Bangkok--19 Dec--Spark Communications
- No top-up fees for the entire 2015 when signing up to Easy Top Up
- Expressway Authority of Thailand to roll-out Asia-Pacific’s first contactless payment system in collaboration with Visa next year
Somboon Krobteeranon (Left), Visa Country Manager, Thailand and Aiyanut Tinaphai (right), Governor of Expressway Authority of Thailand announced a special promotion offer to celebrate the New Year by waiving top-up fees for the whole year of 2015 for Visa cardholders who sign up online at www.easytopup.co.th from 1st January – 31st March 2015.
Bangkok commuters are in for a treat this New Year as the Expressway Authority of Thailand is waiving top-up fees for the whole year for Visa cardholders signed up for the automated Easy Top Up[2].
New customers who sign up for automatic top-up on www.easytopup.co.th with their Visa cards will be entitled to fee waiver[3] when they top up their Easy Pass. Existing customers too will enjoy the same benefit when they sign up two or more friends to Easy Top Up Services. The campaign will start on 1 January 2015 and run until 31 December.
“We want to offer more options for motorists to pay for their tolls. People’s lifestyle is changing and they expect more convenience from digital payment options, such as Easy Pass, which can help ease traffic flow during peak hours. Since launching Easy Top Up in 2012, more than thirty thousand customers have signed up to the automated payment system. And we would like more Easy Pass users to enjoy seamless travel without having to worry about whether they have enough money in their accounts,” said Aiyanut Tinaphai, Governor of Expressway Authority of Thailand.
Launched in 2010, Easy Pass is a pre-paid toll collection system designed to ease traffic congestion with a designated Easy Pass lane. With the introduction of Easy Top Up two years later, Bangkok motorists can automatically top up their Easy Passes by linking them with their Visa cards providing a convenient and reliable payment option.
The way Easy Top Up works is once a customer has signed up, the system will automatically add 1,000 THB to their account when it detects that the balance is less than or equal to 300 THB[4]. Once the top up has been processed, an SMS confirmation[5] will be sent to the cardholder to reflect the new balance and transaction. The technology is the first of its kind in Thailand.
Another project in the pipeline is the introduction of Visa payWave now undergoing pilot and test to be ready for rollout by next year – the first expressway to accept Visa payWave in Asia-Pacific.
“Contactless payment has been gaining steady traction since last year, with Thailand registering the highest growth in contactless transactions in recent month. Visa payWave is created for customers to pay for everyday small ticket items of no more than 1,500 Baht. By making it available at the tolls we can ensure that customers can pay quickly and securely, not having to waste time looking for change or worry if they are carrying enough cash,” said Somboon Krobteeranon, Visa Country Manager, Thailand.
“These digital payment technologies are great ways to help Thailand digitize its infrastructure to better compete in this world. And by opening up better options to pay to our customers, we hope to make their everyday journeys better,” added Mr. Aiyanut.
[1]Top-up fee waived for the entire 2015 when signed up with Visa cards on www.easytopup.co.th. Terms & conditions applied
[2] The number of top-up is unlimited. Top-up fee is 20 THB, excluding taxes. Promotion applied by signing up at www.easytopup.co.th only.
[3] When register online from 1 January – 31 March 2015
[4] Terms & conditions applied.
[5] Service and conditions may vary between providers. Please check with bank that issues your cards.