Pinoys in the U.S. can now pay online for their family’s Smart and PLDT postpaid bills
Over 1.8M Filipinos based in the United States can now instantly pay the Smart and PLDT postpaid bills of their loved ones in the Philippines online through the pioneering partnership between Maya Philippines (formerly Smart e-Money,Inc.), and Xoom, a leading digital money transfer provider that enables consumers to send money from the U.S. to 41 different countries, including the Philippines.
The Xoom Bill Pay service is powered in the Philippines by Maya Business a digital financial multiplatform from Maya Philippines. Combined with Xoom’s online sending platform, users can enjoy a secure and simplified payment experience, saving overseas Filipinos time and money from going to a brick and mortar store or remittance center. Users are also assured that payments are posted to the specified account with the correct amount.
“With this collaboration of Maya Business and Xoom Bill Pay, we’re providing our countrymen abroad and their families back home with a convenient and innovative digital payments arrangement,” said Benjie S. Fernandez, co-Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at Maya Philippines.
“Xoom’s partnership with Maya is a real win for our Fil-Am customers by making payments for their loved ones in the Philippines easier, simpler and faster,” said Julian King, Xoom’s Chief Marketing Officer. With Xoom Bill Pay, our customers can pay a PLDT or Smart bill anytime, anywhere on their computer, tablet or mobile phone in less than a minute.”
Filipinos in the U.S. can have access to all of Xoom’s Bill Pay features such as real time inquiries on bill amounts and due dates. Xoom users are charged a fee of $2.99 for every bill they pay, but the service is free of charge for the bill account holders in the Philippines.
“One of the most challenging concerns that overseas Filipinos face is paying for the bills for their loved ones in the Philippines. This is usually a complicated process that involves sending the money from abroad to family or friends back home and making sure that the money does indeed go to the payment of bills. We’re offering a straightforward but pioneering solution that leverages our digital financial technologies,” said Lawrence Ferrer, Vice President and Department Head at Maya Philippines.
“The new partnership with Maya Business is poised to create Xoom’s first local bill payment presence in the Philippines, helping Xoom onboard and expand the list of Philippine local billers in their online bill payment platform, starting with PLDT HOME and Smart value-added services, mobile/fixed line, and broadband products,” he added.
PLDT and Smart postpaid subscribers in the Philippines can advise their loved ones living abroad in the U.S. to create a free account on Xoom, connect any U.S. bank account, debit card or bank account as their payment source, and begin paying bills conveniently and securely.
Maya Philippines is the pioneer and leader in mobile money and digital financial services, with over 15 years of experience innovating on products and services across market segments and catering to the financial transaction requirements of the banked and unbanked. It offers Smart Money for mobile money transactions, Smart Padala for domestic remittances and Maya, the mobile app for online payments, and a host of solutions under Maya Business, among other services. Together with Voyager Innovations, Maya Philippines forms the digital innovations unit of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart).
Xoom, a PayPal service, is a leading digital money transfer provider that enables consumers to send money, pay a bill or reload a cellphone for family and friends around the world in a secure, fast and cost-effective way, using their mobile phone, tablet or computer. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and can be found online at www.xoom.com.
