Got an email earlier this week from Ericsson Money, announcing the extension of their service to the Philippines. With Ericsson Money, mobile phone users in the Philippines will be able to instantly and safely send and receive money to and from family members or friends in Europe.
Ericsson Money is a member of the Ericsson Group the same company that makes the Sony Ericsson handsets and mobile devices. They have partnered with local telecom operators Globe Telecom (Globe GCash) and SMART Communication Inc (Smart Money) for the service in the Philippines. Users in the Philippines will receive the money via Globe GCash or Smart Money.
Ericsson Money Video
Here are some of the ways people can use Ericsson Money:
- Families: parents can send money to children away at university, on holiday or on a gap year.
- Social sharers: you can conveniently share the cost of a meal, settle small debts and transfer money between friends and family.
- Cash-only: if you’re used to transacting only with cash you can take the first step into mobile money through your mobile handset.
- Non-domestic workers: Overseas workers can send money home to their families without having to use postal or personal cash transfers, which are often time-intensive. The text-like convenience of the service means easy access and availability for the person receiving money as well as the person transferring it.
This is definitely good news for all OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and Filipinos who have family, loved ones and friends in Europe. By using Ericsson Money, users won’t have to fill up paperwork and wait for the processing time that is involved in traditional postal or international money transfers like Western Union. The service is available 24/7 so with Ericsson Money, users will have a faster and more convenient way to share money with family and friends.
The only drawback, is that you can only open a Ericsson Money account if you’re from one of these countries – UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and Sweden. Although they do mention that they’ll be adding more countries soon. I hope they also open/extend their service here in the US or Canada as there are a lot of Filipinos working here.
Anyone tried Ericsson Money? What form of service do you currently use to send/receive money overseas?
