Smart fetes seafarers with Smart Money offer

IN CELEBRATION of the first ever "Day of the Filipino Seafarers", leading wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is enabling all Filipino seafarers and their loved ones to avail of Smart Money – the world's first cash card linked to a mobile phone – for affordable, secure, and convenient remittance.

From June 25 until December 31, 2011, all Filipino seafarers and their designated beneficiary, or allottee, can simply proceed to any Smart Retail Store anywhere in the country, and present their "seaman's book" or their "allottee card" as proof, to collect their free Smart Money cards and start using the service to directly receive remittance within minutes from abroad.

If the seafarer or the designated beneficiary does not have a Smart or Talk ‘N Text SIM, he can be provided with a Smart Buddy SIM, for free, upon a minimum top-up of P30.

Relevant services

The Smart Money offer complements the Smart Link service designed specifically to answer the communication needs of seafaring Filipinos.

The Philippines is said to be the world's leading supplier of ship crew men and women, with an estimated 330,000 Filipino seafarers, or about a quarter of the world's sailors, manning various types of vessels worldwide.

Smart Link, deployed across 7,500 maritime vessels all over the world, is the country’s first and only prepaid satellite phone service catering to the maritime industry. It provides coverage to seafarers sailing within Asia-Pacific, Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa, and some parts of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea.

"This is one of the synergies that we at Smart are happy to provide to all our valued seafarers everywhere, and to their families here, hopefully to help improve the quality of their lives," shared Orlando B. Vea, co-founder and Chief Wireless Advisor of Smart.

Convenient, fast receipt

Wherever they are in the world, Filipino seafarers can make cash transfers to their loved-ones' Smart Money account in the Philippines. They can do this through any of over 95,000 international money transfer locations, including participating locations of The Western Union Company® and MoneyGram International in the United States, Malaysia, and in Hong Kong.

Once the funds are sent, within minutes the Philippine-based beneficiary receives a free SMS notification on the details of the Smart Money fund transfer. They then have the option to use the funds to securely pay for utility bills such as Meralco and Maynilad, among others, with just a few clicks on their mobile phone, anytime, anywhere.

They may also use funds from their Smart Money electronic wallet to transfer money to their Smart or Talk ‘N Text friends through Pasa Pera by just entering their mobile number, or purchase airtime load for their Smart mobile phones and get 5% bonus load, or to pay for goods and services securely from over 35 million MasterCard establishments worldwide and online.

Smart Money accountholders also have the option to use their Smart Money card to withdraw the seafarer’s cash remittance from any of over 10,000 ATMS, 4,000 Smart Money Centers, or 100 Smart Retail Stores.

To find out more about Smart's slew of services available to seafaring Filipinos and their loved ones, please visit the nearest Smart Wireless Center or Smart Store, or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/SmartCommunications.