Mail Boxes Etc and Bank of The Bahamas have teamed up for a deal that would make mail and money transactions easier for customers. After one year of negotiations the two groups partnered, allowing Bank of The Bahamas prepaid card customers to be eligible for a number of benefits, including an e-box with a US address.
“Having access to global markets is one of the benefits of this card and this relationship,” said Tanya Wright, senior manager of business development and public relations at BOB.
Further, she said such a partnership helped to meet customers’ demands.
The card would make e-purchases more assessable and safer with the prepaid card, which bank representatives said is more secure than a credit card.
The US billing address that customers get from Mail Boxes would be linked with the information in BOB’s system, allowing processors to give approval online.
Gershwin Major, the CEO and managing director of Mail Boxes in the Caribbean, also said the partnership represented a relationship with a progressive financial services institution.
“This is another way that the bank is fulfilling its mandate of continually bringing improved benefits to our customers at large and in this particular instance, the members of our fast growing prepaid group,” said Mrs Wright.
Even in this era of shopping online and living in tech savvy times Mrs Wright said there are still people that do not have access to e-commerce. But the partnership between Mail Boxes and Bank of The Bahamas helps customers to overcome the “traditional barriers” of not having a viable payment card or a US mailing address, she added.
“The e-box by Mail Boxes is a wonderful addition. It adds tremendous value to the utility of the card,” Mrs Wright said. “We are pleased to have our members participate in e-commerce, which is certainly the wave of financial, and other, transactions throughout the world,” she added.
Customers who are a part of the Mail Boxes and BOB deal get a number of benefits, including discounts on yearly membership fees.
Mr Major added that customers also get non-monetary benefits, including being associated with the global brand which has been recognised by Fortune 500.
Mail Boxes Etc is negotiating with banks in regional markets where franchises are located for similar deals. “However, it is gratifying that once again The Bahamas market would be taking the lead in such a tremendous opportunity,” Mr Major said.
By: BARRY WILLIAMS, The Nassau Guardian
