What Rebtel does

Rebtel is a Sweden-headquartered international telecommunications company founded in 2006 that provides affordable cross-border calling and mobile airtime services to individual consumers, with a primary user base of migrant workers, expatriates, and diaspora communities maintaining contact with family in their home countries. The company operates a self-serve, product-led platform accessible via iOS and Android mobile applications, a direct e-commerce website, and shared local numbers that allow landline-only users to access the service without a smartphone. The company serves users in approximately 50 covered countries through subscription bundles and supports pay-as-you-go calling to over 150 country destinations.

The core technology is a hybrid PSTN and internet routing system that terminates international calls through local landline numbers in destination countries, eliminating dependence on internet quality for the connection leg and enabling structurally low per-minute rates. Rebtel holds a license to U.S. Patent No. 7,346,156 covering this methodology. The product portfolio comprises Rebtel Credits (pay-as-you-go, $5/$10/$25 denominations valid for 12 months), Country Unlimited monthly subscriptions priced $2–$10 per country, Global Unlimited covering 50 countries at $12/month, Mobile Top-Up airtime transfers, and the legacy Nauta Cuba internet recharge service. Per-minute rates range from 2¢ (e.g., Iceland, Indonesia landlines) to 17¢ (e.g., Iran mobile), with promotional offers for new users (e.g., 60 minutes to Nigeria for $1, 20 minutes to Cuba for $5).

Revenue is generated through a mix of usage-based credits, recurring monthly subscriptions with automatic renewal, and transaction fees on mobile top-up services. The company employs a fully digital go-to-market motion: SEO across country-specific landing pages, app store optimization, organic social media (Facebook, X, Instagram), email marketing, and a $10-credit referral program, with no visible formal sales organization. Rebtel Canada Inc. (Vancouver) serves U.S. customers as a separate Canadian-incorporated subsidiary of the Swedish parent Rebtel Networks AB. The company has cumulatively raised approximately $28 million from Benchmark (2006), Index Ventures (2006 and 2018), and Balderton Capital (2018), with no publicly disclosed funding activity since June 2018.

Name

Rebtel

Legal name

Rebtel Networks AB

Website

https://rebtel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rebtel is a Sweden-founded international calling and mobile top-up provider serving migrant and diaspora consumers across 50+ countries via self-serve mobile and web apps, using hybrid PSTN and local-landline routing to deliver low per-minute rates and unlimited subscription plans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Telecommunications

NAICS

Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Numbering, DID, Porting & Carrier-of-Record Services (HDAIAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer P2P International Remittances (FSAGAKAA)

Keywords

• International calling services
• Voice over IP
• Mobile airtime top-up
• Telecom subscriptions
• Calling credits

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Rebtel Credits (Pay-as-you-go): Prepaid credits that users purchase to make international calls at per-minute rates. Credits are consumed based on usage, with rates varying by destination country and whether calling mobile or landline. Credits expire after 12 months of inactivity.
2. Country Unlimited Subscriptions: Monthly subscription providing unlimited calls to a specific country (landlines and mobiles) for a fixed monthly fee. Auto-renews every 30 days. Available for individual countries at varying price points.
3. Global Unlimited Subscription: Monthly subscription providing unlimited calls to 50 countries for $12/month. Auto-renews every 30 days with no contract.
4. Mobile Top-Up Services: Prepaid airtime value purchase service allowing users to send mobile recharge credits to recipients in supported countries. Rebtel acts as intermediary with third-party providers and local network operators.
5. Nauta Recharge: Specialized recharge service for Cuban Nauta internet accounts. Recharge valid for 330 days with 30-day reactivation window.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rebtel provides international calling services through pay-as-you-go credits, country-specific unlimited subscriptions, and global unlimited subscriptions, using a hybrid PSTN and internet routing technology that leverages local landline numbers to deliver affordable voice calls to consumers worldwide.

Product overview

Rebtel is a telecommunications company offering international calling services through multiple product tiers. The core offering consists of Rebtel Credits (pay-as-you-go credits), Country Unlimited (single-country unlimited subscription), and Global Unlimited (50-country unlimited subscription for $12/month). Additional services include Mobile Top Up for sending airtime to mobile phones internationally, Nauta recharges for Cuba internet access, Calling Cards, and an International Calling Guide. The platform connects calls through a combination of PSTN, internet routing, and local landline numbers to ensure quality and affordability, with apps available for iOS and Android.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rebtel Credits: Pay-as-you-go international calling service allowing users to purchase credits for making calls at lowest per-minute rates
• Unlimited Subscriptions
• Global Unlimited
• Mobile Top-Up
• Nauta

Products and services

• Rebtel Credits

Quantifiable outcome

• Rates as low as 2¢/min for some destinations (e.g., Iceland)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Skype (Microsoft): Microsoft-owned consumer VoIP and international calling service. Direct overlap with Rebtel on international voice calling to consumers, but Skype is part of a much broader Microsoft communications portfolio and offers free Skype-to-Skype calling.
• Google Fi: Google's mobile virtual network operator offering international calling and data in 200+ countries. Broader incumbent competitor addressing the same consumer need for affordable international communication.
• Vonage (Ericsson): Cloud communications provider with consumer and business VoIP products including international calling. Overlaps with Rebtel on consumer international calling but operates at much larger scale as part of Ericsson.

Direct peers

• Viber (Rakuten): Consumer messaging and international calling app with paid Viber Out credits for calling non-Viber numbers. Competes directly with Rebtel for diaspora and migrant users making international calls.
• Boss Revolution (IDT Corporation): International calling, mobile top-up, and remittance service targeting the same diaspora and migrant calling segment. Closely comparable product mix and customer base to Rebtel, including prepaid credits and subscription plans.
• MagicJack (YMax Communications): Consumer VoIP service providing low-cost international and domestic calling via mobile app and VoIP devices. Directly competes with Rebtel on affordable international calling for individual consumers.
• NetTalk: Consumer VoIP and international calling service offering low-cost international minutes via app and adapters. Competes directly with Rebtel in the consumer international calling market.
• KeepCalling: International calling and mobile top-up service targeting diaspora users with pay-as-you-go credits and unlimited subscriptions. Closely comparable product set, pricing model, and target customer to Rebtel.
• Dingtone: Mobile app offering free/low-cost international calling and second phone numbers. Competes with Rebtel on consumer international calling via app-based VoIP with credits and subscription models.

Emerging players

• WhatsApp (Meta): Free messaging and voice/video calling app used by billions for international communication. While free, it represents the primary substitute for paid services like Rebtel, especially among migrant and diaspora users.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Rebtel
• Facebookfacebook.com/Rebtel
• Instagraminstagram.com/Rebtel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rebtel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rebtel