Bluesky launches mobile-based transaction system

By Soli Wilson 14 February 2019, 12:00AM

Local mobile phone company Bluesky yesterday launched its first mobile phone-based payment application.

The service will enable Bluesky customers to process or make and receive payments or transfer funds with another phone user.

Bluesky chief executive officer, Toleafoa Douglas Creevey, said the M-Tala is a mobile wallet and is a new financial platform available to Bluesky customers as well businesses or commercial enterprises.

He said mobile commerce is not a new concept, but they decided to introduce it in order to add to similar services already available.

“It is a new mobile financial platform that is available to any and all customers of Bluesky. But it’s also available to any business and commercial enterprises in the country that wish to access and utilize,” he said.

“We’ve taken it another step further and make it a lot more useful to the customers in Samoa, primarily Bluesky customers. You should be able to transfer funds between one phone customer and another phone.”

While the transfer of funds between two customers might sound like transferring credit, Toleafoa said the transfer involved real currency and not phone credits.

“It’s transferring commercial currency from one phone to another that is completely separate from your phone credit and you can utilize that beginning with some of the merchants we are already talking to and working with to be able to pay and download or purchase services.”

Some of the bills that can be paid for using the new mobile-phone based financial platform include electricity and water, which Toleafoa said can be done from the comfort of one’s home. 

“For example when paying for utilities whether it’s for electricity, water or any other service, instead of requiring cash, you can pay for it through a mobile M-Tala transaction and you can make that from the comfort of your home, and from your rural and remote village, without having to travel all the way to town.”

Registration for the M-Tala service is free through a three step process: register at any Bluesky retail store or authorized M-Tala agents with a valid photo ID, receive your confirmation text message with activation key or pin number and activate and access your M-Tala account by dialing *175#

Dispelling fears concerning the security of the newly launched system, Toleafoa said it met all the requirements and has been licensed as a financial institution by the Central Bank of Samoa. 

“This is cash converted to mobile currency, which we have designed with bulletproof safety to comply with all international banking regulations. We have received the approval from the Central Bank of Samoa which states we are in full regulatory compliance,” he added.

By Soli Wilson 14 February 2019, 12:00AM

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