News
GFG:Mobile powers new HotLink™
service for Vodafone New Zealand
20 June 2005 / Media Release
Vodafone New Zealand has launched a new HotLink™ service which allows customers to top up their Prepay or On Account balance directly from a nominated bank account using their mobile phone.
The new service is powered by a world-leading ‘M-Commerce’ electronic payment software solution called GFG:Mobile - developed by specialist payment solutions company, GFG Group.
GFG Group Managing Director Anthony Howard says Vodafone’s adoption of GFG:Mobile is the latest strategic sale by GFG into the Asia Pacific market. Other GFG:Mobile customers in the region include Smart Communications.
At Smart Communications - the Philippines leading wireless services provider with +20 million subscribers - GFG's Mobile Payments technology enables an innovative mobile payment solution called Smart Money. SMART customers can use their mobile phones to top up their accounts, pay bills, and make retail purchases. Smart Money has been recognised on two occasions for innovative use of GSM technology at the annual GSM awards in France.
“We’re delighted that Vodafone is now bringing this technology to the New Zealand market,” Howard says. “Our experience is that providing a mobile top up capability is the first step in a much wider range of payment services and options.”
Vodafone Head of mCommerce, Hamish Sansom describes HotLink™ as an important step forward as New Zealand moves into the mCommerce era. This, he says, will see payment options for a wide variety of products and service evolve with technology.
“Vodafone is leading the charge in mCommerce innovation and we have our eyes on a number of other exciting new services to be announced in the next 18 months,” Sansom says.
Initially HotLink™ will be available to Vodafone users with a Bank of New Zealand bank account, however, other major banks are expected to be onboard soon.
GFG Group’s mobile payments software is installed at ETSL, a company owned by New Zealand’s major trading banks to facilitate interbank transactions. This is designed to ensure that sign up to Vodafone’s scheme is made simple and easy for other banks expected to follow Bank of New Zealand in supporting the new service.
This collaboration between banks and a mobile phone operator is also expected to ease the introduction of new payment services offered over a mobile handset,
Vodafone’s Sansom says that eighty percent of Vodafone’s New Zealand customers rely on Prepay mobiles. It is estimated that it takes each customer an average of 10 minutes once a month to buy a Prepay recharge card.HotLink™ will give customers the option to choose to top up their credit anywhere and at any time directly from their mobile, even overseas in Australia, UK and Spain.
“Our market research told us that HotLink™ is a service mobile customers are crying out for,” Sansom says. “Apart from the hassle of stopping to buy more credit, there is nothing worse than running out of airtime at a crucial moment. This new service will allow you to top up any where and at any time within the New Zealand, Australia, Spain and UK Vodafone network.
“Not only can you top up your own mobile credit, you can use HotLink™ to top up someone else’s. That means parents can give credit instead of cash to kids, and friends short of cash can top up a mate when borrowing a few dollars,” said Hamish Sansom.
Customers can register to use HotLink™ by completing a simple and secure 10 second process at a Bank of New Zealand ATM.
The new technology allows customers to access their personal bank account by typing their debit card pin into the mobile and purchasing up to $200 in credit per day. When the transaction is complete a text message is sent for confirmation.
About Vodafone
Vodafone New Zealand Ltd is part of Vodafone Group Plc, the world’s largest mobile community, with more than 151.8 million proportionate customers worldwide. The company has equity interests in 26 countries over five continents and Partner Networks in a further thirteen countries. As at December 2004 Vodafone New Zealand has more than 1.8 million customers on its fully digital network providing coverage to 97 per cent of the population.
