Advanced Info Service (AIS), the country's largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers, has embarked on a new scheme to assist small merchants during this difficult time, enabling them to sign up for a new app to receive AIS points from buyers as discounts for their products and services.
Ms Bussaya says the 'Measures To Survive' scheme is just one part of AIS's response to help small merchants survive the terrible Covid-19 situation.
The launch of "AIS Pa Ruay" (AIS brings wealth) app comes under the carrier's 'Measure To Survive' programme that is meant to assist small stores affected by the pandemic through infrastructure and technology adoption.
The company is targeting 100,000 merchants to join the programme by the end of this year, up from 1,000 currently. The app soft-launched on July 1.
Bussaya Satirapipatkul, head of customer and service management at AIS, said the scheme is an opportunity for small merchants to increase sales and receive payments through the AIS Pa Ruay app from AIS's 42.7 million customers with no fees.
Through this channel, the merchants can get promoted through the myAIS app and AIS V-Avenue.Co, which has over 1 million transactions every day.
The tactic is a stimulus to generate revenue for small merchants to stay in business, while mitigating AIS customers' spending by letting them redeem points for discounts instead of cash, she said.
According to her, there is also an 'Around You' feature in the myAIS app that enables customers to search for nearby privileges within a 3km radius.
A merchant can download the app either via Apple's App store or Google's Play store, fill in his/her details to join the programme and start using it immediately as a payment channel within five minutes. The merchant gets cash in their account by the next day.
AIS customers receive privileges from AIS Points valued at 1 point or 50 satang, which is converted to a discount at participating merchants.
Customers can choose between using points to pay the full amount with no need for cash or combine AIS Points with cash. At present, over 17 million customers are in the AIS points programme.
Customers using AIS mobile services and fixed internet broadband AIS Fibre earn one point per 25 baht of service charges.
There are also various collaborations, enabling the transfer of points from AIS partners such as Bangchak, Citibank and Kasikornbank.
"'Measures To Survive' is just one part of our response because AIS wants to connect and help our favourite small merchants survive this terrible situation," Ms Bussaya said.
The pandemic, she said, has forced every sector to adapt, particularly small merchants but their customers have less spending power.
"Our challenge is how to connect, assist, support and maintain these small stores. Each of them is a vital cog, which when multiplied drives the grassroot economy," she added.