Through a deal with Telepay, consumers can now purchase 'open-loop' vouchers at thousands of phone booths and ATMs in Spain and shop online with the simplicity and security of cash. This is in addition to the convenient methods of purchasing Ukash vouchers online and in over 5,000 retail shops across the country.
Telefónica is one of the world's leading global integrated telecommunications companies, with a presence in 24 countries and headquartered in Spain. Ukash has already been available from thousands of Telefónica phone booths since October 2008, but the vouchers were limited in terms of where they could be spent.
Now in Spain, consumers can purchase Ukash vouchers 24 hours a day from phone booths, ATMs and through online issuance, making it the most easily accessible e-cash offering in the country.
To purchase Ukash via Telefónica phone booths, users follow the prompts on screen and deposit coins for the voucher's value. Customers immediately receive their Ukash 19-digit unique code via SMS, which can then be used to pay online in a similar way to a credit/debit card number however without the need to reveal personal details, eliminating the risk of identity fraud.
Consumers can obtain Ukash vouchers at any time of the day from phone booths in fixed denominations of €5 and €10, and they can be split and combined for a more convenient form of online purchasing, by registering the voucher code at www.Ukash.com.
Commenting, Mark Chirnside, Chief Executive Officer, Ukash, said: "We are delighted that our partnership with Telepay continues to grow as we pursue our strategic plan to enable cash consumers to shop online anywhere in the world. Opening up the availability of Ukash vouchers across Spain 24 hours a day means that our virtual cash is one of the most widely available, innovative alternative payment systems offered to consumers in the country."
Commenting, Patrick Becker, Managing Director, TelePay: due to the massive number of phone booths in Spain Ukash now allow cash consumers to purchase Ukash almost everywhere in Spain. So it is practically impossible to be excluded to participate and transact in the e-commerce. We are confident that this new distribution network will help Ukash to grow even faster.
Globally, Ukash is available at more than 320,000 physical issuing points and spans 30 countries.
Source: Company press release.
