# What Is CallTuv?

> A plain-language introduction to CallTuv - what it does, how it works, what it costs, and what the person you're calling experiences.

**TL;DR:** CallTuv is a pay-as-you-go service for calling regular phones - landlines and mobiles - in 200+ countries, from your computer's browser or the mobile app. The person you call just answers their phone; they need nothing at all.

CallTuv is a simple idea done well: it lets you call **regular phone numbers** - landlines and mobiles - in more than 200 countries, over the internet, at low per-minute prices. You call from your computer's browser or from the CallTuv app on your phone; the person you're calling just answers their phone as they always do.

## How it works, in one minute

1. You create a free account with just your email - see [Getting Started with CallTuv](/help/4180257-getting-started-with-calltuv).
2. You add some credit to your **balance** (from $5, by card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay). This is the money your calls are billed against - see [How to Top Up Your Balance](/help/8412937-how-to-top-up-your-balance).
3. You open the dialer, pick a country, type the number, and call. The exact price per minute is shown **before** you dial, and the running cost is shown during the call.

Your voice travels over your internet connection to CallTuv, and from there into the regular phone network to reach the other person. That last part is why the recipient needs nothing special - to them, it's an ordinary phone call.

## What makes it different

- **No subscription, ever.** You pay only for minutes you use, at the destination's per-minute rate - see [Understanding Rates and Per-Minute Billing](/help/6198430-understanding-rates-and-per-minute-billing). Credit never expires.
- **Works everywhere you are.** Browser, iPhone, Android, and a Chrome extension - one account and one balance across all of them ([Use CallTuv on Any Device](/help/9145062-use-calltuv-on-any-device)). And because it's internet-based, you can call from any country - see [Call From Any Country](/help/9057318-call-from-any-country-where-calltuv-works).
- **The other side needs nothing.** Unlike WhatsApp or Viber calls, you're not limited to people who have the same app - more on that in [CallTuv vs. WhatsApp and Viber Calls](/help/7156290-calltuv-vs-whatsapp-and-viber-calls).
- **Built-in extras at no cost:** [call recording](/help/2359680-recording-calls), [shared balances for families and teams](/help/6027384-how-teams-and-shared-balance-work), and [showing your own number as caller ID](/help/8927354-verify-your-own-number-as-caller-id).

## What CallTuv is not

Honesty helps here: CallTuv is an **outbound calling service**. It doesn't provide phone numbers, doesn't receive incoming calls or text messages, and can't be used for emergency calls. Each of those has its own clear explanation:

- [Does CallTuv Provide Phone Numbers?](/help/4821673-does-calltuv-provide-phone-numbers)
- [Can I Receive Calls or Text Messages?](/help/3746158-can-i-receive-calls-or-text-messages-sms)
- [Emergency Calls Are Not Supported](/help/7203865-emergency-calls-are-not-supported)

## Who is it for?

People calling family and friends abroad, [travelers who want to call home](https://calltuv.com/international-calling-for-travelers) without roaming charges, and [small businesses making international calls](https://calltuv.com/business-international-calling) - anyone who wants to reach a real phone number without paying carrier prices. There's a fuller picture on our [international calling](https://calltuv.com/international-calling) page. Curious who built it? See [Who Is Behind CallTuv?](/help/8730429-who-is-behind-calltuv) And if you're wondering whether it's trustworthy, we wrote an honest answer: [Is CallTuv Safe and Legit?](/help/2194657-is-calltuv-safe-and-legit)