Phone payments through ATMs

Phone payments through ATMs

JAKARTA (JP): Telephone subscribers who are also customers of
BCA bank will enjoy in May a new service from the state-owned
domestic telecommunications company PT Telkom in paying monthly
phone bills through Automatic Teller Machines (ATM).

"We have sign an agreement with BCA to run the service. The
preparation for the Jakarta greater area subscribers is under
completion," Telkom's operation and marketing director, Dadad
Kustiwa said here on Wednesday.

He said that after the trial operation in the city, the
service would soon be introduced nationally, in which Telkom's
subscribers would be able to pay the billing charges through
BCA's ATM.

There are currently some 2.8 million people in the country
subscribing Telkom, more than half of the subscribers live in
Greater Jakartans.

Telkom's assistant vice president of marketing, Maman
Sulaeman, said that BCA currently listed some 4 million customers
who would be potentially use the new service.

"ATMs open 24 hours per day, so, people will not necessarily
queue at Telkom offices or banks counters to pay the monthly
bills," he said.

Dadad also said yesterday that his company would also launch
more campaign on non-cash payments.

In 1988, Telkom introduced for the first time non-cash billing
payments system through bank accounts. (icn)