The partnership will offer customers of Prudential Life Assurance a 24-hour/7days-a-week cash bill payment service through more than 6,000 stores in Thailand, with the Counter Service symbol.
Mr. Nicholas Holder, Chief Financial Officer at Prudential Life Assurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited highlighted the rationale behind this decision to work with HSBC and Counter Services, “Our company has a policy to develop quality in client services, from the selection of protection services, after-sale services and payments. The addition of such a life assurance premium payment channel is one such service making it more convenient for customers who have selected Prudential. Furthermore, customers making their premium payment through Counter Service will not be charged any extra fees.”
Prudential has always increased the means for customers to make their premium payment so as to accommodate all customers’ lifestyles. Working individuals may pay at their bank counter, or via the post. The new generation whose lives are nearly all the time involved with technology can choose to pay via their mobile phone system (mPAY). This latest payment service, via Counter Service, is the means accessible to all groups of customers covering all areas. Prudential customers will have more freedom and alternatives to pay their premium. The Company therefore opens this payment service on counters with HSBC streamlining the dispatching of premium to the company.
“HSBC is the first bank to initiate this service in Thailand and the partnership will improve the efficiency of the receivables management processes of those merchants that bank with HSBC, and choose to use this new service to collect payments from their retail customers. This alliance clearly delivers the combination of HSBC’s innovation in payments and cash management services and Counter Service’s leadership in convenience store operations to deliver a unique and value added service. This value added service will certainly render greater convenience to customers of Prudential Life Assurance, and will be welcomed by both consumers and merchants as a convenient and efficient way to settle and collect bill payments,” said Mr. Kee Joo Wong, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Payments and Cash Management, HSBC in Thailand.
“In addition to providing convenience to consumers, the arrangement will also help reduce costs and improve efficiency for companies using this service as collections will be handled by both Counter Service and HSBC. The reconciliation process for merchants is further streamlined through automation of data capture and online consolidation reporting via HSBC’s internet banking platform HSBCnet,” added Mr. Kee Joo.
Mr. Weeradej Ackapolpanich, General Manager, Counter Service Co., Ltd. said, “Our Company has always strived to offer convenience and the top quality services to our customers. By working together with our alliance partners HSBC and Prudential, this new service will deliver conveniences to Prudential Life Assurance customers who can now make their premium payment at any 7-Eleven stores and at any store with the Counter Service symbol in total of more than 6,000 stores. This makes their payment easy and simple, as the customer can choose to pay at the nearest branch to their home or their office.”
Media enquiries to Varanandha Sutthapreeda on 0-2614-4609 or Savittree Muadmuang on 0-2614-4606.