Thuraya partners Western Union on top-up prepaid SIMs

By Etuka Sunday

Thuraya Telecommunications Company, a leading Mobile Satellite Services operator and The Western Union Company, a leader in global payment services, today announced their agreement to offer top-up services for Thuraya prepaid SIMs for voice and data services using the Western UnionR Quick PaySM service.

The service is available at participating Western Union agent locations in the majority of the 200+ countries and territories in which the company provides services. This new and convenient method of payment enables Thuraya customers to recharge their pre-paid SIMS with no fee.

Michel Foricher, Vice President, Service Delivery, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & CIS, Western Union said, “We are very pleased to collaborate with Thuraya. The Western Union QuickPay service will provideThuraya customers the convenience of topping up their prepaid SIM cards at participating Western Union agent locations in our network, a quick and convenient facility for Thuraya customers, particularly those who may be in remote locations.”

“Our agreement with Western Union marks the first time in the world that a satellite telecoms operator is providing such a service. The service is a great convenience for customers who may be located in remote areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Thuraya customers can now top up their prepaid SIM cards easily and efficiently through Western Union’s global network of agent locations that offer the Western Union Quick Pay service. This is yet another example of Thuraya’s commitment to developing innovative solutions and enhancing our services for our growing customer base in emerging markets, with special focus of this deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa and CIS countries,” said Bilal El Hamoui, Vice President of Distribution at Thuraya.

The Western Union Quick Pay service further enhances and complementsThuraya’s existing distribution channel by offering an easy way for Thuraya customers to recharge their pre-paid SIMs. To top-up a Thuraya prepaid SIM card, a customer can simply visit a participating Western Union agent location, provide identification and their Thuraya phone number and re-load their prepaid SIM card with a cash payment. In addition, family, friends and colleagues can add pre-paid credit on behalf of a Thuraya user traveling abroad.