Is Talk360 like Skype for calling US landlines?

Functionally yes, for the calling-phone-numbers part of Skype. Talk360 is a pay-per-minute app that dials US landlines and mobiles at $0.04/minute, billed to a top-up balance. The differences: Talk360 requires an app (Skype could be used in a browser), credit stays valid 12 months with reset-on-topup (Skype Credit's was 180 days), and Talk360 doesn't offer a Skype Number equivalent for receiving calls. For the Skype-Credit-replacement use case (calling US banks, the IRS, family landlines from abroad), Talk360 and WorldDialer both charge $0.04/min, and WorldDialer runs in a browser with no app. KeepCalling and Rebtel publish their own US rates.

Can I still use my Skype credits after the shutdown?

Yes, through the Skype Dial Pad inside Microsoft Teams or the Skype web portal — "for an indefinite period" per Microsoft's shutdown notice. You can't buy more credit, the mobile and desktop apps are retired, and Microsoft refused refunds on remaining balances. Your data export (chat history, contacts) has a June 2026 deadline; export before then. Once your credit runs out, you'll need a replacement service for calling US phone numbers — Talk360, KeepCalling, Rebtel, Viber Out, or browser-based options like WorldDialer.

Why did Skype lose to Zoom during the pandemic?

Skype was built for one-to-one conversations between Skype users; Zoom was built for group meetings with anyone, even people without accounts. When schools, workplaces, and families needed multi-person video in 2020, Zoom's "click a link, join the call" flow beat Skype's "both parties have accounts, add each other as contacts" friction. Skype also fragmented its product across consumer Skype, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Skype Lite — each with different UX. Zoom grew 1,900% while Skype managed 70%, and Microsoft eventually consolidated everything into Teams. The shutdown on May 5, 2025, was the final step.

Will Microsoft refund my unused Skype Credit?

No. Per the Washington Post and Microsoft's own shutdown notice, Microsoft refused refunds for prepaid Skype Credit balances when the service retired on May 5, 2025. The remaining credit stays usable through the Skype Dial Pad in Teams or the web portal "indefinitely," but you can't convert it to cash or transfer it to another service. For users with large balances, the practical move is to burn it on calls before Microsoft decides "indefinitely" has an end date. If you paid by credit card and the charge was within 60 days, a chargeback dispute might recover it — beyond that window, the credit's effectively stranded.

Does WhatsApp work for calling US landlines now that Skype is gone?

No. WhatsApp only calls other WhatsApp users — both parties need the app installed on their phones. WhatsApp can't dial US landlines, US mobile numbers without WhatsApp, US 1-800 toll-free numbers, or any US institution. The IRS, Chase, USCIS, US doctors' offices, US hospital billing departments — none have WhatsApp accounts. WhatsApp replaces Skype's free-chat-with-other-Skype-users feature, not Skype Credit's call-any-phone-number feature. For the phone-number-dialing use case, you need a service that bridges to the PSTN: Talk360, KeepCalling, Rebtel, Viber Out, or WorldDialer.

Why Skype Shut Down (And What Expats Should Use Instead)

Skype shut down on May 5, 2025. If you used it to call US landlines from abroad, you're now looking for options—and Microsoft wants you on Teams at $24/month. That's $288/year to make maybe three phone calls.

Here's what actually happened, why Microsoft killed Skype, and what makes sense if you just need to call your bank or the IRS once in a while.

What Happened to Skype?

Microsoft killed Skype on May 5, 2025—and it wasn't sudden. The writing was on the wall for years.

Skype peaked at 405 million users in 2008. By 2023, that number had dropped to 36 million. A 91% decline. When video calling became essential during the pandemic, Skype should have had its moment. Instead, Zoom grew 1,900% while Skype managed just 70%.

Microsoft saw the numbers and made a business decision: consolidate everything into Teams. Why maintain two products when one is clearly winning?

The Skype shutdown was the end of a long decline, not a sudden death. Microsoft announced it in February 2025 and flipped the switch in May.

What Happened to Your Skype Credits?

Microsoft didn't refund them.

If you had prepaid Skype Credit sitting in your account, that money is now trapped. According to the Washington Post, Microsoft refused refunds for prepaid international calling balances.

You can still technically use your credits through the Skype web portal or Microsoft Teams' "Dial Pad" feature—but the mobile and desktop apps are gone. Your data export deadline is June 2026, so grab your chat history before then.

Why Microsoft Teams Isn't the Answer

Teams is built for enterprises, not expats calling their bank twice a year.

Microsoft's official recommendation is to move to Teams. But look at what that actually means:

International calling plan: $24/month for 600 minutes
Pay-as-you-go option: Requires Microsoft 365 plus "Communication Credits" setup
Feature set: Designed for daily meetings, file sharing, and workplace collaboration

If you're a company with 200 employees doing video calls all day, Teams makes sense. If you're an American in Berlin who needs to call Chase once a year, it's absurd.

Teams isn't bad. It's just the wrong tool for occasional international calling. You don't need a collaboration platform to call your doctor.

What Actually Works for Calling US Landlines

If you just need to reach a US phone number from abroad, here are your real options—no enterprise subscriptions required.

Option	Cost to US	App Required?	Subscription?	Best For
Google Voice	Free	Yes	No	Users who can set up with US number
Viber Out	~$0.02/min	Yes	Optional	People already using Viber
Yolla	~$0.01/min	Yes	No	Budget-conscious app users
World Dialer	$0.04/min	No	No	Occasional callers, no app wanted

Google Voice is free for calls to US numbers—if you can set it up. You need a US phone number to register, which is tricky if you're already abroad.

Viber Out and Yolla are VoIP apps with low per-minute rates. They work fine, but you're downloading another app, creating another account, managing another thing.

Browser-based services like World Dialer skip the app entirely. Open a browser, enter the number, add some credit, call. No download, no subscription required, pay for what you use.

The right choice depends on how often you call. If you're making daily international calls, a monthly plan might make sense. If you're calling the IRS once a year, paying per minute is cheaper.

When You Need to Call an Actual Phone Number

WhatsApp and FaceTime are great for family. They're useless for calling your bank.

The IRS doesn't have WhatsApp. Your health insurance company doesn't take FaceTime calls. When you need to reach an actual US phone number—a landline, a business, a government agency—free messaging apps don't help.

That's the gap Skype used to fill for a lot of people. And it's the gap that still exists now that Skype is gone.

What Now?

Skype's gone. What you need now depends on how often you call.

If you're making calls to the US every week, a subscription might actually save you money. Do the math.

If you're making a few calls a year—calling your bank when there's a fraud alert, reaching the IRS during tax season, confirming something with your doctor—pay-per-minute makes more sense. You pay $2 for a call, not $288 for a year of "access."

World Dialer does exactly that. Browser-based, $0.04/minute, no subscription required, no app. Open it when you need it, pay for what you use, move on with your life.

We'll be here next time you need to make a call.