STRATEGIC PARTNERS
March 7, 2002
LEAWOOD, Kansas and WARSAW, Poland -- Euronet Worldwide(Nasdaq: EEFT), announced the availability of its ATM ReCharge service that allows Centertel's IDEA customers to automatically add minutes to their pre-paid mobile phone accounts online at approximately 450 Euronet ATMs in Poland.
Centertel is now the fifth GSM customer in Central Europe using the Euronet ATM ReCharge service for pre-paid subscribers, and the second such customer in Poland. The service is already available at Euronet ATMs in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Croatia for customers of ERA GSM, Pannon GSM, EuroTel and VIPnet, respectively.
The Centertel partnership is the first to offer the Euronet ATM ReCharge via an on-line connection rather than through voucher purchases. According to the two companies, this is the most advanced method of pre-payment for mobile phone recharging available today.
After Euronet authorizes and processes the transaction, the ATM triggers an electronic credit to the subscriber's pre-paid account. The subscriber's mobile phone then receives an SMS message from Centertel confirming that the account has been credited.
Michael Brown, chairman and CEO of Euronet Worldwide said the success of similar programs across Europe demonstrates potential for the fast-developing wireless market in the U.S.
"This innovative service adds spontaneity to the pre-payment decision and allows Centertel IDEA subscribers to combine the tasks of purchasing added airtime and withdrawing cash all at the ATM," Brown said.
