MTN is letting customers buy prepaid airtime directly from the operator, using a cellphone and credit card.
The service, MTN Eazi Recharge, requires customers to register their Visa or MasterCard details using an SMS-based service. Once registered, the cost of airtime will be directly debited from the customer's credit card account.
According to the company, the airtime can be sent directly to a customer's cell, or to a beneficiary. The new service also applies to MTN Top-Up.
Once registered, customers can transact only by using a secure payPIN plus the last three numbers on the back of their credit cards when buying airtime. As an additional security measure, a daily limit of R300 will apply on all MTN Eazi Recharge transactions.
An SMS confirmation and reference code will be sent to the customer confirming a purchase, the cellphone number the airtime was purchased for and the amount.
MTN says the Eazi Recharge service is only available to customers with Visa or MasterCard accredited bank credit cards.
To register, MTN says customers should dial *141*10#, enter an ID number, their credit card number and the expiry date. The security three-digit code must also be entered. Customers will then receive the PIN number required to transact.
Buying airtime using the service is a similar process to a normal airtime purchase, and can be accessed via *141*10# and by following the prompts.
MTN has a banking division, which is backed by Standard Bank, which deals with similar transactions for customers of the service. The company has built-in several security measures that maintain security, such as encryption and PIN services.
However, lost phones are still risky for users. MTN's banking pages explain that, if a customer has lost a phone, they should contact MTN to disable cellphone access to the credit card. More information can be found on MTN's Web site.
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