Smart ties up with TrueMoney

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. has entered into a partnership with financial technology firm TrueMoney to expand its retail accessibility.

The partnership enables Smart, TNT and Sun subscribers to easily buy prepaid load through the more than 20,000 TrueMoney centers all over the country.

“This partnership is a fulfillment of a shared vision with TrueMoney, which is to bring more value and convenience to our customers. Our goal is to make our products and services more available to our millions of mobile prepaid subscribers nationwide,” PLDT-Smart vice president and head of national key accounts Precy Katigbak said.

TrueMoney is a leading financial technology company in Southeast Asia. It is owned by Thailand-based digital services and e-commerce company Ascend Group and Alibaba’s Alipay.

“We look forward to this collaboration with an innovative and reliable partner like Smart as we connect more underserved sectors with digital and financial services in the country,” TrueMoney chief finanial officer Jenilyn Valdez said.

Smart, TNT and Sun have over 66.8 million subscribers as of the end of June as it was able to add 8.7 million new subscribers in the first half.

Smart also recently made mobile postpaid services more accessible to customers by teaming up with financial services provider M Lhuillier.

Starting this month, Smart mobile phone users can to sign up for Sun and Smart postpaid plans in over 2,500 M Lhuillier stores nationwide.

Customers will also be able to apply soon for Smart Signature plans, as well as postpaid and prepaid PLDT Home packages.

Smart said about 70 percent of its subscribers are already smartphone owners, most of whom are LTE phone users, and have also already adopted LTE SIMs.