News
Customers do it their way on
new Vodafone Hotlink™
20 October 2005 / Media Release
Six months after Vodafone New Zealand launched its HotLink service – allowing customers to use mobile phones to top up prepay or account balances directly from a nominated bank account – customers are using the new service in unexpected ways.
Powered by GFG:Mobile, the service lets customers top up anywhere, anytime within the New Zealand, Australia, Spain and U.K Vodafone network. Importantly, the GFG solution enables customers to top-up other people, and it’s this revenue that has surpassed Vodafone’s projections.
“We always knew people would top-up their friends and family, but the amount of third party top-ups have exceeded all expectations,” says Hamish Sansom, Head of Mobile Commerce for Vodafone New Zealand.
“Revenue from top-ups to third parties is double what we expected.”
Customers can specify any amount between $20 and $200, and Hamish Sansom says he’s been surprised to see the varied top-up amounts people have been choosing.
"We can’t know why they chose these amounts, but it demonstrates that we were right not to be restrictive and try to force customers into pre-defined top-up purchases. Instead, we have let our customers be free to choose how much they top-up."
Vodafone expects that HotLink will predominantly replace existing manual top-up methods. The company will retain the traditional channels for top-ups – such as vouchers sold at convenience stores - to maximise customer choice.
Launched with the support of the Bank of New Zealand, the new service is now attracting attention from other banks. Two more banks are in final talks with Vodafone.
Vodafone expects to launch new and innovative services on the back of HotLink.
“We’re working with the banking industry to facilitate other bill payments and general mobile payments,” Hamish Sansom says.
“GFG is helping us to work closely with banks to develop fresh services.”
Overseas success stories include the ability to pay utility bills such as electricity and gas, and to make mobile payments for items such as parking meters, vending machines and public transport.
Hamish Sansom says he sees the HotLink service as the start of New Zealand’s real entry into the mobile payments market.
“It’s logical to integrate the service into the EFTPOS network, which has been so successful in New Zealand. Different banks will be keen on different services, but overall it’s clear that HotLink represents a taste of what is to come.”
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.
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