MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos overseas can now send cash directly to the Smart-connected mobile phones of their beneficiaries in the Philippines through any of over 95,000 international money transfer locations, including The Western Union Co. and MoneyGram International in the United States and Hong Kong.
To send cash directly to their beneficiaries, Filipinos abroad simply have to visit any participating international money transfer location and indicate the Smart mobile phone number in the Philippines where the remittance will be credited to.
Remittance will be credited to the Smart Money account linked to the beneficiary’s Smart mobile phone.
Funds from the successful cash remittance may be used to perform mobile money transfers, to pay bills, to purchase goods and services from partner MasterCard establishments around the world and on the worldwide web, to do over-the-counter transactions at Smart Wireless Centers and Smart Money encashment centers, and to withdraw from over 9,000 automated teller machines (ATMs) all over the Philippines.
All these transactions are made possible by the award-winning Smart Money platform – the world’s first cash payment card linked to a mobile phone.
Smart’s chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea said the expansion of the Smart Money network reflects Smart’s commitment to better serve the needs of overseas Filipinos and their beneficiaries in the Philippines.
“Our relationship with the world’s leading remittance companies boosts our efforts to reach more mobile remittance customers, to expand our product offerings, and to generate new revenue streams for our evolving business,” Vea added.
The relationship with international remittance companies support the global Mobile Money Transfer (MMT) program of the GSM Association (GSMA), an international trade association representing more than 750 mobile phone operators. The MMT program was designed to stimulate the development, trial and commercialization of money transfer solutions that will ultimately lowering the cost of remittances.
Through Smart Money, overseas Filipinos may send remittances to their loved ones in the Philippines, all at the convenience of text message. Beneficiaries of the remittance are likewise informed of the speedy delivery of funds via an SMS notification on their Smart mobile phones.
Smart has been actively promoting mobile commerce in the Philippines since 2000, and has been recognized globally by the GSMA and Mastercard.
The country’s leading wireless services provider has a subscriber base of 44.1 million as of end-September 2010. Smart has built a reputation for innovation, having introduced the world’s first wireless data services, including mobile commerce services such as Smart Money, Smart Load and Smart Padala.
Smart also offers 3G and HSPA services. Its Smart Link service provides communications to the global maritime industry. Smart Broadband Inc. offers a wireless broadband service – Smart BRO – with 1.3 million subscribers as of end-September 2010.
Smart is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).