At one time, placing long distance calls to the Pacific Rim from the United States was a difficult venture as well as a costly one. Today, thanks to the advent of advanced phone technology and the lowering of long distance phone call costs, the ability to make a call to New Zealand is easier now than ever before.
Make sure that the number you will be calling is the correct number. This includes selecting the right country code. The country code for New Zealand is 64. Without the proper country code, the call will not go through.
Purchase a calling card on the Internet or in a phone store that provides low rates. Calling New Zealand directly from your phone will cost significantly more than what many phone card companies charge so stick with a phone card. Also, it would be wise to look for cards that are currently offering discounts or specials.
Load the call with the appropriate dollar amount for the minutes you intend to use. This can be done either by purchasing minutes with a credit card or with a PayPal account. Sometimes there may be delay of a few minutes for the calling card to be credited, so this should be expected.
Select the phone to make the call. If you are using a cell phone be sure the phone is properly charged. If it is not, then make sure the charge cord is plugged into the phone so that it does not run out of "juice" when placing the call. If this is a concern then it may be best to use a land line phone instead.
Place the actual call. When placing an international call from the United States, the call must be prefixed with 011. After 011, you must plug in the country code which is 64. Then, dial the number: 011+64+Phone Number. Note: the country code must be typed in correctly or you will end up calling a country other than New Zealand.
