Telephone cards, calling cards, call cards, or phone cards, are credit card looking items that are used to pay for telecommunications usage. Calling cards usually come in the form of a pre-payment type, where the buyer purchases a card that specifies a specific amount of funds (e.g. $20) or a specific amount of time (e.g. 500 minutes). It then acts as a debit system where the funds or the minutes are deducted as phone calls are made. This process is especially popular with international calling cards, where people buy cards for specific countries with which they wish to call.

The other main type of calling card is one that has an account number and a PIN that is connected to a telephone billing system. Users make phone calls and the telecommunications charges are then charged to their cell phone or home phone number. These types of plans are more popular with travelers and people that have established telephone accounts.

There are a multitude of telephone companies that offer calling cards of both types. A consumer should do their research before hand to make sure the card they buy is from a reputable company. With the explosion of the Internet there are many online calling cards to choose from.