AIS moves to wean customers off 7-Eleven prepaid refill cards

[webfact]

AIS moves to wean customers off 7-Eleven prepaid refill cards
By USANEE MONGKOLPORN 
THE NATION

 

An AIS Buddy shop in Chiang Rai province. AIS will expand the number of Buddy Shops where customers can buy prepaid refill cards and pay phone bills.

 

BANGKOK: -- ADVANCED INFO Service will expand the number of its traditional call-value top-up channels and encourage subscribers to refill call value online in its effort to depend less on 7-Eleven convenience stores for distribution of its prepaid refill cards.

 

CP All stopped ordering AIS prepaid cards in October, pending the completion of renegotiations for a new revenue rate AIS will have to pay to CP All for selling its One-2-Call refill cards at 7-Eleven convenience stores.

 

Pratthana Leelapanang, AIS acting chief marketing officer, said recently that AIS had devised several solutions to address the problem.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/Startup_and_IT/30301909

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-12-12

 

 

[bristolgeoff]

the system works for everyone in Thailand,why change it

[Si Thea01]

30 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

the system works for everyone in Thailand,why change it

 

Because Seven 11 got greedy and wanted to up the percentage received by 2 percent for selling them.  Given the number they would sell daily, I'd say they've cut their nose off to spite their face. 

[jacko45k]

32 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

the system works for everyone in Thailand,why change it

Not for everyone, for some. The problem is CP want too much commission for selling the cards or AIS want to offer too little. I simply do it with on-line/mobile banking, in the UK I did it at the ATM. These pre-paid cards seem old fashioned.

[ratcatcher]

5 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Not for everyone, for some. The problem is CP want too much commission for selling the cards or AIS want to offer too little. I simply do it with on-line/mobile banking, in the UK I did it at the ATM. These pre-paid cards seem old fashioned.

CP owns TRUE, that's part of it and you're correct, perhaps they got greedy, but the average Thai doesn't have the access to internet banking that you do. AIS setting up Buddy stores won't solve the problem here. There's a 7-11 in nearly every one buffalo village now.   

[4evermaat]

But true and dtac still sell via 7-eleven. Yes there are other distribution channels.... But as ubiquitous as 7-eleven? A monopoly can indeed raise prices and squeeze out those who do not comply.

[Rob13]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

AIS will expand the number of Buddy Shops

 

CP must have wanted a huge chunk of money to make opening and staffing more 'Buddy Shops'  a better option

[dieseldave1951]

59 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

the system works for everyone in Thailand,why change it

money ????

 

[dieseldave1951]

26 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Not for everyone, for some. The problem is CP want too much commission for selling the cards or AIS want to offer too little. I simply do it with on-line/mobile banking, in the UK I did it at the ATM. These pre-paid cards seem old fashioned.

thats Thailand for you 

[Guderian]

The Tesco-Lotus express convenience stores will still sell you a 1-2-Call top-up the old way, via the till.

[Chip Allen]

1 hour ago, Si Thea01 said:

 

 Given the number they would sell daily, I'd say they've cut their nose off to spite their face. 

It's the tried and true THAI method. Never fails. 

[Bluespunk]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

ADVANCED INFO Service will expand the number of its traditional call-value top-up channels and encourage subscribers to refill call value online in its effort to depend less on 7-Eleven convenience stores for distribution of its prepaid refill cards.

2 months after CP/7-11 stopped selling the cards?

 

Better late than never I suppose...

[rixalex]

Topped up at the ATM for the first time. Very simple and easy. Now i don't have to waste time queuing in 7-11s, or getting pissed off with the queue jumpers. ATMs everywhere. Wish i'd cottoned on to this method a long time ago. Truly weaned off.

[stephenterry]

Very inconvenient, although the AIS stand in BigC (CM) desn't charge for top-ups and tell me that any bank will provide top-up (that's if you don't mind queuing for ages).

[stephenterry]

2 minutes ago, rixalex said:

Topped up at the ATM for the first time. Very simple and easy. Now i don't have to waste time queuing in 7-11s, or getting pissed off with the queue jumpers. ATMs everywhere. Wish i'd cottoned on to this method a long time ago. Truly weaned off.

 

interesting. How does this work? Is there a menu for top-ups?

[AGareth2]

3 minutes ago, rixalex said:

Topped up at the ATM for the first time. Very simple and easy. Now i don't have to waste time queuing in 7-11s, or getting pissed off with the queue jumpers. ATMs everywhere. Wish i'd cottoned on to this method a long time ago. Truly weaned off.

how does it work?

[ezzra]

 

AIS, a prime cellular service provider an I still can't complete a call

without the line's dropout several times and I live in the heart of BKK..

If it ain't broken, why fix it?....

[Jonmarleesco]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

CP All stopped ordering AIS prepaid cards in October, pending the completion of renegotiations for a new revenue rate AIS will have to pay to CP All for selling its One-2-Call refill cards at 7-Eleven convenience stores.

Hardy selling. Customers simply enter the store and buy.

[rixalex]

18 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

 

interesting. How does this work? Is there a menu for top-ups?

On the first menu after entering your pin number, one of the options is "top-up phone". Select that and then it asks you to enter your phone number and the amount you want to top up. That's it. So quick and easy. It takes the money from your account.

[fforest1]

36 minutes ago, rixalex said:

Topped up at the ATM for the first time. Very simple and easy. Now i don't have to waste time queuing in 7-11s, or getting pissed off with the queue jumpers. ATMs everywhere. Wish i'd cottoned on to this method a long time ago. Truly weaned off.

 

Who wants to mess around with a ATM for top up..

Buying a top up from a convenience store is the easy way..

 

 

[rixalex]

4 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

 

Who wants to mess around with a ATM for top up..

Buying a top up from a convenience store is the easy way..

 

 

I used to think like that but now can't believe i wasted all that time messing around with queuing in 7-11s and then entering all those numbers into phone. ATM is so much quicker and easier.

[Freespirit]

Unfortunately CP/7-11 are missing the bigger picture and could lose millions of baht on one important factor. For every person that walks in 7-11 to buy an AIS top up card how many would look around and realise they need to buy something else! Lost sales apportunity. Not clever marketing at all. Like many have commented its greed. Acting first and thinking after. Typical trait. Footfall or number of walk in customers reduced, lower sales. I for one visit 7-11 less and go to the AIS shop in Central. Easy and fast service using their top up machine, and if  I need anything else I buy it in Central while I'm there! 7-11 lose, Central win. My advice to CP, think more!

[LivinLOS]

Then they should look at making thier app less of a piece of garbage.. 

 

Its basically a mobile webpage, needing to send an SMS to generate a log in.. Really basic 5 year old type of solution.. 

 

So much so I just use my banks app which has a much cleaner top up option. 

[Freespirit]

Additional thought to my last post. Not every product in a 7-11 store has the same mark up/profit margin, but they don't throw out the ones will less margin. So  if this descision is based on their ownership of True Corp designed to make AIS customers change to True, they are mistaken. I have been using AIS for 20 years and am quite happy with the excellent service I've had, So will not change. t does not seem a good move on CP's /7-11's part no matter how I look at it.

 

[bark]

2 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

CP owns TRUE, that's part of it and you're correct, perhaps they got greedy, but the average Thai doesn't have the access to internet banking that you do. AIS setting up Buddy stores won't solve the problem here. There's a 7-11 in nearly every one buffalo village now.   

People who don't have internet will change to DTac, I think.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, fforest1 said:

 

Who wants to mess around with a ATM for top up..

Buying a top up from a convenience store is the easy way..

 

 

What can be easier than using the idle ATM machine outside the door versus the busy, understaffed, queue-jumping melee inside the store?

 

One day the training wheels can be taken off.

[MaiCM]

I've also seen plenty of those (usually orange colored) top-up machines in front of a 7-11 that will gladly top up your AIS prepaid haha

[Golden Triangle]

2 hours ago, rixalex said:

On the first menu after entering your pin number, one of the options is "top-up phone". Select that and then it asks you to enter your phone number and the amount you want to top up. That's it. So quick and easy. It takes the money from your account.

 

And I've been standing in a queue at an ATM with 3 or 4 people in front of me doing the same, or sending money or whatever else they do, which takes forever, and all I want is a quick 5K which takes mere seconds  Bloody annoying.

 

[tomacht8]

54 minutes ago, MaiCM said:

I've also seen plenty of those (usually orange colored) top-up machines in front of a 7-11 that will gladly top up your AIS prepaid haha

Yes funny thing. Some top-up machines are free of charge: You pay 100 Baht and you get 100 Baht on your phone.
Here in the south, are machines they charge you 0, 2, 3, 5 and 7 Baht on Top.
The AIS price policy at the machines makes little sense.

CP is also greedy. Recently they have significantly increased the prices for many things.
They open up new 7-11 shops without end. Due to the high density of its own shops, the profitability of the old shops decreases.
The partial nonsensical expansions policy provides cannibalization effects which now have to pay the customers through higher prices.

I consciously support the small independent stores. Many things are even cheaper there than at 7-11.

[55Jay]

Certainly worked on me.  I was a hopeless caveman.  Ug.  Me want 12Call.  Me go 7-11. Ug.  

 

Now me stay in cave.  Top up online.  Ug.