<<Print>>

Airtel Ghana has extended its M-Commerce service, Airtel Money, to the Melcom Plus supermarket at North Kaneshie in Accra. This means that shoppers can pay for their shopping at Melcom Plus using their mobile phones without physical cash. Melcom Plus joins other retail outlets where Airtel Money can be used to pay for various services and for shopping. The Airtel Money service was introduced by Airtel Ghana as a mobile commerce service that allows subscribers to use their mobile phones as a mobile wallet. Subscribers are able to use the service to pay bills and goods and services, receive money - and send money to friends and family, deposit and withdraw cash, top up airtime - or top up someone else's and to check bank balances. Director of M-Commerce at Airtel Ghana, Kola Sonola said the addition of Melcom Plus to the list of Airtel Money enabled retail outlets will offer customers a safer and easier way to pay at Melcom Plus which offers the public a wide range of goods from several brands. He said �Airtel Money is expanding at a steady pace and we are working with strategic businesses and outlets which our subscribers will find useful to their needs. Again, the convenience and safe nature of Airtel Money is always opening up to business opportunities with other financial institutions and businesses�. According to him �the world is gradually moving to a cashless economy and Airtel Money is strategically positioned to make it happen�, he said. The Head of Corporate Communications and External Affairs of Airtel Ghana, Donald Gwira said Airtel Money has partnered with ECOBANK, UBA, Zenith Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and Unibank, adding that �there are currently plans underway to add GT Bank and UT Bank and other financial institutions. Mr. Gwira added that there are about 17 micro-finance institutions who have partnered with Airtel Money to enable their clients pay their investment contribution via their phones. Other retail outlets where Airtel Money is available include Koala Shopping Centre at Osu, Maxmart Supermarket in the A&C Mall at East Legon. Additionally, the following restaurants also accept Airtel Money as forms of payment; Bus Stop Restaurant (Circle), Galaxy Restaurant (A&C Shopping Mall), Sunshine Restaurant (Osu), Honeysuckle pub opposite Fire Service Headquarters on the Ring Road and Agbamame (Tema). To use Airtel Money, one has to get an Airtel Ghana SIM card, a valid photo ID (passport/voter identification card/driver�s license /NHIS/National ID); then one has to fill out an application form (visit any of the Airtel shops, Airtel money agents or partner banks; (Ecobank, UBA, Standard Chartered Bank; Unibank and Zenith Bank); the Airtel Money agent will review your application, verify the ID and electronically (via fully encrypted SMS) submit your application details to Airtel Ghana�s Mobile Commerce platform for account activation. Upon successful registration, a subscriber will receive a confirmation SMS. Please note that for the service, the default password is 1234. For security purposes, you will not be able to conduct any further activity unless you change the default password to 4 digits of your choice.