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If you still use Skype, the service is phasing out one of its most useful features: Pay-as-you-go phone calls.
Last week, users began noticing the discontinuation of Skype Credits, which let consumers pay to call standard telephones, making it a convenient way to reach people still on landlines, especially for numbers based in foreign countries.
Customers could buy credits in $5, $10 or $25 chunks. But Skype’s owner, Microsoft, has quietly updated the service to mention that “Skype Credit is no longer available.” Instead, the company is pushing users to buy a monthly subscription, which varies in price and minutes, depending on which countries you want to call.
(Skype)In addition, the service has also discontinued Skype Number, which lets users answer calls through a regular telephone number and even send SMS-based text messages.
In a statement, a Microsoft executive confirmed to The Verge: “New sales of Skype numbers and Skype credit have stopped, but customers can still use existing Skype numbers and credits.” Still, Skype credits become inactive if they haven’t been used in 180 days, so it’ll only be a matter of time before the pay-as-you-go system is fully phased out.
Microsoft is hinting it made the change due to low usage. Although Skype was a pioneer in internet-based voice calls and videoconferencing, traffic to the service has waned amid the rising popularity of messaging apps and Zoom. According to Statista, worldwide visits to Skype.com reached only 27.8 million this past March, down from 31.5 million over a year ago.
Users looking for alternatives can consider Google Voice, which still offers pay-as-you-go credits for making international phone calls.