[German]Brief information for users of Microsoft's Skype service. Previously, it was possible to book Skype Credit with Microsoft to make calls to mobile or landline numbers. Now it looks like this option is dying and users will only be able to book monthly subscriptions for such calls.
The zombie Skype is far from dead – even if Microsoft Teams is often used for enterprise communication. For my own private purposes, I definitely use Skype for video calls within the family. Skype-to-Skype calls via an Internet connection are free of charge.
Chargeable calls to landline/mobile numbers
Calls to landlines or mobile numbers, on the other hand, are chargeable. Until now, I've always added a small amount of credit to my Skype account so that I can make calls to landline numbers abroad if necessary. This is because the fees for a Skype call minute are cheaper than the fees charged by my internet provider.
The uploded Skype Credit was deactivated after a certain period of inactivity. But I was able to reactivate this credit at any time – recently, however, I noticed that this was only possible in the browser on the Skype pages. But the Skype Credit was not lost.
Microsoft only wants subscriptions
The colleagues at neowin.net have noticed that Microsoft wants to discontinue the option of topping up Skype Credit. The following banner is displayed on the Skype Credit page.
This informs visitors that Skype Credit is no longer available. Skype users can only make free Skype calls to other Skype users when their credit has been used up.
If a call is to be made to a mobile or landline number and there is no credit left, the Skype user must take out a monthly subscription. The North America subscription for mobile and landline numbers costs 8.32 US Dollar per month. It is advisable to look very carefully at which countries are included in a package and where the price per minute for calls lies.
