Cellphone users have given Vodacom's Airtime Advance the thumbs up, with more than a million subscribers having taken up the service within its first month.
Launched at the end of May this year, Airtime Advance makes it possible for prepaid customers to access an additional R10 worth of airtime once their initial airtime balance has run out.
This gives customers the peace of mind that they can stay in contact with family and friends when they have run out of airtime, and don't have other airtime recharge options available.
The only catch is that customers are then required to pay for the airtime advance on their next recharge along with a R1 service fee - a small price to pay when the service has gotten you out of a tight spot.
Such stories are already doing the rounds. According the service provider, one customer who had run out of airtime used the service to complete an online job application on the day applications were closing, and another used it to call a roadside assistance service during an emergency.
For customers to qualify for Airtime Advance, they must have been active on the Vodacom Network for at least a year and they must have recharged with a minimum of R29 per month (this can be cumulative) in the previous six months.
Customers can check whether they qualify for the service by dialling *111*082#. - IOL