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Boom time for prepaid cellular

By Cointel
Johannesburg, 01 Jul 2005

Prepaid cellular is the fastest growing industry in SA with approximately 10 000 new customers buying prepaid cellphones each and every day.

Prepaid airtime is one of the many services offered by Cointel. It allows users to top up airtime onto any Vodacom, MTN, Cell C or Telkom prepaid phone from any cellphone, Telkom line or via the Internet.

The prepaid airtime facility replaces the need to purchase recharge vouchers. It`s simple, it`s easy - all you need is your credit card and your four-digit recharge PIN. This 24/7 service is instantaneous. As soon as you have recharged your airtime, it is available for use.

Advantages of prepaid airtime include: no contracts, free voicemail retrieval and unlimited free incoming calls. Through not having a contract, this alleviates the need for tedious credit checks, monthly bills and subscription costs.

It is the perfect solution for company phones and for users where cellphone call expenditure needs to be capped, but where they are able to be contacted regardless of whether they have airtime or not.

Registration is easy, simply go to https://www.cointelrecharge.co.za/CointelRecharge/Images/Register.pdf, complete the registration form and fax to Cointel. You will receive your recharge PIN within 48 hours.

Says Gary Nunez, Cointel`s technical director: "We develop ideas that add value to the service Vodacom provides. In an industry where market growth is expected to slow, growth will have to come from increased use of the cellphone network, rather than from an increased number of users."

Two additional services incorporated under Cointel`s prepaid airtime facility are Vodago FoneRecharge and SimTransact. They are clear examples of Cointel`s innovation in harnessing cellular technology to perform additional functions - making cellphones an integral part of business requirements, from calling to financial management to generating income.

Vodago FoneRecharge serves the purpose of topping up airtime, with the added bonus of making money. South Africans spend an average of R10 million per day recharging their Vodago cellphones with airtime. So, whether you are starting your own business, supplementing your income or are an existing cellphone dealer, Vodago FoneRecharge is the cheapest, most convenient, easiest, safest and most secure way to sell airtime to Vodago users.

By becoming a Vodago FoneRecharge distributor, you are authorised to sell Vodago airtime to all Vodago users. Using your Vodacom connected cellphone, you can, within seconds recharge your customers` phones. The profit is yours to keep - there are no delays, no overheads, no stock shortages and no theft!

Absa Bank, Cointel, Mastercard International and Vodacom exclusively bring this unique franchise opportunity to you. With reliable partners like these, you can be confident your venture into cellular will be the easiest and most profitable business decision you can make.

To apply to become a Vodago FoneRecharge distributor, phone 11300 [toll-free] from your Vodacom connected cellphone, or send an e-mail to customercare@cointel.co.za.

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SimTransact

SimTransact is a payment gateway which enables merchants to process credit card transactions to financial institutions using various channels. This enables cellphone users to accept credit card payments through their cell phones or via the Internet. Access channels include interactive voice response (IVR), USSD (which is a cheaper, faster form of SMS), and the Internet. IVR entails following voice prompts when dialling the required number to access the Simplus Platform. To apply for SimTransact, send a mail to simtransact@simplus.biz.

SimTransact consists of three functional tiers, namely: 1) Small Business Solutions processing up to R30 000 a month, 2) Medium Enterprise Solutions processing between R 30 000.01 and R150 000 a month, and 3) Corporate Payment Solutions generating turnover exceeding R150 000.01 per month and above. Added to the benefit of being able to process transactions anywhere, anytime, with SimTransact you can now expect faster settlement, real-time transaction authorisation, a confirmation SMS sent to your mobile phone validating the transaction and full transaction history reports online at www.simtransact.co.za. You can also perform refunds on transactions from the Web site.

As an added security feature, your customers can also dial in from their cellphone or access the SimTransact central payment page and use your cell number as the merchant code and process the transaction in this manner, putting them at ease with regards to card information security. Your customer will receive a confirmation SMS on their mobile phone. For more information about these and other services offered by Cointel, please contact (011) 848 8455, and a friendly consultant will be able to assist you.

Editorial contacts

Jan Cohen
Jello Marketing
(082) 447 8546