Smart, MoneyGram expand US remittance service tieup

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos in the United States can now securely send remittances directly to their families and friends in the Philippines using Smart Communications’ mobile phones through around 40,000 MoneyGram agents in the US.

MoneyGram International, a leading global money transfer company, announced the expansion of its mobile money transfer service to approximately 40,000 agent locations in the US, following its pilot program offered from select California and Hong Kong agent locations to 40 million Smart phone users. 

MoneyGram joined forces with Smart in December and began the pilot phase of its MoneyGram mobile money transfer services to deliver funds from a MoneyGram agent location direct to any Smart Money account. Mozido, a leading mobile technology provider, supplies the transaction services to link MoneyGram’s services to Smart mobile phones.

“Our entry into mobile money transfers with Smart was well received by our consumers and we are continuing our expansion plans to link Smart Money users with MoneyGram’s agent locations around the world. Filipinos around the world continue to look for opportunities to meet their financial needs. Our goal is to provide these workers with the most affordable, reliable, and convenient money transfer services, which includes sending funds direct to mobile accounts,” MoneyGram executive vice president for the Americas Dan O’Malley said.

O’ Malley noted that mobile technology is expanding the possibilities for money transfer transactions and opening new markets for their service. “Mobile services are especially helpful in developing countries where agent locations are difficult to establish. We have targeted several of these countries for our ongoing expansion in mobile services,” he explained.

For his part, Smart chief wireless advisor Orlando Vea explained that the collaboration between Smart and MoneyGram underscores their commitment to provide Filipinos with more accessible, affordable and secure options to send cash to the Philippines.

“Furthermore, this initiative reinforces our longstanding strategy of providing our international and domestic partners with the communications infrastructure that will enable them to serve their customers better with innovative services,” Vea added.

To avail of the service, Filipinos simply have to go to any MoneyGram agent in the US to remit directly to the Smart mobile phones of their beneficiaries in the Philippines. The fund transfer will be credited directly to the Smart Money electronic cash card linked to the Smart cellphone of the Philippine-based beneficiary.

Remittance beneficiaries have the flexibility to store the remittance value in their Smart Money account, or to withdraw the cash from over 7,000 ATMs of different bank networks. The Smart Money-powered mobile money transfer service of MoneyGram International thus offers an affordable, secure, and convenient way to receive transferred funds, company officials emphasized.

Smart Money is the first reloadable payment card linked to a mobile phone with a Smart SIM. The platform can be used to perform mobile money transfers, pay bills, purchase goods and services from partner MasterCard establishments around the world and on the Internet, to do over-the-counter transactions at Smart Wireless Centers and Smart Money encashment centers, and to withdraw from over 7,000 ATMS all over the Philippines.

MoneyGram also introduced mobile money transfers send services in Italy last year in partnership with its agent Poste Italiane and Poste Mobile’s exclusive technology. The service provides a mobile interface for consumers to transfer funds from their mobile phone to recipients collecting funds at any MoneyGram agent location.

Consumers generally keep their mobile phone within arms reach 24-hours a day, making it an ideal platform for convenient money transfer services. Currently MoneyGram is in discussions with several mobile operators to introduce mobile programs in other regions around the world. The company is continuing its global roll-out of its mobile service to more agent locations, with countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Middle East among the locations expected to launch the service next.