UCom Burundi announces International Airtime Transfer partnership with TransferTo
14th February 2012, Bujumbura/Singapore – Ucom Burundi, part of Orascom Telecom Holdings and largest mobile operator in Burundi, operating under the Leo brand, today announced its partnership with TransferTo, an Ingenico Company and leading provider of International Airtime Transfer services.
This partnership will enable Leo to offer inbound international airtime transfer services to Burundi nationals residing abroad, through the TransferTo Global Airtime Remittance Hub. What it means for a Burundian national living and working for example in France, Belgium, the UK, the USA, Canada, or the Netherlands: thanks to the service offered jointly by TransferTo and Leo, he will be able to send Prepaid Leo phone credits to his loved ones in Burundi. From the convenience of his phone, the Internet or at a retail location, sending airtime to Leo customers is instant and secure. Low in cost for the sender but highly valued by the recipient, prepaid recharge credits enable the sending of small value amounts and as such are the ideal gift and complement to cash remittances.
With over 4%* of Burundi’s population residing abroad TransferTo and its Sending Partners help Leo expand its distribution abroad and reach a strategic but difficult to reach customer segment: emigrants.
Leo said “that teaming up with TransferTo will allow us to offer a service addressing the needs of both our customers in Burundi and their relatives abroad, through innovative channels, as the service will not only be accessible at retailers but also on the phone, via SMS”. TransferTo’s CEO Eric Barbier, underlined the importance of TransferTo’s new partner in Burundi: “as the leading mobile operator in Burundi, Leo is a key milestone for TransferTo’s deployment in Burundi and Africa, that will further strengthen its commitment to offer the broadest possible coverage to African emigrant communities” in key markets such as Europe, Northern America, the GCC Region and South Africa.
* Worldbank Migrations & Remittances 2011 - Burundi
About TransferTo
TransferTo is a Global Airtime Remittance Hub that interconnects mobile operators’ prepaid systems to deliver end to end cross border top-up services. TransferTo is the only fast, convenient and reliable solution enabling the transfer of small amounts of value in the form of prepaid mobile credits, the ideal lowcost, high value complement to cash remittances. TransferTo has been designed for migrants and travellers, who can now remotely recharge the prepaid phones of their loved ones back home from their mobile phones, the Internet or at a retail location. TransferTo is a must have Value Added Service for Mobile Network Operators, Retailers, Money Transfer Operators and Financial Institutions targeting the ethnic market segment. With a global reach over five continents,TransferTo is the leader in international prepaid airtime remittances, and enables real time prepaid top-up transfers to over 230 partner Mobile Network Operators in 80 countries, reaching 3.6 billion prepaid users.
TransferTo is part of Ingenico (Euronext: FR0000125346 - ING) the world’s leading provider of payment solutions, with over 15 million terminals deployed in more than 125 countries. Its 3,500 employees worldwide support retailers, banks and service providers to optimize and secure their electronic payments solutions, develop their offer of services and increase their point of sales revenue.
For more information, visit http://www.transfer-to.com
Media Contact:
Erik Van Thielen
+6563457022
Erik.van-thielen@transfer-to.com
About Leo, visit : www.leo.bi
Media Contact:
Diane Tuyishime
+25779944870
dianet@leo.bi