Mi-Pay and Transatel partner to deliver enhanced topup services to MVNOs

Date: 11/5/2009

Leading Direct Channel topup provider Mi-Pay and leading Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) Transatel partner to offer a range of enhanced topup services to mobile virtual network operators

London, Paris 11th May 2009 - Leading international mobile money services provider Mi-Pay, who also recently announced with Carphone Warehouse customer lifetime value improvements of up to 88% using direct channel topup solutions, has partnered with Transatel, a leading European MVNE and niche MVNO Aggregator (MVNA).

The Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) market continues to grow rapidly in Western Europe, with new growth being seen in East Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and Africa. These new emerging MVNOs are demanding enhanced service offerings, including better direct channels for topup, increased methods for improving customer longevity and the ability to offer niche propositions.

By partnering and integrating Mi-Pay payment solution into its MVNE hub (already offering prepaid & subscriber life-cycle management services), Transatel will be able to provide its MVNO customers, Europe's leading payment solution for direct channel top-up, access to unique payment knowledge to help retain customers and access to an International top-up service (Globaltopup) which serves over 20 country corridors and growing. This will enable Transatel MVNO customers to offer a unique customer experience, thus increasing attractiveness of their retail offer, increasing ARPU and reducing churn.

By partnering with Transatel, Mi-Pay will be able to extend its services into new countries and work much earlier with clients in the payment process.

"Mi-Pay's experience in providing payments, business process support and their knowledge of online and mobile applications for both top-up and transfer businesses is key to our ability to manage and control a reputable, yet flexible service to our target customers", states Jacques Bonifay, Transatel Managing Director. "By becoming both a customer and partner of Mi-Pay we are now also able to bring Mi-Pay's mobile phone top-up, international airtime top-up and in the future mobile domestic money transfer services to our customers as we grow and expand our network".

"Top-up of both a domestic and international nature is a vital cash requirement for all aspiring mobile virtual network operators. By partnering with Mi-Pay, Transatel are demonstrating their desire to see their customers succeed, financially. Mobile Virtual Network Operators are increasingly targeting ethnic segments of the community and the ability for us to provide them solutions to remain in communication both domestically and internationally with friends and family is a key growth strand of our business, as are new regions which are deploying the virtual network operator model. Working with entrepreneurial businesses like Transatel who have won many awards enables us to extend our existing transfer and top-up offering, add scale and therefore in return offer all parties a better price for participating in the payment chain. By working with Transatel in new markets and to bring our economies of scale by helping to provide a number of back office business processes such as fraud, risk and payment management we continue to learn and innovate", says Norman Frankel Chief Executive of Mi-Pay.

Mi-Pay's is offering its Direct Channel Top-up and International Top-up hub and business process management expertise on a white-label basis to mobile operators and remittance partners, wishing to drive additional revenue and reduce churn from existing customers.

Mi-Pay is a founding member of the GSMA's Mobile Money Vendor programme and is active participant in the Mobile Money for the Unbanked programme.