Vodacom will offer a credit card service to its contract and top-up customers from next month.
The Vodacom credit card will be issued under FirstRand Bank`s licence and backed by Visa, says the mobile operator in a media statement. Credit card holders will be able to use their credit card anywhere in the world.
The credit card will allow Vodacom to extend its services beyond purely telecommunications offerings, the company says.
"It is critical for Vodacom to not only embrace new markets, but retain existing customers," says Shameel Joosub, Vodacom SA MD.
"With the Vodacom credit card we are meeting a specific need around the lifestyle of our existing customers."
Joosub also notes the concern that South Africans are overburdened with debt, and that institutions should offer credit in a responsible manner.
"We took cognisance of the current credit situation in the country and as such have opted not to offer customers credit for the sake of it," he says.
The difference is that Vodacom will offer creditworthy customers special offers and discounts on items they would normally have purchased, thereby enabling them to save money, he says.
Benefits for Vodacom credit card holders include rewards in the areas of travel, leisure, safety and security, education, as well as Vodacom services and products, Joosub says. Users will also be eligible for discounts at major retailers.
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