A sweeping dining experience
MANILA, Philippines - We’re in the midst of sweeping changes. And this is no sweeping statement, as we’re about to discover during lunch at Bizu in Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati. I order my favorite salmon — Bizu’s pan seared salmon smothered in pommery mustard sauce. A friend seated across me guiltlessly orders a big fat pork knuckle, prompting me and my seatmate to order another one for sharing. To atone for our sins, we quickly polish off a plate of green salad. Now comes the moment of truth: the bill please! One of Bizu’s wait staff approaches us carrying a POS terminal. We each fork over our Sweep Cards to pay for our individual orders. Sweep what? FYI, Sweep is not a credit card — it’s “a reloadable contactless stored value card that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.” It stores money in the chip of the card (which you can use to pay for purchases) and uses contactless enabled point-of-sale (POS) terminals.
A sweeping glance at my card and I’m hooked. Sixty-eight merchant partners are now ready to accept Sweep payments (visit www.sweeponline.com for a detailed list) in their stores. You can choose to use your card at any or all of these merchant partner stores whose varied offerings include pizzas and pastas; burgers and breads; donuts and whatnots; gelato and yogurt; coffee, tea, and juice; pancakes and cakes; Singaporean, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Indian, and American food. Sweep has also partnered with Petron, National Book Store, Powerbooks, Island Spa, and City Delivery. Coming soon are Rustan’s Supermarket, Shopwise, Tiendesitas, Wendy’s, Highlands Coffee, and Happy Lemon. And you can expect a lot more in the months and years to come.
Hop aboard: Bunny Chua and Kate Hassaram of Autosweep Post Corp. introduce the Sweep Card to lifestyle writers at the launch at Bizu Greenbelt. Photos by JOEY MENDOZA To pay, I don’t swipe my card, I merely tap it on the terminal and out rolls a tape receipt showing my bill: P876.88 for a salmon dish, salad of the day, and a Sprite in can. Of course, I have enough cash stashed in my card to cover the bill. I’m handed the receipt and I’m done. Just like that. No muss, no fuss. No cash? No problem!
“It is the goal of San Miguel Corporation (Sweep is a subsidiary of SMC) to eliminate cash in the Philippines as part of its nation-building thrust,” says Kate Hassaram, marketing manager, Autosweep Post Corp.
With Christmas just around the proverbial corner, Kate suggests, “It’ll be a good Christmas gift to give to your children. It’s safer than letting your kids bring cash to school. It will also teach your kids responsible payment. You can give it to your kids, register online, and you can keep track of how and where your kids are spending their money.”
“Right now, our merchant mix is focused on restaurants because that’s where Filipinos commonly spend a lot of money,” notes Bunny Chua, merchant acquisition manager, Autosweep Post Corp. “We’re slowly branching out into retail; we’re going to have pharmacies, supermarkets, and retail establishments like waxing salons — here, Sweep will really come in handy as it’s hard to bring out cash from your wallet when you just had a manicure. We’re also branching out from Metro Manila to the provinces.”
This hardworking mom adds with a big smile, “You can also see more of Sweep especially in the schools because we’re forming partnerships with a lot of schools and universities to accept Sweep in the cafeteria and school facilities so parents no longer need to give cash allowances to their children. We’re thinking of coming out with a lanyard, like an identification card that schoolchildren can wear. The good thing about that is parents will be able to track the transactions/expenses of their children. Another nice feature of Sweep which I think parents will really appreciate is, if they have a Security Bank account, they can transfer funds from one Sweep card to another (like pasa load). Like I have a son and sometimes, he needs to buy Oslo paper, Pentel Pen, etc. and I’m at work. All I have to do is to log on my account via the mobile website and transfer money to his account.”
This versatile must-have card can also be a great corporate gift. “Instead of giving gift certificates as incentives to their employees, companies like BPOs can give Sweep Cards which, unlike GCs, are not confined to particular establishments,” Bunny stresses. “Like if I give you a GC to a cafe, you wouldn’t appreciate it if you’re not fond of coffee. We’ve received feedback from employees saying that for the first time, they get to choose how and where to spend the incentives they worked hard for.”
Tap and go: Sweep simplifies the payment system. Just load it up and tap to use at any of Sweep’s merchant partners. You may soon even use your Sweep Card to pay for movie tickets. “We’ll bring back the old theater, where you have the balcony, loge, and orchestra, with unlimited popcorn and waiter service,” reveals Greenhills Cinema general manager Paolo Mendoza.
Don’t have your Sweep Card yet? You can buy one for only P100 at participating Petron stations, National Book Store outlets, and soon, at 7-Eleven stores. No annual fee and maintaining balance required. You can reload your Sweep Card over the counter for a minimal fee at National Book Store, Petron, San Miguel Food Avenue, Powerbooks, and SeaOil or online through Security Bank’s bills payment facility. Cardholders can load up to P5,000 which can be used immediately. When you register, the cash limit of the card can be increased to P30,000.
Of course, you get the full benefits of the Sweep Card if you register online. For instance, you can monitor your balance and transaction history online, keep your money safe with the SweepSafe wallet, pay for bills or reload mobile phones online, recover money or points if card is reported lost or stolen, pay for SLEX, Skyway, and Star Tollways toll fees (coming soon), and withdraw money from any ATM (additional steps required).
Now, this card is bound to Sweep you off your feet!
