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The United States and Mexico are two countries that have a long, shared history. Mexico was officially founded a little less than 50 years after the United States when Mexico declared its independence from Spain.
Since then, there have been a few periods of conflict between the two over their shared border. However, the majority of time has been peaceful between the two as they’ve been allies for more than two centuries now.
In fact, Mexico is almost always near the top of the list for international trading partners of the United States. In 2019 alone, the total goods traded between the two economic powerhouses reached $614.5 billion. If you’re regularly conducting international business from the United States, then it’s a good chance that you’re going to call Mexico at some point.
Depending on your mobile phone service provider, making a call to Mexico from the United States can be easier said than done. It’s not quite as simple as calling someone in another state. It won’t be as cheap either, as you’ll probably be charged by the minute. Whatever the reason for your call, you’ll want to keep the conversation as brief as you can.
How To Call Mexico From the United States
Calling Mexico isn’t much more complicated than making a regular phone call. However, it will have a few more steps that you’ll need to follow.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Enter the Exit Code: 011.
The exit code to dial out of the United States or Canada is 011, which has to be entered first. It’s possible to leave this code out if you have an international calling feature with your phone service plan or use an internet connection phone. The majority of situations will require you to enter the code before you can call out.
Enter Mexico’s Country Code: 52.
Every country on the planet has a “country code” that you’ll need to enter when wanting to make a call there. For Mexico, the country code is 52, which will enable you to call any landline or cell phone in the country. You used to be required to enter a “1” if attempting to call a cell phone, but the additional step was removed a few years ago.
Ignore the Trunk Code
The Mexican phone number you have may start with 01, 044, or 045. These numbers are known as the trunk codes used whenever one Mexican phone calls another.
Seeing as how you’re calling from an American phone, disregard these numbers. Entering them in will make it impossible to connect your call with the person you’re trying to reach. You would have to start all over again.
Enter the Area Code
The area codes of Mexico operate the same way as they do in the United States. The key difference is that some of the bigger areas in Mexico, such as Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City, only use two digits.
Check that you’re using the right area code for the number you’re calling. You can double-check using the list below.
Enter the Rest of the Number
The last remaining digits of the phone number function the same way as they do in the United States. It’s important to note that there should be a grand total of ten digits when you count the area code.
The cities using three-digit area codes will use seven numbers (like in the United States), and the cities using two-digit area codes will use eight numbers. Enter the complete number, and you should be able to make your call to Mexico.
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Process Summary
Here is an example to help you see what the process would look like when it’s laid out:
Let’s say you needed to call a landline in Puebla whose number was listed as 044-222-555-5555. You would first need to enter 011 so that you can call out of the United States.
You would then need to enter 52 so that you can call into Mexico. You would disregard the 044 as it only pertains to local calls and enter the rest of the number as it’s listed. So for this example, you would need to enter the following sequence into your phone: 011-52-222-555-555.
Now let’s say that you needed to call a cell phone in Guadalajara whose number was listed as 045-33-5555-5555. You would enter 011 to call out of the United States and 52 to call into Mexico.
The 045 designates a Mexican cell phone, but it isn’t important for your call. Skip it and enter the area code and last eight digits. For this example, you would enter these numbers: 011-52-33-5555-5555.
What Are the Area Codes in Mexico?
Mexico assigns different regions of the country-specific area codes, just like the United States. The difference is that the United States is much bigger than Mexico and has a lot more of them. You could fit the landmass of Mexico inside the United States five times and still have a little bit of room left over. That’s not to mention that Mexico has more than 200 million fewer citizens.
Here is a list of the most frequently used area codes in Mexico:
- Acapulco: 744
- Aguascalientes: 449
- Cabo San Lucas: 624
- Campeche: 981
- Cancun: 998
- Celaya: 461
- Ciudad Juárez: 656
- La Paz: 612
- Leon: 477
- Manzanillo: 314
- Maravatio: 447
- Matamoros: 868
- Mazatlan: 669
- Merida: 999
- Mexicali: 686
- Mexico City: 55
- Minatitlan: 922
- Nuevo Laredo: 867
- Oaxaca: 951
- Orizaba: 272
- Pachucha: 771
- Tlaxcala: 246
- Toluca: 722
- Torreon: 871
- Tuxtla Gutierrez: 961
- Valle de Bravo: 726
- Veracruz City: 229
- Villahermosa: 993
- Zacatecas: 492
How Much Does It Cost To Call Mexico?
Calling outside of the United States isn’t going to be cheap. Even though Mexico and the United States share a border that’s 1933 miles long, making a call that crosses that border will incur an additional fee.
You could stand in El Paso, Texas, and call someone in Juarez, Mexico (less than seven miles away), and it would be more expensive than calling someone in Bangor, Maine (more than 2.607 miles away).
Rates To Call Mexico With Common Phone Providers
The exact rates can vary depending on your phone carrier and the specific monthly plan. For example, the basic rate for AT&T is $3.50 per minute for landlines and $3.65 for cell phones.
Some carriers (such as AT&T) offer international calling plans. For the AT&T Worldwide Value Calling plan, you would pay an additional $5.99 per month and only be charged nine cents per minute for landlines and 24 cents for cell phones.
On the other hand, Verizon only charges two cents per minute for calls made to Mexico using a landline and five cents for a cell phone call. You also have the option to join the Verizon World Plan 300 for $10 a month.
With this plan, you would have 300 free minutes each month that could be used to call Mexico. Any minute after that would only incur the basic rate of two cents for landlines and five cents for cell phones.
Rates To Call Mexico With Apps
There are some options for trying to circumvent these fees. Using apps like Skype, WhatsApp, Google Voice, or FaceTime can be a way to make a call for free.
The person in Mexico would have to use the same app or program to avoid a fee. If not, Google Voice will charge about five cents per minute for phone calls, and Skype charges one cent per minute for landlines and 3.5 cents per minute for cell phones. Text messages sent through Skype to cell phones will cost 31.2 cents per text.
Final Notes on Calling Mexico From the United States
Technology has made the world a much smaller place. For example, traveling internationally is easier now than it’s ever been in human history.
You still need to be safe by following a few smart guidelines, but it’s nowhere near as perilous as it was in previous centuries. Whether you travel for business or pleasure, you're surely going to create new relationships with foreign people. The tricky thing is how to stay in contact with them when you return home from your travels.
Calling Mexico from the United States isn’t particularly difficult. All that you have to do is enter the right code to call out of the United States (011) and into Mexico (52). After that, it’s just a matter of entering the remaining ten digits of the number.
The thing to remember is that you’ll want these calls to be fairly quick. It doesn’t take a long time for the cost of an international call to pile up. You might end your conversation with a massive phone bill.
Depending on the phone service app that you use, you might be able to save some money. Plenty of business phone services understand the value of their customers being able to contact international partners.
Does Your Phone Work for You?
No matter who you call, don’t forget about data protection. While Burner can’t call Mexico, you still need to protect your main personal number from hackers who could live anywhere around the globe, including the United States.
You can use an app like Burner to create a separate number that you drop in a single click if you start to receive spam or unwanted calls/texts. It can protect your identity while you work freelance, selling furniture on Craigslist (or similar).
No one will be able to reverse search your number or call you at all hours of the day. Speaking of, Burner can even establish working/relaxing hours.
Visit Burner today to pick your number and start your free seven-day trial.
Sources:
Check Basic Rates Before Making International Calls | Federal Communications Commission
This Is What the US-Mexico Border Looks Like | CNN
Country Comparison: Mexico / United States of America | World Data
Dialing Procedures | International Telecommunication Union
Country Codes | countrycodes.org
Mexico | United States Trade Representative
Timeline: U.S.-Mexico Relations | Council on Foreign Relations
