| Smart Communications Inc. has partnered with SuperFerry to jointly develop a passenger travel fare collection system using the cellular firm’s electronic financial services platform.
This partnership, Smart’s third under its Smart Mobility Loop (SML) program, will enable passengers to pay for their tickets with just a few clicks on their mobile phones.
SML is the country’s first mobile-based, universal transport payment system designed to accommodate more than 25 million cell-phone users.
“Our tie up with SuperFerry is our third-major partnership under our Smart Mobility Loop program. Our vision is to make the Smart Money electronic cash card—which can be accessed and used via the cell phone—the all-in-one payment card for the increasingly mobile Filipino. This will be the first mobile-based intermodal transport payment system for sea, land, rail and air transport services,” said Smart president Napoleon Nazareno.
Ava Engel, executive vice president of SuperFerry, said that by the second quarter this year, SuperFerry passengers may start paying their fares via their Smart Money card and Smart mobile phone.
“This is a more convenient and secure alternative for our customers,” Engel said. “The Smart Money platform will also contribute towards making our financial systems and sales monitoring more efficient.”
Under the agreement, the first phase will cover the payment of fares using the mobile phone. Payments will be transacted from the mobile phone by accessing the Smart Money menu.
The second phase will involve the issuance of the Smart Money Pay Pass card, which will be an accepted payment tool by partner companies and which could also serve as their boarding pass under the SML.
Smart is set to sign agreements with other transport firms in the next few months, Nazareno added.
SuperFerry offers ordinary non-aircon, airconditioned, and executive sea travel services to the masses. The ships sail to 18 ports of call all over the Philippines, including Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Coron, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iligan, Iloilo, Manila, Ozamis, Puerto Princesa, Surigao, Tagbilaran and Zamboanga.
Smart recently tied up with the Manila North Tollways Corp., for the mobile reloading via Smart Money of EC Tag accounts for motorists plying the North Luzon Expressway. The service will be available during the Holy Week and starting April 1 this year.
The second partnership was with Development Bank of the Philippines for RoRo vessels and buses plying the nautical highway.
The Smart Money card is the world’s first secure, reloadable electronic cash card that can be linked to a mobile phone. Through the card, a Smart user can easily pay bills, transfer funds to another Smart Money card, do balance account checks, change PINs and even lock or unlock the card from the Smart Money menu in the mobile phone.
Subscribers may reload their Smart Money cards in Smart wireless centers, Banco de Oro ATM machines, and partner banks nationwide. They can also withdraw funds from their mobile banking accounts and transfer these to their Smart Money cards. The Smart Money card may also be used to reload a Smart SIM card and pay for purchases in stores which accept Mastercard Electronic.
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment