How to Call Mexico from the US

To call Mexico from the US, dial +52 from a mobile or 011 52 from a landline, then the 10-digit number. Mexico’s country code is 52, and that is the whole dial code.

What takes longer is everything around it: whether your carrier already covers the call, what to do when a business number won’t connect, and how to call from a laptop if you would rather not use your phone plan. This guide covers all of it, whether you are ringing a relative’s landline, calling a business back home, or running a US company with a supplier in Mexico.

---

The short answer

• Mobile: dial +52, then the 10-digit number.
• Landline: dial 011 52, then the 10-digit number.

Every Mexican number is 10 digits, and you dial all ten. Take a Mexico City number, 55 1234 5678:

• Mobile: +52 55 1234 5678
• Landline: 011 52 55 1234 5678

One thing to know: older guides tell you to add a 1 after the 52 when calling a Mexican mobile. That changed in 2020, so don’t add it. The FCC’s international calling tip sheet says the same. If you have an old number saved with a 044 or 045 on the front, drop that too. Those prefixes ended in 2019.

If you call with ZippCall, you don’t need to remember any of this. Pick Mexico from the drop-down and type the national number, or paste the full international number in any format. The dialler sorts it out.

---

Mexico’s country code and area codes

Mexico’s country code is 52. From the US, the exit code is 011 on a landline, or you can use + on a mobile.

Every Mexican number already includes its area code, so you don’t need to look one up to dial. This table is for reference, for when you have a shorter local number from a sign or an old letterhead and need the right area code in front of it.

City	Area code
Mexico City	55 / 56
Guadalajara	33
Monterrey	81
Puebla	221 / 222
Querétaro	442 / 446
Tijuana	663 / 664
Ciudad Juárez	656 / 657
Chihuahua	614
Mérida	999 / 990
Cancún	998

Area codes are from Wikipedia’s guide to Mexican telephone numbers.

---

If it’s an 800 number

This one catches businesses and suppliers out most. Many Mexican companies list an 800 number, and from the US it often won’t connect.

ZippCall can reach some Mexican 800 numbers, but it depends on the company. Some companies restrict international calls to their 800 numbers. If the call fails, it will most likely fail straight away. That is a common issue, and it isn’t just a VoIP problem. Mobile providers run into it too.

The fix is to find the company’s local number. Most businesses publish one for calls from abroad. I usually find it on their website, labelled “calling from abroad” or “international number”. Large organisations tend to have one.

---

Your options at a glance

Option	Best for	Rough cost
Your US carrier	Anyone whose plan already includes Mexico	Free on many plans, check yours
ZippCall	Landlines, laptops, plans without Mexico	From $0.02/min

WhatsApp and FaceTime are free, but they only work app to app. More on that below.

---

Option 1: Your US carrier

If your plan includes calls to Mexico and you call a lot, use it. It is honestly the easier choice.

Mexico is one of the easier countries to get included. T-Mobile says most of its plans cover it, and AT&T and Verizon include it on their unlimited plans. Here is what each carrier says:

Carrier	What it says about calling Mexico from the US
T-Mobile (postpaid)	“Most T-Mobile plans include unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada from the U.S. for FREE.” Check your plan in the T-Life app or My T-Mobile.
T-Mobile Connect (prepaid)	$1.00/min without the Stateside International add-on. Free to Mexico landlines and mobiles with it.
AT&T Prepaid	The $15 International Plus add-on lists Mexico as unlimited. It needs an active monthly or multi-month voice plan.
AT&T (postpaid)	AT&T’s current domestic unlimited wireless plans include unlimited calling to Mexico. On a standard plan without that, calls to Mexico cost $2.00/min.
Verizon	All Verizon Unlimited plans include calling Mexico at no extra cost. Without an international add-on, pay-per-minute starts at $0.49/min. Global Calling Plus is $15 a month and also covers Mexico at no extra cost.

Carrier terms were checked against each provider’s own pages in October 2026. Plans change often, so check your carrier’s page before you rely on any of this. Sources: T-Mobile, T-Mobile Connect, AT&T Prepaid and Verizon.

The catch is working out what you actually have. Whether Mexico is included depends on your plan, any add-on, and sometimes the fine print. If you have time, check your plan online or ring your carrier and ask. For the full picture on each, see our guides to T-Mobile international calling, AT&T international calling and Verizon international calling.

---

Option 2: ZippCall

Full disclosure: ZippCall is my product. Here is where it fits.

Sometimes it is just as easy to open ZippCall and make the call, because you see the price before you place it. Calling Mexico starts from $0.02/min, which covers most Mexican networks. Type a number into the dialler and the exact cost per minute shows before you call. The app also has a Rates tool where you can enter a specific number and get its exact rate. You can check the rate before you add any credit.

A few things that matter for Mexico:

• Landlines work. The person you call just answers a normal phone. They don’t need an app, so it suits relatives without a smartphone.
• Businesses and suppliers work too. It is a normal call to a normal number, with the 800-number caveat above.
• No plan needed. You add credit when you want it. The minimum top-up is $5.
• Phone or laptop. Use the iOS or Android app on a phone. On a laptop or desktop, open the web app and call from your browser.

People use it for Mexico a lot. ZippCall users have made hundreds of calls to Mexico, and most of the people who connect a call go on to make another.

You can see current Mexico rates on the ZippCall Mexico rates page.

Calling Mexico with ZippCall, step by step

1. Install the iOS or Android app, or open the web app.
2. Sign up or log in.
3. Enter the number, either with Mexico selected or pasted in full. The rate shows before you call.
4. Add credit if you need to (minimum $5).
5. Press call.

---

WhatsApp, FaceTime and calling cards

If the person you are calling has WhatsApp or FaceTime and you are both online, the call is free. But it is app to app only. It can’t reach a landline, a business or a relative without a smartphone, so for those it is no help. For a wider look at apps, see our guide to free international calling apps.

Calling cards are old now. They are usually hard to buy and awkward to use, and a service like ZippCall is the modern alternative.

---

What to watch out for

Calls are billed per minute, rounded up

ZippCall bills per minute and rounds up to the nearest minute. A 20-second call costs one minute. The rate you see before you call is the rate you pay.

The person you call sees a caller ID

You have two options. Use a public ZippCall number, which gives the call a random caller ID, usually a US +1 number. Or verify a number you already own in ZippCall and use it as your caller ID, so the person you are calling recognises it. If they might ignore an unknown number, the second is worth setting up.

You need a good connection

ZippCall runs over the internet, so you need decent WiFi or mobile data.

---

The bottom line

Calling Mexico is simple once you know the dial code: +52 on a mobile, 011 52 on a landline, then ten digits. If your carrier plan includes Mexico and you call a lot, use that. It is easier.

If you are not sure what your plan includes, or you want to call from a laptop or reach a landline without fuss, ZippCall is a straightforward alternative. You see the price before you call, from $0.02/min. And if an 800 number won’t connect, look for the company’s number for calls from abroad.

---