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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. |
