Celcom (M) Bhd's prepaid subscribers now have more avenues to top up their prepaid air-time card, as the group yesterday signed an agreement with e-pay (M) Sdn Bhd for the implementation of 'e top-up' service terminals. The e top-up service allows prepaid subscribers to swipe an e top-up card into the e-pay terminal, and talk time credit will be credited to their mobile phone in seconds. Prepaid users can also key in their mobile phone number manually into the e-pay terminal to top-up their airtime.

The e top-up card has details of its users which enable the transaction directly to them. The users will than be notified via SMS to indicate the air time balance. The use of e-pay is more secure and error-free compared to the conventional recharge cards method where users would have to key in the long pin numbers. The e top-up card application form is free for consumers and is available at 3,700 e-pay retailers nationwide mainly in convenience outlets sucj as 7-Eleven stores and petromarts.

According to e-pay (M) Sdn Bhd executive director Mohd Hassan Said, through e-pay, retailers only need to install the e-pay terminal ata cost of RM 1,000 to RM 2,000 per terminal and prepaid stock is available online on a 24 hours basis. He said the group aims to have at least 5,000 terminals by mid next year, which means rolling out more than 1,000 terminals in the next six months. Celcom is the first cellular service provider to offer the online recharge service via e-pay terminal, said senior vice president customer management group and mobile data Zubir Abdul Rashid in a press conference after the signing ceremony.

He said since the launch of its X-series last year, Celcom has managed to attract 180,000 to 200,000 new subscribers per month. The X-series, which was launched in November 2002, offers three prepaid package-Excel, Exceed, and Explore. "About 90 per cent of the new intake prepaid subscribers are students who are particularly attracted to Explore package," Zubir said. In conjunction with the e-pay terminal, Celcom now offers a RM 30 recharge card denomination. Previously, the group only offers RM 50, RM 100 and RM 200 recharge amounts.

Celcom now has 10 recharge card avenues which include SMS online, via telephone, e-voucher, e-kiosk and e-billing. Zubir said Celcom is also in discussion with several banks for automatic top-up through credit card.

From NST Friday, November 21 2003.