PennyTalk
PennyTalk is a prepaid international calling service operated by Net2Phone, Inc. (a subsidiary of IDT Corporation, NYSE: IDT), serving U.S. consumers who make low-cost calls to over 200 countries via landline, mobile, and dedicated apps.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersNewark, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PennyTalk does
PennyTalk is a prepaid international calling service that has operated since 2001, originally launched by Net2Phone, Inc. and acquired by IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT) in 2006. PennyTalk is operated today by Net2Phone, a wholly owned subsidiary of IDT, and is run out of IDT's Newark, NJ headquarters. The service lets U.S. consumers fund an account (minimum $10) and dial international numbers via access numbers from a landline/mobile or through dedicated iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry apps. Underlying technology is VoIP and traditional telecom infrastructure leveraging IDT's wholesale carrier relationships, with proprietary convenience features (Saveorites assigning U.S. numbers to favorite contacts for 20% incremental savings; No-PIN Dialing auto-recognizing up to 5 registered phones; Auto-Recharge). International access numbers from 50+ countries extend coverage to travelers and overseas-based callers.
PennyTalk's go-to-market is purely self-serve / product-led growth: customers sign up online or via the apps, fund a balance, and dial. Revenue comes from per-minute usage charges (1¢/min landline to UK/Canada, 2¢/min to Mexico/Germany/China, higher for mobile), a 49¢ connection fee waived for in-app calls, a 99¢ monthly service fee, and a $10 referral credit program. Customer acquisition channels are the company website, iOS/Google Play/BlackBerry app stores, Facebook, email, referral, and legacy TV/print advertising with rates guaranteed for three months. The customer base is long-tail U.S. prepaid consumers calling friends and family abroad, plus international travelers, with a separate business tier at pennytalkcorporate.com.
PennyTalk firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PennyTalk
- Legal name
- Net2Phone, Inc.
- Website
- https://pennytalk.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PennyTalk is a prepaid international calling service operated by Net2Phone, Inc. (a subsidiary of IDT Corporation, NYSE: IDT), serving U.S. consumers who make low-cost calls to over 200 countries via landline, mobile, and dedicated apps.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PennyTalk industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Calling Services
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Bill Pay & Cross-Border Airtime/Top-Up (FSAGAKAM)
Keywords
Where PennyTalk is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newark
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
PennyTalk business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Per-minute calling charges: Customers pay per-minute rates for international calls, with rates varying by destination country. Rates as low as 1¢ per minute to certain countries (UK landline, Canada). Mobile rates may be higher than landline rates for some destinations.
- Monthly service fee: 99¢ monthly service fee charged on each monthly anniversary of account activation, applied to all accounts.
- Connection fees: 49¢ connection fee charged when each call connects and answer supervision is received. Waived for calls made from PennyTalk Mobile applications. Payphone calls incur additional 90¢ surcharge.
- Referral bonuses: $10 credit awarded to existing customers for each friend referral that signs up for PennyTalk.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Per-minute rates to popular destinations |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly service fee |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Saveorites 20% additional savings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
PennyTalk product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PennyTalk provides prepaid international calling service to more than 200 countries, accessible via landline/mobile access numbers and dedicated mobile applications for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry. Customers fund an account (minimum $10) and dial via an account number and PIN, paying per-minute rates that start at 1¢ to top destinations (UK landline, Canada) and 2¢ to Mexico, Germany, and China. The service is offered by Net2Phone, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), and adds proprietary conveniences such as Saveorites (20% additional savings on favorite international numbers) and No-PIN Dialing.
Product overview
PennyTalk is a prepaid international calling service consisting of a core calling platform and multiple delivery channels. The core service provides international calls to over 200 countries at rates as low as 1¢ per minute. PennyTalk Mobile apps (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry) serve as the primary mobile interface, offering free apps with no connection fees. Supporting features include Saveorites (20% savings on favorite contacts via assigned U.S. phone numbers), No-PIN Dialing (automatic account recognition from registered phones), and Auto-Recharge (automatic account funding). The service is provided by Net2Phone, Inc. (a subsidiary of IDT Corporation) and offers both consumer and business tiers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Saveorites: A feature that provides 10-digit U.S. phone numbers linked to frequently called international numbers, offering 20% additional savings on calls.
- No-PIN Dialing
- PennyTalk Mobile
Products and services
- PennyTalk International Calling Service (core prepaid calling) Prepaid international calling service available to U.S. consumers and small businesses; customers create an account with a 10-digit phone number as account ID and 4-digit PIN, fund the account (minimum $10), and make international calls from any landline or mobile via access numbers, paying per-minute destination-based rates starting at 1¢ (UK landline, Canada) and 2¢ (Mexico, Germany, China), with a $0.99 monthly service fee and a $0.49 per-call connection fee waived for mobile-app calls.
- PennyTalk Mobile for iPhone Free iPhone application that lets users place international calls using Wi-Fi, mobile data, or airtime minutes; signup includes up to 100 free international minutes and calls made through the app incur no connection fee.
- PennyTalk Mobile for Android Free Android application that enables international calling using Wi-Fi, mobile data, or airtime minutes; signup includes up to 100 free international minutes and calls made through the app have no connection fee.
- PennyTalk Mobile for BlackBerry Free BlackBerry application (requires BlackBerry Device Software v4.3+) that enables international calling with no connection fees and no Wi-Fi restrictions; signup includes up to 100 free international minutes.
- PennyTalk for Business Business-oriented version of the PennyTalk prepaid international calling service for organizations that need low-cost international calling capabilities, distributed under a separate corporate site (pennytalkcorporate.com).
- International Access (calling from outside the U.S.) Service for users calling from outside the United States, providing local and toll-free PennyTalk access numbers from more than 50 originating countries to reach 200+ destinations, including a single toll-free number (800-2223-7725) usable from many countries outside the U.S.
Quantifiable outcome
- Rates as low as 1¢/minute to major destinations (UK landline, Canada) and 2¢/minute to Mexico, Germany, China
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use PennyTalk
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PennyTalk technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
PennyTalk partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Net2Phone, Inc.corePennyTalk was originally introduced in 2001 as a service of Net2Phone, Inc. Net2Phone was acquired by IDT in 2006. Net2Phone provides the PennyTalk service under IDT ownership.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PennyTalk competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PennyTalk social profiles
Digital presencePennyTalk financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PennyTalk leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PennyTalk funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PennyTalk M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PennyTalk
What does PennyTalk do?
PennyTalk provides prepaid international calling service to more than 200 countries, accessible via landline/mobile access numbers and dedicated mobile applications for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry. Customers fund an account (minimum $10) and dial via an account number and PIN, paying per-minute rates that start at 1¢ to top destinations (UK landline, Canada) and 2¢ to Mexico, Germany, and China. The service is offered by Net2Phone, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), and adds proprietary conveniences such as Saveorites (20% additional savings on favorite international numbers) and No-PIN Dialing.
Is PennyTalk a public or private company?
PennyTalk is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was PennyTalk founded?
PennyTalk was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PennyTalk based?
PennyTalk is headquartered in Newark, United States, in the North America region.
How does PennyTalk make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Per-minute calling charges are the primary driver. The others are monthly service fee, connection fees and referral bonuses.
Does PennyTalk have an API?
No public API is recorded for PennyTalk.
What industry is PennyTalk in?
PennyTalk's product category is International Calling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAKAM, International Bill Pay & Cross-Border Airtime/Top-Up. Its SIC code is 4813.