The SM Store and PayMaya lead retail industry transformation with cashless payments

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The SM Store and PayMaya Philippines are once again redefining the shopping experience in the Philippines with a new campaign to provide added convenience and delight to customers through a nationwide 10% rebate on all purchases made using PayMaya QR. 

Through PayMaya QR, shoppers at The SM Store can just open their PayMaya app, tap the “Scan” button, and point their phones at the special QR codes displayed at The SM Store’s Mobile Pay lanes to complete their transactions. PayMaya's cashless system has been made available since last December in all branches of The SM Store nationwide. 

To encourage more Filipinos to experience cashless convenience, PayMaya is offering an introductory promo where shoppers can get a 10% rebate (up to P100 per branch per day) on their purchases whenever they pay using PayMaya QR at all branches of The SM Store from January 15 to April 15, 2018. For every P1,000 spend, shoppers also get the chance to win an iPhone X. 

10% rebate on all PayMaya QR transactions plus more

“We are happy to have a new way to make shopping more convenient for our shoppers,” said The SM Store President Chelo C. Monasterio. “The retail landscape is changing, and The SM Store is proud to lead the way with partners like PayMaya.”

The SM Store and PayMaya stepped up their collaboration to revolutionize the shopping experience of Filipinos with PayMaya QR, formally launched at the Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall on January 17. Present during the event were PLDT, Smart, Voyager and PayMaya Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan (third from left); The SM Store President Chelo C. Monasterio (third from right); PayMaya President and CEO Orlando B. Vea (second from left); Smart Vice President for Wireless Key Accounts Development Precy Katigbak (second from right); SM Mart, Inc. Executive Vice President for Controllership Ricky A. Lim (rightmost); PayMaya COO and Managing Director Paolo Azzola (leftmost).

“More and more Filipinos are using cashless payments with PayMaya, and we're excited to work with like-minded companies such as SM in innovating on the retail shopping experience with the help of our payment technologies. With companies like SM taking the lead, we’ll see PayMaya QR in a lot more stores and establishments all around the country,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman at PLDT, Smart, Voyager, and PayMaya.

Easy payments, top-ups at The SM Store 

Be it the latest fashion items, toys, shoes or home products, Filipinos can now easily pay for all their shopping finds at The SM Store with just their phones with the help of PayMaya QR.

Getting a PayMaya account is easy. All they have to do is download the PayMaya app on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, register for an account using any mobile number from a Philippine mobile network, load up their account in any of the more than 15,000 PayMaya load-up touchpoints nationwide, and use the “Scan” QR feature within the app to instantly pay for their purchases.

Paying with PayMaya is also made more convenient with load-up options at all SM Business Services inside The SM Store. Account holders can also load up their PayMaya accounts at 7-Eleven, ExpressPay, TouchPay kiosks, Palawan Pawnshops, Shopwise, Wellcome, 2Go outlets, Petron stations along NLEX, and Smart Padala centers, as well as through Unionbank ATMs and RCBC retail online banking.

"SM has been an early partner of PayMaya as a load-up center for our customers, as well as a valued partner of our Smart Padala remittance service. This is a natural progression of our collaboration as we make it easier for our customers to use their PayMaya accounts anywhere they are in the country. We thank our partners like SM for helping accelerate cashless adoption among consumers," said Orlando B. Vea, President and CEO at PayMaya Philippines.

Building a Cashless Philippines

PayMaya’s partnership with The SM Store for QR-based payments builds on its trailblazing initiative of building a “Cashless Philippines” in line with National Retail Payment System initiative led by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that aims to increase the share of electronic transactions in the country by 20% in 2020. 

To support this vision, PayMaya has launched game-changing innovations including PayMaya QR. Various merchants are now equipped with the payments technology, including all Smart Stores nationwide, food parks like The Yard Timog, Pioneer Street Market, and Hue Hotel and Resorts and Station X in Boracay, as well as establishments such as Fairmont Makati and Army Navy, among many others.

Today, PayMaya is also the largest online and mobile acquirer in the Philippines, powering card payment acceptance of some of the biggest e-Commerce retailers in the country, including the likes of Lazada, Zalora, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific. Most recently, PayMaya has enabled McDonald's to accept card payments in its restaurants and online delivery card acceptance will also be available soon. 

PayMaya Philippines, the country’s pioneer and leader in cashless payments, is the digital financial services arm of PLDT’s Voyager Innovations. 

To know more about PayMaya’s products and services for consumers and businesses, visit www.paymaya.com.

Talk2 launches Balik-Bayan, Balik-Saya Promo, aims to give a grand homecoming to OFWs this Christmas season

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Christmas is the longest holiday in the Philippines - beginning in September and stretching until January of the next year. But the Filipinos’ fascination with Christmas does not start and end on the delicious smell of puto bungbong on simbang gabi, or the piles of gifts sitting under the Christmas tree. To many Filipino families, this season signifies the homecoming of their loved ones working in other parts of the world.

The promise of a grand homecoming this Christmas awaits our hardworking kababayans abroad as Talk2, a communication app developed by Voyager Innovations, launches its Balik-Bayan, Balik-Saya promo.

From September to December 14, 2017, OFWs and their loved ones back home can get a chance to win the ultimate pamasko from Talk2 - a BalikBayan travel package within the country, or a flashy, new iPhone 7 unit.

To join the promo, the OFW must download the Talk2 app, register by texting JOIN <space>Complete Name/Gender/Age/Complete Address to 82552 using the Talk2 app, and wait for the raffle confirmation from the said mobile number.

“We are delighted to offer this Christmas gift to our users all over the world. This is, of course, Talk2’s way of showing appreciation for the hard work and contributions of our modern day heroes to their families, and the entire country. With this, we hope more family members and friends would encourage their OFW loved ones to join this promo and get a chance to win these exciting prizes.” Heidi Garayblas, Head of Integrated Marketing and Communications at hatch, the digital customer engagement arm of Voyager.

Talk2 is one of the many digital and mobile platforms being offered by hatch to millions of Filipino users nationwide. It is an app that allows Filipinos to communicate with their loved ones working abroad at local rates.

By downloading the app and purchasing at least one Talk2 call/text package, the user residing abroad automatically gets a Philippine mobile number so that their friends and family back home can call and text them as if they never left. This means that their loved ones in the Philippines do not need to own a smartphone or connect to the internet in order to reach them, and OFWs can easily contact them at the most affordable rates.

More than just providing an affordable, reliable, and convenient means of communication to its users, Talk2 is all about bridging the distance between our hardworking kababayans abroad and their loved ones in the Philippines - giving them the “Kwentuhang Parang Nasa Pinas Lang” experience.

In fact, Talk2 has enabled closer connections and digital experiences among over a million families in the Philippines and their loved ones abroad.

Android users can easily download Talk2 from the Google Play Store, while iOS users can download the app from the App store. Upon downloading the app, all users need to do is sign-up using their mobile number to use Talk2.

Talk2 is one of the many digital products fuelled by Voyager Innovations. Voyager seeks to develop the products that will accelerate the digital transformation of Filipino consumers and enterprises. Key to this transformation is the communication space, which Talk2 is seeking to redefine.

Download the Talk2 app now at http://htch.ph/talk2android for Android and http://htch.ph/talk2ios for iOS.

LANDBANK, RiteMed, FINTQ launch #TxtMED medicine loan service

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The partnership between LANDBANK, RiteMed, and FINTQ, the financial technology arm of PLDT and Smart's Voyager Innovations  provide digital access, for affordable and quality medicines within easier reach through the Tamang Alaga TxTMED program – “Kapag kailangan ng gamot, dapat may gamot." 

TxTMED leverages the LANDBANK Mobile Loan Saver (LMLS) as a digital platform to provide borrowers the option to allocate a portion of their approved net loan proceeds to purchase medicines.

A first in the country, the medicine loan service allows employees from the government and private sector with payroll accounts with LANDBANK, including Overseas Filipinos to electronically order and purchase medicines through their mobile phones without the hassle of outright cash payment. This is available across all telco providers.

From left) RiteMed Philippines, Inc. General Manager Vincent Patrick Guerrero, LANDBANK SVP Liduvino Geron, LANDBANK President and CEO Alex Buenaventura, LANDBANK EVP Julio Climaco Jr., and FINTQ by PLDT Managing Director Lito Villanueva lead the press launch of the Tamang Alaga TxTMED program at the LANDBANK Plaza in Manila.

RiteMed will offer a whole range of maintenance medicines at special prices through TxTMED, where medicines will also be delivered for free.

“This partnership with RiteMed and FINTQ attests to the endless possibilities in terms of financial technology and the value of public-private sector collaboration, as we work towards optimizing digital transactions to improve access to quality healthcare across the country,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Alex V. Buenaventura.

"RiteMed is committed to providing access to quality and affordable medicines for our fellow Filipinos. TxTMED is a collaboration of leaders in the healthcare, telecommunications, and finance industries that enable us to fulfill this mandate," says Vincent Patrick Guerrero, general manager of RiteMed.

“Through technology and the strong backend support of a financial institution, our fellow Filipinos can now carry the burden of chronic illnesses who need to take medicines for life. According to a study by the Department of Health in 2016, households spend 50% on out-of-pocket healthcare expenses when a member of the family is sick," Guerrero adds.

Lito Villanueva, Managing Director of FINTQ

"This is another first in the world in providing access to healthcare through a digital lending channel. A high-impact initiative that promotes universal health care and social support access among Filipinos even at the grassroots, which is a basic human right,” said Lito Villanueva, Managing Director of FINTQ.

"The power of digital lies in its ability to address gaps, and we're confident that the TxTMED service will help bridge access gaps for everyone's benefit," Villanueva stressed.

Cebu Pacific launches an online travelmart via Takatack

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Takatack, the shopping discovery platform from Voyager Innovations has now become the eCommerce partner of Cebu Pacific, enabling Filipinos to complete the traveling experience by getting the right travel essentials.

Anyone who has ever traveled knows that booking a flight is only one part of the equation. To truly enjoy the experience one would need to prepare all the essentials for the journey. If you’re vacationing to a cold weather climate like Japan, you will want the perfect jacket, whereas if you’re going to a tropical location like Boracay, you will want the best and trendiest swimwear.

With great travel comes great...shopping

Getting the right clothes is just one example of how you might need to prepare for a trip. Luckily, shopping discovery platform Takatack can help you with whatever you might need. Through the partnership between Cebu Pacific (CEB) and Voyager Innovations, Takatack brings eCommerce to the airline’s website as visitors will see a banner that redirects to a special portal in Takatack.

“We’re happy to provide our guests with a hassle-free shopping experience for travel essentials through the CEB Online Shopping page on Takatack.com,” says Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Distribution.

The CEB Online Shopping portal in Takatack carries everything you might need for your next trip with categories that address the typical traveler’s needs including travel essentials in Change Time Zones, Not Comfort Zones; luggage and bags in Bags are Packed, I’m Ready to Go; and pet travel items in When Pets Fly.

Each of these categories offers amazing deals on products that will make your traveling experience a delight. For example, Traveling, Music to My Ears has headphones of every shape and size, so that you can comfortably listen to your favorite artists every leg of your journey, while Ahead of the Pack(ing) provides a selection of organizers that make things easier to store, and much more importantly, find.

Aggregating these disparate categories into a single portal makes it easier to plan your next trip, as Rebecca Ricalde, the Assistant Vice President for Digital Commerce of Voyager Innovations, explained.

“Most online marketplaces are organized into product categories. If you’re planning a trip, this means you’ll have to scour different corners of a website to even begin to find what you want. With Takatack’s new CEB Online Shopping portal, you can quickly choose the items that you need in a single, easy-to-use interface,” Ricalde said, adding that she has already bought items from several of the categories, including Traveling, Music to My Ears, When Pets Fly, and Ahead of the Pack(ing) - in anticipation of her next trip to Palawan.

The Philippines like never before

The partnership between Takatack and CEB represents a powerful one-two punch.

“Flying affordably, which Cebu Pacific enables you to do, is the first important step in traveling. The next crucial part, which is often overlooked, is making sure that you have the right things - sometimes even the right things to do. As such, the portal even offers travel packages that help you experience the Philippines like never before,” said Ricalde.

“As much as we love traveling, it can be hard to plan. With Takatack’s new CEB Online Shopping portal, we want to help travelers buy the essentials and maximize their trip,” she said.

“Voyager has been enabling enterprises like Cebu Pacific to grow their business and accelerate their digital transformation by providing a robust eCommerce platform that will allow them to easily sell online,” Benjie Fernandez, COO of Voyager Innovations, said. “Cebu Pacific has been an established game-changer in the airline industry, and we are happy to be taking this flight with them as we jointly expand eCommerce opportunities in the country.”

Interested travelers can now shop for their travel essentials at https://www.takatack.com/pages/cebu-pacific.

ABOUT TAKATACK.COM

Fueled by Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and PLDT, Takatack.com aggregates many trusted online stores, together with the thousands of merchants who established their own online shops through the TackThis! platform.

Smart Padala strengthens leadership in remittance, launches new campaign with Angel Locsin as brand ambassador

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Angel Locsin

Smart Padala, the remittance brand of PayMaya Philippines (formerly Smart eMoney, Inc.), launches today its new campaign with Angel Locsin as its brand ambassador as part of efforts to further strengthen its leadership in the remittance service industry.

The new campaign aims to reinforce the brand message of Smart Padala which is PadaLapit. 

Based on data from the first National Baseline Survey on Financial Inclusion released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas mid-2015, it is estimated that on average, Filipinos take around 22 minutes to reach the nearest financial services touch point. It also costs an average of P43 for a roundtrip fare.

With 15,000 Smart Padala centers nationwide, there is a Smart Padala center in almost every municipality so users do not need to travel, spend for the fare, and consume time just to send or receive money remittances. Smart Padala makes home feel closer by sending the remittances of family breadwinners to their loved ones in the most accessible, convenient, and secure manner. These centers include the recently launched Smart Padala International flagship stores that enable Filipinos to receive the remittances of their loved ones abroad.

“Since the brand was launched over ten years ago, Smart Padala has been enabling our countrymen to send and receive money anywhere in the country in a fast, easy, secure, and affordable manner. With this campaign, we reaffirm and strengthen this ‘PadaLapit’ brand that has made us a fixture of Filipino life,” said Benjie Fernandez, co-COO of PayMaya Philippines and COO of Voyager Innovations.

Known to be a family-oriented celebrity and an advocate of various causes, Angel Locsin was chosen by Smart Padala as the ideal ambassador for the brand as it intensifies its push for financial inclusion. 

“Angel Locsin represents the family and service-oriented values of Smart Padala. Aside from being a devoted daughter, she also supports advocacies such as the Philippine Red Cross and women’s rights. We’re happy to welcome her to the Smart Padala family,” said Lawrence Ferrer, Vice President and Head of Domestic Business at PayMaya Philippines.

“I’m proud to be the new ambassador of Smart Padala. Naniniwala ako sa brand dahil malaki ang naitutulong ng Smart Padala sa mga manggagawa at pamilyang Pilipino. By representing the brand, I hope to help in Smart Padala’s mission to uplift more lives and communities,” said Angel Locsin. 

On top of enabling mobile money remittance, Smart Padala also fosters entrepreneurship in the community. 

“The backbone of our business is our army of Smart Padala community partners. Part of our mission is to help families and communities by providing micro-entrepreneurship opportunities. Anyone can be our partner and open a Padala center — all they need is a cellular phone, our basic business documentary requirements, and the driving passion to be of service,” said Paolo Azzola, Managing Director and co-COO of PayMaya Philippines. 

“PadaLapit Lang With Smart Padala” from L-R: Benjie Fernandez, co-COO of PayMaya Philippines and COO of Voyager Innovations; Smart Padala ambassador Angel Locsin, Paolo Azzola, Managing Director and co-COO of PayMaya Philippines; and Lawrence Ferrer, Vice President and Head of Domestic Business at PayMaya Philippines

PadaLapit Lang with Smart Padala!

With 15,000 Padala centers nationwide, sending money to loved ones anywhere in the country can be as simple as buying mobile load from a nearby sari-sari store. 

To make mobile money more inclusive, Smart Padala launched last year its Pick-Up Anywhere service, which allows users to send money to anyone, regardless of mobile network, to be redeemed at any Smart Padala center nationwide. 

It also launched promos such as Padalang Padalow for lower customer service fees and incentives to Padala partners. 

“Smart Padala is truly a Filipino brand. It has made its mark not only as the global pioneer in mobile money but as an inclusive financial services enabler, making lives easier for the unconnected, unbanked and uncarded. We are committed in bringing this vision of bridging the digital divide through relevant services such as Smart Padala,” said Orlando B. Vea, President and CEO at PayMaya Phiippines. 

PayMaya Philippines is the digital financial services unit of PLDT and Smart Communications (Smart), under the Voyager Group. Aside from Smart Padala, among its innovative services include: PayMaya, the leading over-the-top digital payments app in the Philippine market; PayMaya Business, suite of solutions for businesses of any size; and Smart Money, the pioneering mobile money service linked to the Smart SIM and mobile phone. 

To know more about Smart Padala, visit www.smartpadala.ph and like its official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SmartPadalaPH.

Smart Padala helps bolster PH economy as leader in mobile remittance industry; Launch of its new campaign with its new brand ambassador Angel Locsin

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PayMaya Philippines (formerly Smart eMoney, Inc.) continues to lead the mobile remittance industry with its Smart Padala service on the back of a new consumer brand campaign coupled with strong remittance volumes here and abroad, further bolstering the Philippine economy as investor and consumer confidence likewise continues to expand.

Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), in particular, reached $25.8 billion in 2015 and accounted for 9.8% of the country’s economic output last year. But with the brisk growth in mobile-based remittance led by PayMaya Philippines’ Smart Padala remittance service, further expansion is to be expected.

The company expects an overall transaction throughput volume of P200-billion by end-2016. PayMaya Philippines will source the throughput volumes from its PayMaya digital payments wallet app, PayMaya Business and trade payment solutions, Smart Padala mobile money transfer and remittance service.

Orlando B. Vea, President and CEO of PayMaya Philippines and Voyager Innovations.

“Opportunities in this industry remain huge as there is a still vast need to service the gaps for the unbanked and uncarded Filipinos. We are sustaining Smart Padala’s momentum as the leading mobile remittance service in the country through our new brand campaign, more pervasive on-ground presence with our flagship stores, enhanced services, more partnerships and inclusive innovations. Through these efforts, we hope to drive financial inclusion as we also grow our business,” said Orlando B. Vea, president and CEO of PayMaya Philippines and Voyager Innovations.

According to a recent mobile money report by the GSMA, mobile money has immense potential to change lives and livelihoods around the world because of its security, convenience, and instantaneous nature. It is also available in majority of economies with fewer than 20% of the population having access to formal financial institutions, such as the Philippines.

Digital and mobile money services are therefore seen as critical elements in bridging economic growth through financial inclusion. Based on data from the 1st National Baseline Survey on Financial Inclusion released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) last year, 7 out of 10 Filipinos are still unbanked.

It also takes Filipinos an average of 22 minutes to reach the nearest financial services provider. In terms of cost, the average round trip fare to reach a financial access point is P43. Meanwhile, for a country with a 119 million population, mobile phone penetration is at 117%, underscoring the huge role of mobile in enabling financial access.

Angel Locsin,  Smart Padala brand ambassador

Vea reaffirmed this positive outlook during the unveiling today of the new Smart Padala logo and the launch of its new campaign with celebrity Angel Locsin as its brand ambassador. The campaign aims to reinforce the unique selling proposition of Smart Padala as the most accessible, convenient, innovative and relevant mobile money remittance service in the Philippines.

Mobile money as driver for progress

With the most number of touchpoints at 15,000 Padala partner centers and growing, Smart Padala has started rolling out its rebranded flagship stores across the country. Aside from stronger presence and merchandising with the new logo, the flagship stores also offer enhanced services including international remittance, bills payment and as fulfillment center for other upcoming financial technology services.

Smart Padala has also been deploying consumer-oriented promotions such as its Padalang Padalow for lower customer service fees and incentives to Padala partners.

Benjie Fernandez, co-COO of PayMaya Philippines and COO of Voyager Innovations

“Underlying this campaign is our commitment to provide financially inclusive services, a mission that remains unchanged since we launched the brand ten years ago. What has further grown is the increasing use case of mobile as a tool for socio-economic progress. From just being a tool for communications, the use of mobile for financial services is helping individuals, families, businesses and communities," said Benjie Fernandez, co-COO of PayMaya Philippines and COO of Voyager Innovations.

Financial inclusion through innovation

“PayMaya Philippines continues to take an active role in accelerating financial inclusion in the Philippines through inclusive innovations. We have transitioned from a SIM-based, telco-based platform to an app-enabled, over-the-top digital platform to serve more users, with an eye not just in the Philippine market but beyond,” said Paolo Azzola, Managing Director and co-COO of PayMaya Philippines.

To make mobile money more inclusive, PayMaya Philippines introduced the Smart Padala Pick-Up Anywhere enhanced service in December last year, allowing customers to send money to anyone, regardless of mobile network, and to be redeemed at any Smart Padala center nationwide.

PayMaya Philippines, part of the Voyager Group, is the digital financial services unit of PLDT and Smart Communications (Smart). Its services are regulated by the BSP to ensure all user transactions are secure. Aside from being the first non-financial institution in Asia to be granted an issuing and acquiring license by Visa, PayMaya Philippines also counts MasterCard as its partner. 

To know more about Smart Padala, visit www.smartpadala.ph or like their official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SmartPadalaPH.

Need a wingman on Valentine’s Day? Takatack and PayMaya can get you the best gifts in town

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With Valentine's Day just three weeks away, Filipinos may still not be sure of what to get for or how to spend that red letter day with their loved ones. Luckily for them,Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines, the digital innovations units of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), have the ultimate wingmen for them.

Shopping discovery platform Takatack and digital payments mobile app PayMaya can help Filipinos ace the two most challenging parts of this special day - gifts and dates.

Takatack has all the traditional gifts you may want to give your special someone, such as chocolates and sweets. And with over 400,000 products, the site should also be your go-to destination if you want to choose a more unique gift, such as a new camera for the budding photographer in your life or a baking set for your favorite chef.

Rebecca Ricalde, Assistant Vice President for Digital Commerce at Voyager Innovations, believes that the wide range of products at Takatack makes it the best place to choose your Valentine’s Day gift.

“Let’s face it: Gift-giving, especially on Valentine’s day, is not easy. You want to choose the right gift for your special someone, but it’s a tall task to run around a crowded mall, shuffling from store to store. With close to half a million products, Takatack makes this process easier by allowing you to find the perfect item, all just a click away,” said Ricalde.

Once you find the right gift, you can have it delivered directly to your special someone for a one-of-a-kind, doorstep surprise, which Ricalde feels is a nice touch for the occasion.

“Much of what makes Valentine’s Day exciting is anticipation. You look forward to February 14, knowing that you’ll be able to spend quality time with your special someone. Sending them a gift via Takatack communicates this excitement to them in a way that nothing else can. A gift says that you are thinking of them and are counting the hours until you can celebrate the holiday together,” she said.

Takatack also feels that romance doesn’t need to be expensive. Beginning February 1st and ending on the day of Valentine’s itself on February 14th, Takatack will offer a selection of special gifts from partner merchants that come with a discount. As these have all been curated by Takatack, customers will find it easier to choose a great gift for their special someone. The categories in this curated selection include: For Him, For Her, and Love Wins.

Takatack will also offer several other promos. From February 1 to 12, a coupon code will allow users to get 500 pesos off a minimum purchase of 2000 pesos, so long as the items are fulfilled by Takatack. From February 1 - 5 and again from February 8 to 14, a coupon code will be revealed at 2:14 each day and expire at 2:14 the next day that will give new users a one-time 15% off discount for items fulfilled by Takatack for a maximum discount of 2000 pesos.

Once you’ve ordered the perfect gifts from Takatack, you still need to actually celebrate Valentine’s day on Sunday, February 14. Unfortunately, many of the one-of-a-kind experiences you would want to share with your special someone on that day may require a credit card, and fewer than 5% of Filipinos own one. What, then, is the hopeful lover supposed to do?

For them, there is PayMaya. Launched late last year, PayMaya is a free digital payments mobile app that gives you a unique card number so that you can pay online without a credit card. 

Getting PayMaya is easy, fast, and FREE. To get your online payment details, all you need to do is download the PayMaya app, which is available on both the App Store and Google Store, and sign up with your mobile number. You are then issued a Visa card number, its expiration date, and a security code. PayMaya functions like a prepaid card - you can load it up at any 7-Eleven, SM Business Center or Robinson’s Business Center and then shop online or sign up to subscriptions wherever VISA is accepted.

In addition to serving as a free online payment app, PayMaya also offers a physical card that you can use to pay at brick-and-mortar stores wherever Visa is accepted.PayMaya is powered by VISA and is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to ensure all your transactions are secure.

You could, for example, take your Valentine’s Day date to watch a concert that you booked on TicketWorld, before ending the evening at your home, ordering delivery from foodpanda and watching a romantic comedy on recent Philippine arrival, Netflix.

Of course, you could splurge even further and choose to book seats on Philippine airlines and a stay at an exotic AirBNB in another city or country even, all courtesy of PayMaya. Now how’s that for a Valentine’s day to remember?

Online platform Carmudi partners with SafeZone to boost online presence

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Online car classified Carmudi recently announced its partnership with Voyager Innovations, the digital arm of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), through its SafeZone platform that will enable enterprise to open their website and mobile applications for FREE of data charges.

“SafeZone allows consumers to access partner mobile sites and apps for free, making internet browsing more enjoyable. For enterprise this means relationships with customers are extended 24/7,” said Benjie Fernandez, Chief Operations Officer of Voyager Innovations.

“Services are delivered by enterprise through its difital assets in an effective and cost efficient manner. With our latest partnership with Carmudi, Filipinos can now search for a brand new or used car worry-free,” adds Fernandez.

Carmudi offers listings of over 25,000 vehicles on its website and mobile app, which can be searched using different parameters such as make, model, price, and condition to suit every vehicle hunter.

SafeZone was launched last February, 2015, and is now the number1 community site in the Philippines according to Effective Measure, with more than 17 million page views last August. SafeZone also has a base of more than 2 million registered users.

SafeZone aims to connect businesses to consumers by offering free internet access to partner mobile sites and apps. 

Subir Lohani, managing director of Carmudi Philippines said “Partnering with the biggest digital innovator in the country is a privileged for us. With this SafeZone partnership, we will able to connect with customers and expand our online reach.”

“Users of Carmudi no longer have to worry about having load or an active data subscription to search for a car,” explained Lohani. 

Carmudi is backed by Rocket Internet, a German startup company based in Berlin.

SafeZone is currently available for free to subscribers of Smart, Sun, and Talk ‘N Text. For more information, please visit http://www.safezone.ph/free-services/#carmudi

PLDT, Voyager launch concierge service of social commerce platform TackThis!

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Online store creator to help more Filipino businesses go digital

Most businesses in the Philippines - large and small - recognize the potential of eCommerce, but only few are ready for the unique challenges that come with selling to customers online.

To address this gap, Voyager Innovations (Voyager), the digital unit of PLDT and Smart, together with PLDT Alpha and PLDT SME Nation, has launched today its premium concierge service for online store creator TackThis! to over a thousand partner businesses so they can quickly and efficiently build their own branded digital commerce footprint that incorporates a seamless social shopping experience for customers.

As a platform, TackThis! enables businesses to set up their online shops in just a matter of minutes. They can then “tack” their store to Facebook and other websites and the platform facilitates the customer’s entire digital commerce journey - beginning from the point of order, through the management of inventory, and ending with fulfillment and payment.

The premium concierge service aims to enable larger retailers who need a more comprehensive suite of features on top of the basic offerings of TackThis! Together with the wide array of solutions from PLDT Alpha and PLDT SME Nation, TackThis! is seen to further boost digital commerce in the country. 

“At Voyager, we believe that eCommerce is one of the building blocks of the digital economy. TackThis! is already changing eCommerce as it integrates the social shopping experience. Meanwhile, our partners can benefit from the one-stop solution that TackThis! provides, including our enhanced concierge service,” said Mitch Padua, vice president and head of digital commerce at Voyager Innovations.

“The premium concierge service gives retailers an end-to-end service that streamlines their online store requirements. This way, businesses don’t have to allocate huge resources in maintaining their online stores. TackThis! allows them to focus on what they know best: selling their products,” said Kat Luna-Abelarde, First Vice President and Head of PLDT SME Business.

The advanced features that come as a part of the concierge service include professional services for an effortless online store creation as well as hassle-free store management of logistics, payments and customer service via a team of TackThis! Ambassadors.

The concierge service also includes store marketing via placement on Takatack, the sister site of TackThis! Takatack is now the largest online shopping discovery platform that aggregates and promotes not only offerings from the thousands of merchants who have established their online shops through TackThis!, but also products from other online stores and retailers in the country including Rocket Internet-backed Zalora and Lazada.

Tackthis! has over 30,000 merchants in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines with more than 400 merchants already part of the premium Tackthis! Concierge Program - an end to end solution tailored to get retailers selling online quickly.

An industry trend analysis released by BMI Research last July estimated that 82% of all Internet users in the country or around 22 million Filipinos shop online. Retail sales account for USD207 billion but only 0.6% accounts for online retail.

The growth rate for eCommerce is high. A 2014 study by Ken Research estimates that Philippine eCommerce can expect a 101.4% annual growth rate from 2013 through 2018 due to increasingly heavier Internet usage and mobile penetration.

Out of the over one million registered businesses in the country, it is estimated that only 1% have a website. In the past, a company would have had to hire a large development and operations team to establish their digital footprint. TackThis! provides the simplicity and ease of having an online store. TackThis! aims to help businesses tap into this huge opportunity to reach more Filipinos going and shopping online. 

To know more about TackThis!, please visit: www.tackthis.com.ph/

To know more about Takatack, please visit: www.takatack.com/