Pay for purchase by SMS

New mobile phone banking service was introduced on Philippines by the credit card issuer Citi. It was noticed that people of Philippines are fond of using SMS messaging which served as the main stimulus for Citi to implement the initiative.

Now Filipino cardholders can make credit card charges via text message or phone call.

According to the data cited by Citi last year the total number of all mobile service subscribers accounted for 1 billion with 53 million living in the Philippines. Other source states that in 2007 Filipinos sent 1.5 trillion messages which is more than half the 2.3 trillion text messages sent on a worldwide basis the same year.

At making a transaction cardholders should have their mobile device along with their PIN. The Filipino cell phone credit card payments are accepted now by three merchants, including McDonald's.

But the credit card charges using a text or phone call is not the only service available with Citi. Filipino expatriates will be able to top up their mobile phones from abroad, send phone credits to their family members and deliver flowers or cakes using their cell phones while gaining bonus points.

"No one has ever really introduced something like this, where you can charge something to your credit card just by texting or calling a merchant," says Citi Philippines eConsumer Business Director Cecille Fonancier.