Yerevan /Mediamax/. Interview of Sergey Usnunts, Marketing Director of Telcell payment system, to Mediamax Agency and Banks.am portal

- What are the basic indices of your company for the year of 2008 – the number and volume of payments, the number of operators, etc.?

- The basic index for us is the number of transactions, realized by the users, and we sum up the year at the level of 7 thousand transactions per a day. As for today, 365 reception points successfully function in Telcell System; the users of our terminals have the opportunity to realize payments to 24 operators.

- What projects in 2008 you consider the main ones for the company?

- While planning measures for the year of 2008, we set quite ambitious tasks for ourselves. In the process, those plans underwent corrections, we had to renounce some of the ideas, and nevertheless we managed to realize the majority of projects, which we had planned for 2008. I will name the most important of those.

Firstly, realization of the project on “Paying for utility service in a few minutes”, which we had been announcing from the very first days of the company’s activity. After connecting “ArmRosGazprom” CJSC to our system in March, 2008, the project is considered to be realized for 100%. Per se, we have created an alternative system for receiving payments for utility services, which functions 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. In this view, I want to once again express gratitude to the leadership and the specialists of corresponding subdivisions of “Electric Networks of Armenia” CJSC, “Yerevan Jur” CJSC and “ArmRosGazprom” CJSC for well-organized interrelation and a responsible approach towards work.

The second important event for us was the entry of the company to the regions of Armenia. We are very happy about the fact that the residents of the country’s various regions appreciated the convenience and speed of payment for services through our System’s payment terminals. Today, one can meet our terminals in Gyumri, Hrazdan, Sevan, Vanadzor, Artashat, Masis and Etchmiadzin. We will continue working in the given direction in 2009.

And, finally, the millionth payment, which was directed to “VivaCell-MTS”. This is a very important index for us. Time flows, everything changes, but there is one fact, which is included in the “chronicle” of Telcell. The agreement with “K-Telecom” CJSC on receiving payments became the first commercial agreement we signed, and this is how Telcell became the first company in the country, which presents the population with the opportunity to realize payments by means of self-service terminals, and “VivaCell-MTS” became the first communication operator, presenting its subscribers the opportunity to pay their bills by means of the payment terminals.

- How promising is the direction of cooperation with representatives of the financial sector: banks, credit organizations, etc.?

- Earlier this year, Executive Director of “TelCell” CJSC Aram Azatyan stated in the interview to your agency that Telcell considers cooperation with banks and credit organizations to be one of the most promising directions, and we hope that the products elaborated by us will enjoy interest.

Today one can already talks about the first steps, made in the given direction. Starting from September 1, 2008, the customers of “Norvik” UCO CJSC gained the opportunity to repay their consumer credits, issued by the organization, through the payment terminals of our company. The credit repayment process now takes a few minutes and there is no need to visit the office of the credit organization anymore.

I would like to also single out our joint project with “Unibank” CJSC as well, within the framework of which the account-cash points in 32 Yerevan and regional branches of “Unibank” were connected to the processing center of Telcell. The bank customers gained the opportunity to pay for services of over ten communication operators and providers of various services, among which – the operators of mobile and fixed connection, internet-providers, organizations, providing the population utility services. The payments are realized on-line, thus securing high speed of the transfer and acceptance of the means. The main advantage of this scheme is the fact that one does not need to make significant financial expenses to realize it, the fact being no less important today, when many organizations are forced to optimize their expenditures. 

- Do you concede the possibility of making a transition to such a business model, when Telcell would realize not only cash, but also non-cash transactions, particularly through internet?

- Not in the foreseeable future, but we follow the tendencies attentively, in particular, we follow the development of internet services market. Unfortunately, as of today, the level of internet penetration in Armenia is extremely low yet, although there are all perquisites for the situation to change for the better in the course of the nearest few years.

- Is it possible in future to put into operation terminals, which would receive payments not only in cash, but also through bank cards?

- We don not have such plans for the nearest prospect. There is a quite capacious cash payment market in Armenia, and according to our forecasts, the situation will remain the same in the course of the nearest 3-5 years.

- There are 5 companies now functioning in Armenia, which offer services of cash payments, that is to say, they are your competitors. What is the capacity of the given market and how many new players can it yet include?

- The question is not the number of players, but the number of terminals, which they possess. Thus, we need to talk about the capacity of the terminal market of Armenia, which we assess to 1000 terminals.

Most likely, when saying competitors, we mean companies, which realize reception of payments through self-service terminals. Telcell is inclined to call those companies partners. I will explain why. A little over a year has passed from the moment, when the first self-service terminals appeared in Armenia; and in this period of time we fulfilled a quite difficult path together with our colleagues from full rejection to the first achievements. Today we can say it with confidence that the given means of payment enjoys the disposition of the country’s residents, and their number increases each day. And this, according to us, is our joint achievement.

Facing distrust at the initial stage, we prove our competency through increasing the quality of the payment services, and from this point of view are “in the same boat” with our partners. If the payer faces irresponsible attitude, the shadow of suspicion falls on the whole terminal business. It seems to me that our colleagues keep to the same opinion and we are glad about it.