GSM-XL bills can be paid at BCA ATMs

GSM-XL bills can be paid at BCA ATMs

JAKARTA (JP): PT Excelcomindo Pratama, which operates the GSM-
XL cellular system, signed an agreement with Bank Central Asia
(BCA) yesterday that allows its customers to pay their bills at
the banks' Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs).

Excelcomindo's president Y.W. Junardy said, after signing the
agreement with BCA's director Andibuana Wangsadjaja, that the
service became effective here yesterday following a series of
trial operations.

"This is one of our efforts to improve services to our users,"
Junardy said.

Andi said BCA operated about 1,500 ATMs nationwide, more than
half in Greater Jakarta.

"Users will have the chance to check their bills before paying
through ATMs. This is the advantage over credit card direct
debit," he said.

He said state-owned PT Telkom and other cellular phone
operators had also signed similar agreements with BCA allowing
subscribers to pay their bills through BCA's ATMs.

ATMs are open 24 hours a day so people will not necessarily
have to queue to pay. But people still complained that this
system of payment could cause double charges, analysts said.

Excelcomindo is the youngest of Indonesia's three global
system for mobile communications (GSM) operators. The others are
PT Telkomsel and PT Satelindo. Excelcomindo is owned by Nynex
Corp of the United States, Mitsui of Japan, the Asian
Infrastructure Fund and Indonesia's PT Telekomindo Prima Bhakti.

Excelcomindo, which operates in Greater Jakarta, West Java,
Central Java, East Java, Bali and Lombok, has some 75,000
customers. The company began operating in late 1996 and
plans to enter Medan, North Sumatra, in September. (icn)