, Germany and India, and discounted rates to 140+ more. AT&T says most of its plans already include unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada.

In Canada:

• TELUS: its long distance add-ons include World 1000 at $27 (CAD) a month for 1,000 minutes to over 55 countries, including India, Mexico, China and Nigeria, plus unlimited international SMS. Smaller packs include 120 minutes for $7 (CAD) a month (China, India and Mexico are on the list) and 60 minutes for $12 (CAD) a month (the Philippines and Brazil are on that list). TELUS says these calls use the local minutes in your plan. Other Canadian carriers sell similar packs, so check yours.

Skipping an add-on is where costs climb. On Connect by T-Mobile's per minute rate list, a call to China costs $3.00 a minute without Stateside International, and is listed as free with it (as of 22 Oct 2026).

Before you buy, check three things. Coverage often differs for landlines and mobiles, so look up your family's country on both. Watch minute caps, like Verizon's 300 minutes on Global Choice. And follow the FCC's international calling tip sheet, which warns that the total cost of a plan will likely include more than the advertised rate, such as a monthly access charge.

How does a calling app compare?

A calling app dials real landlines and mobiles over Wi-Fi or data, usually pay as you go. It suits occasional calls, landline calls and calls to more than one country. The FCC tip sheet also notes that internet calling may be cheaper than traditional phone providers, and that some prepaid calling cards have undisclosed fees.

What to check in any calling app:

• The rate to a mobile versus a landline in your family's country.
• Connection fees or minimum charges per call.
• Whether credit expires if you do not use it.
• Call quality on your connection, with a short test call first.

Inovo Second Number is one option. Per its FAQ, calls are routed over the internet to partner carriers in the destination country, so you can reach people abroad without roaming or calling cards. You buy credits through the App Store or Google Play and use them at the rates shown in the app. Credits do not expire as long as your account stays active and in good standing. Call quality depends on your connection; on stable Wi-Fi or LTE, calls are HD quality. It works on iPhone and Android. Rates: see in app.

If you used Skype credit to call phones, Microsoft's support page says Skype retired on May 5, 2025 and no longer sells new Skype Credit. Existing credit can still be used through the Skype Dial Pad, but once it runs out you will need a carrier add-on or a calling app. To see how second number apps differ, read how the main second number apps compare or our Google Voice alternatives guide.

How can family abroad call you without paying international rates?

Give them a number in their own country that rings on your phone. They dial a local number; you answer in the US or Canada.

This is the direction most guides skip. Your mom in Mexico or your uncle in the Philippines may never call your US or Canadian number, because to them it is an international call. A local number changes that. With Inovo Second Number you can pick a number in many countries, including Mexico, India, the Philippines, Nigeria and Brazil (the FAQ says 176+ countries, with the full list in the app), and incoming calls ring in the app wherever you have internet. Number choice depends on what is available in that country.

Two honest notes. You can see what the number and incoming calls cost in the app. And what your family pays is set by their own phone company's local rates, so it is not automatically free for them. For more on numbers and setup, see how to get a second phone number without a SIM and our guide to getting a second phone number in 2026.

Which option should you pick?

Pick by how your family picks up, not by the lowest headline price.

• Family has WhatsApp and data: use a free app call.
• Hours a month to one country: a carrier add-on on your normal number.
• Landlines or several countries: a calling app, paid as you go.
• Family needs to reach you: a local number in their country.

Plenty of families mix them. Video calls with the cousins on an app, a calling app for grandma's landline, and a local number so your parents can ring you without thinking about the bill.

How do you dial an international number from the US or Canada?

Dial + (or 011), then the country code, then the number.

The FCC's note on Mexico is a common stumbling point: dial +52, then the 10 digit number including the area code, with no extra 1 after 52. From a landline, dial 011 52 and then the 10 digits. The FCC also suggests asking your provider whether calling a mobile costs more than calling a landline, since in some countries it may.

How do you start calling abroad with Inovo Second Number?

Four steps, on the phone you already have.

1. Download Inovo Second Number on iPhone or Android, from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Sign in with the option shown in the app.
3. Add credits in the app. Rates: see in app.
4. Call with the country code, or pick a number in your family's country so they can call you.

You need Wi-Fi or mobile data for calls. If you travel and need codes on the road, see receiving verification texts abroad; codes work with most services, not all.

FAQ

How do I call another country without an international plan?

Use a free app call if you both have the same app and internet. Otherwise use a calling app over Wi-Fi or data, or add a carrier international plan to your line.

Is it cheaper to use an app or an international calling plan?

It depends on your minutes and the destination. Heavy calling to one country can suit a carrier add-on, while occasional calls or calls to landlines usually suit a calling app. Compare the mobile and landline rates for your family's country first.

Can I call a landline abroad for free?

Not with app to app calling, which cannot reach landlines. You need a calling app or a carrier plan. Some carrier add-ons include landline calls to listed countries; T-Mobile's Stateside International Talk, for example, covers landlines in 70+ countries and destinations.

How can my parents abroad call me without paying international rates?

Get a number in their country that rings on your phone, so they dial a local number. With Inovo Second Number, the cost of the number and of incoming calls is shown in the app. Their own phone company's local rates still apply.

What replaced Skype for calling phone numbers?

Skype retired in May 2025, and Microsoft no longer sells new Skype Credit. Carrier add-ons and calling apps such as Inovo Second Number now fill that gap.

Does calling a mobile abroad cost more than a landline?

It can. The FCC says calling a mobile number may cost more than calling a landline in some countries, so check the rate for both before you call.

Does Inovo Second Number work on iPhone and Android in the US and Canada?

Yes to both. It needs Wi-Fi or mobile data for calls, and rates are shown in the app.

Keep the calls going

Inovo Second Number lets you call family abroad over Wi-Fi or data and give them a number in their own country, on iPhone and Android. Prices: see in app.