Following an agreement between Telecel Zimbabwe and TelOne, a national fixed line telephone operator, users will now be able to pay telephone bills with telecash, instead of queuing to pay their phone bills, from the comfort of their homes via their mobile phones.
According to the firm, subscribers just need to dial *888# to access the telecash menu, select the ‘pay bill’ option and then select Tel One. They will be asked to enter their telephone account number and the amount to be paid.
As with all telecash transactions, they will be asked to enter their telecash personal identification number (PIN) during the transaction to confirm their identity as the holder of the telecash account connected with their mobile phone. Once payment has been made the subscriber will receive a transaction ID that can be quoted, like a receipt number, in the event of any query. Crediting of the TelOne account takes place almost instantaneously. It is possible to add Tel One to the list of favourites on the telecash menu, so that in future when making payment Tel One can be selected quickly from that list.
Telecash is an electronic wallet, into which money can be deposited and withdrawn at any telecash agent and from which payments can be made for bills and goods and services. Money can also be transferred from a telecash account to the mobile phone of anyone else, regardless of network. It can also be transferred to a bank account held with a bank that is connected to the ZimSwitch Zipit platform.
Salaries can be paid into a telecash account using the telecash bulk payments facility. All that is needed to take advantage of telecash is to have a Telecel line and register for telecash at a Telecel shop or telecash agent or with one of the telecash ambassadors who can be identified by their telecash regalia on the streets of cities and major towns. All Bon Marche, OK Bazaars and TM supermarkets are telecash agents, as too are all post offices.