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HSBC and Mobitel launch SMS phone bill payment facility
HSBC launched a bill payment facility with Mobitel for HSBC credit cardholders to pay their Mobitel phone bills or reload their SMART connections via SMS, using HSBC credit cards. The facility was launched recently.
The unique feature of the SMS Payment facility allows customers to reload their Mobitel SMART connections or pay their Post Paid bill from anywhere at anytime by debiting their HSBC credit card instantly – whether in Sri Lanka or abroad – saving them the hassle of having to purchase recharge cards, fill out bill slips or visits to any payment centres. This service is available free of charge to all HSBC credit cardholders who have Mobitel connections, Pre or Post Paid.
Mobitel’s Chief Executive Officer, Suren J Amarasekera said, "Customers have been the key factor of our growth, helping and partnering us to be the National mobile service provider. In order to exceed the expectations of our loyal customers; our aim has always been to deliver a promise of good service and convenience. We are very proud to be able to partner a global bank like HSBC who is a leader in credit cards in the country to launch this service solution. With this advanced technology, customers will not have to make a special trip to pay their bill or reload their account, as all they need is a HSBC credit card".
David J H Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives said, "WeAre pleased to be associated with Mobitel in this venture as it strengthens our objective to make life increasingly convenient for our credit card customers. From travelingoverseas to paying their phone bills, our business perspective is to give customersaccess to a remarkable range of services and benefits. This latest tie-up with Mobitelwe hope will add value to the HSBC credit card and reiterate our commitment to provide innovative banking solutions."
Registering for the SMS Bill Payment service is a simple process. All a customer needs to do is call the HSBC Call Centre on 4 4722 77 and request for the service. Thereafter, HSBC’s Call Centre will verify the customer details and send the information to Mobitel for registration. Next Mobitel will send a welcome SMS to the customer information confirming their registration to use the service.
HSBC is the undisputed leader in the credit cards sector in Sri Lanka, with over 280,000 credit cards in circulation. With over thirty per cent market share – in addition to controlling over fifty percent of the total credit card spend in the country, HSBC has reached a benchmark in offering innovative solutions to credit card customers.
Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the National Mobile Services Provider, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom. In January 2004, the company launched its full-fledged 2.5G GSM network that is EDGE/GPRS enabled and in December 2007 Mobitel launched South Asia’s first and only network with super 3.5G HSPA technology. Investments committed to date in its 3.5G/2.5G networks and service offering totals over US$ 200 million and are set to increase its present 1000+ base stations to 1500 base stations by the end of the year.