Bharti Airtel has launched its mCommerce service “airtel money” in Chennai. Following its launch in Gurgaon (National Capital Region) earlier this year, Airtel customers in Chennai are the second in India to benefit from this new service that will enable over the counter and remote transactions via mobile handsets.
To ensure wide acceptance of payments through “airtel money”, the company has established deep partnerships with over 750 merchants across Chennai — including Oriental cuisines, Univercell, Poorvika, Inox, Bharti AXA and LIC. Airtel customers will be able to pay bills, shop and make payments at these outlets without worrying about the need to carry cash or change.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Sriram Jagannathan, Chief Executive Officer, mCommerce, Bharti Airtel, said this mode of payment was secure and convenient.
When asked whether mobile phones would replace credit cards, he said it would be an additional tool of payment mechanism.
He said the challenge was with the people to adopt this method of payment mechanism though government regulations were more technology friendly. Mr. Jagannathan said it was a (subscriber identity module card) a sim-based application and the payment could be made from anywhere at anytime. He said if the mobile was lost, the person concerned would get in touch with the company and ask them to stop the payment.
Rajiv Rajgopal, Chief Executive Officer, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said customers would also be entitled to special discounts and schemes that would be applicable exclusively for transactions made through “airtel money”.
