PLDT and Smart launch all-in-one prepaid card

Sustaining its subscriber-base in an environment of intense competition, telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has put together prepaid products and services offered by different subsidiaries to one access channel.

PLDT and Smart Communications have converged to offer the all-in-one prepaid card called Pwede! Card. It is by far the most versatile and practical communication tool, and the first reloadable PIN-based prepaid card in the Philippines, providing users access to an impressive range of voice and Internet service with lowered rates.

"Unlike before, there is now no need to buy separate cards for each service because one can do all these and more with one powerful solution, the multi-purpose Pwede! Card," said PLDT assistant vice president for card services, and retail marketing Cristina Balingit.

The product was formally introduced in Cebu over the weekend Balingit said PLDT is expecting to roll out thousands of Pwede! Card in the province in the next few months.

"There are a growing number of Cebuanos using prepaid cards in all PLDT and Smart products and services, including our prepaid Internet service called Vibe," Balingit said.

Since its launching in May this year in Metro Manila, PLDT has released about 800,000 reloadable Pwede! Card products, which can be owned by prepaid subscribers for lifetime.

"We are aiming to dispose over one million cards by July, Cebu will be one of the largest markets that will contribute a tremendous growth of the cards roll out," she said.

Pwede! Card is applicable to a medley of PLDT and Smart's services including PLDT landlines both postpaid and prepaid, PLDT and SmartTalk payphones, Smart and Talk 'N Text cellphones.

Reloading is available in any outlet selling automated load services, like those in the neighborhood sari-sari stores.

"This is definitely the most convenient and dynamic prepaid card service in the market today because users can finally access PLDT and Smart's popular services with just one card," she stressed.

All rates are pegged lower than the prevailing rates. Local calls from PLDT landline is at P2 per call unlimited, calls from PLDT landline to any cellphone at P6.50 per minute.

National Direct Dialing (NDD) rate is now made lower down to P5 per minute and International Direct Dialing (IDD) rate is now at P8 per minute.

Prepaid Internet service via Vibe is also offered at P5 per hour, Balingit said this is the lowest (so far) Internet rate in the Philippines today.

The card is available in different denominations to hit a broader market base, from P30, P60, P115, P200, P300 and P500. The card comes with a preloaded value of P12 consumable within 24 hours.

She said the company has now slowly getting away from the throw away cards, thus it introduced the reloadable prepaid subscriber card.