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MTN steers service towards SMEs

Bonnie Tubbs
By Bonnie Tubbs, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 23 Nov 2011

In a move to cater for the ever-increasing number of SMEs using prepaid as opposed to contracts for their mobile communications, MTN has augmented its mobile service for the purchase and transfer of airtime.

Unveiled about five years ago, Me2U allows prepaid and TopUp customers to remotely transfer airtime to any MTN subscriber, without incurring registration costs or transfer fees. Transfers can be made in variable amounts, from R2.

Yesterday, MTN announced it had revised Me2U due to an upsurge in the use of this service. Customers can now send airtime as often as they want at no extra charge, and the maximum daily limit that consumers can transfer has been increased, from R200 to R1 000.

According to MTN's GM for consumer segments, Mapula Bodibe, the fivefold increase in transfer capability was spurred by the “significant increase in the number of SMEs utilising the service and wanting to utilise the service”. The service has been adjusted accordingly, says MTN, to enable SMEs on prepaid to make transfers to their various businesses.

MTN SA's chief marketing officer, Serame Taukobong, says the improvements to Me2U mark a move towards increased flexibility, convenience and security. “With the bulk of our mobile users being on prepaid price plans, these enhancements will ensure that airtime requests and transfers remain a hassle-free, painless and safe exercise.”

As at 30 September, MTN had a subscriber base of 20.968 million users, 17.28 million of whom were on the prepaid option.

Taukobong points out that Me2U serves to protect the consumer from retailers that charge extra rand value than the airtime value purchased.

MTN says it is important to note that, although the daily transfer limit is now R1 000, only R200 can be transferred to the same recipient per day.

“Like any value-added service, MTN Me2U has its restrictions. Hybrid customers cannot transfer recurring airtime associated with their tariff plan, and loyalty points are only awarded on the use of the airtime by the receiving subscriber. The transferring subscriber would thus not earn any loyalty points for sending airtime using Me2U,” adds Taukobong.

Any prepaid or TopUp MTN customer can use the service and no registration is required.

To request airtime, MTN customers must dial *141*6328* followed by the number they are requesting airtime from, and then the # sign.

To transfer airtime, the sender dials *141*6328* followed by the recipient's number, rand value of airtime value being transferred, followed by a # sign.

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