Dubai: Etisalat mobile phone credits can now be transferred to any number in the world from the UAE.
But there’s a caveat: the exchange rate given for cross-border phone credit may be off more than 50 per cent from the prevailing exchange rate.
“It’s a quick, hassle free way to transfer credit to your loved ones … and may work well especially in emergencies,” said an Indian customer who transferred credit to his younger sibling at home.
To send credit to the Philippines, for example, one can send up to 500 pesos for Dh63. A 300-peso phone credit costs Dh38.
A senior etisalat official told XPRESS that more than 170 mobile network operators are covered by this in 70 countries.
“This service is aimed to surprise your friends and family back home,” said an etisalat executive.
Phone credit transfers across continents raise the profile of phone credit as a virtual currency, but some subscribers fear this may open a wider world for phone credit scammers.
It was not immediately clear what measures are in place by etisalat to curb potential transfer scams using its infrastructure.
