Background
Bank of Ireland identified the need to deploy a prepaid mobile top-up service which takes advantage of the increased consumer use of SMS as well as using its existing ATM channel. Using Macalla's technology which enables mobile transactions, Bank of Ireland launched a prepaid mobile phone top up service. The service, called Text Top Up, went live in 2005 and is available to all Bank of Ireland customers in Ireland on Vodafone and O2 networks.
The Macalla Platform enables Bank of Ireland customers to top-up their own prepaid accounts and others, including friends and family, directly from their mobile phones. To do this, customers simply send a free text message. The transaction is automatically paid for via their Bank of Ireland account.
Registration is extremely easy and instantaneous via any Bank of Ireland ATM. Once registered, a customer can top-up from his mobile phone anytime and anywhere in Ireland or overseas. The top-up call credit is applied automatically within a matter of seconds.
How it works
The Macalla Platform enables the top-ups and associated processes in a fully secure and reliable manner. It also provides connectivity with the mobile operators' SMS delivery and prepaid billing systems as well as the bank's payments systems. The Macalla Platform includes a suite of web-based applications for call centre and supervisor staff to ensure the smooth and efficient ongoing operation of the service.
Macalla worked directly with Bank of Ireland to deliver the application together with a complete range of consultancy, technical integration and on-going support services.
Results
From launch the system proved to be a very popular service with Bank of Ireland customers and exhibited an increase in frequency of top-up as well as a higher transaction value.
The service has also proven popular with bank customers who travel abroad as they can now top-up their phones as easily as at home.
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