The new service will allow the UK’s migrant population of 14 million to make overseas calls for as little as 1p per minute
Asda has launched a new prepay service which allows the UK’s migrant community to call friends and family living abroad for as little as 1p per minute.
The British retailer created the product, called Asda call time, in partnership with American VoiP specialist IDT Corporation. It is available to purchase in over 600 stores nationwide, with a choice of cards preloaded with £5, £10 or £20 worth of credit. New customers will get 50p to trial the service.
Asda claims there are no additional fees, contracts or expiry dates associated with call time. To enable it, subscribers simply register their purchased cards to the mobile number they want to use it with. They then must dial an access code each time they want to make an overseas call. Further top ups can be made over the phone or at an Asda till point.
The service will compete with similar offerings from Lycamobile and Lebara. Both also offer international calling as cheap as 1p per minute to selected countries. However, unlike Asda, they have various additional data bundles and 30 day plans.
Migrants make up more than a quarter of the UK’s total population. According to the most recent figures from the House of Commons, at least 14 million of the UK’s 64 million residents originate from overseas.
Asda project manager Ashley Johnson said: “Asda is excited to offer our customers a convenient and affordable way to call international destinations, with no hidden fees or charges. Minutes and credit never expire.
“Through our partnership with IDT, Asda Call time enables our customers to stay in touch with friends and loved ones no matter where they are in the world.”