The Tribune

Aliv has teamed with Digicel, the pan-Caribbean communications provider, to enable Haitians resident in The Bahamas to send mobile top-ups and plans to relatives and friends.

The Bahamian mobile provider said customers will now be able to send Digicel top-up or plans through its locations and authorised agents, once they provide the Digicel number in Haiti they wish to send these to.

“What is most important for the diaspora community is the ability to stay connected to the people they love, and to always be able to have with them a piece of home. We are very excited to be able to provide this possibility to the Haitian diaspora in The Bahamas thanks to our partnership with Aliv, especially in the current times,” said Christophe Justens, Digicel Group’s general manager for the diaspora.

Aliv’s Recharge mobile platform has undergone a facelift with the development of an exclusive application for the resale of Digicel products. Using this app, selected Aliv locations and authorised agents can send top-up and plans to Digicel customers in Haiti.

“The Aliv application was specifically made for sellers that we know regularly assist us in getting the Haitian diaspora connected with their loved ones back home,” said Aliv’s top executive, Damian Blackburn.

“We wanted to have a seamless process that would be easy for both sides, the agents and the people sending the top-up or plans.

“Our relationship with Digicel has always been a great one, and we knew this was something we should be part of. We saw this as a great opportunity to better connect families and friends across the water, and we are definitely excited for our customers as well. We hope they love it.”

When sending top-up to a Digicel number in Haiti, customers must provide the phone number of the recipient as well as their own Bahamian phone number. The agent will insert the value of the top-up or plan, starting at a minimum of $5, receives payment and the transaction will be completed.

“We are constantly looking for innovative ways to improve our services, and fulfilling our subscriber needs is our top priority,” said Sh’ron Saunders, head of recharge at Aliv. “With this new venture, subscribers registered on any network in The Bahamas are now able to purchase Digicel products throughout the Caribbean, starting with the first market of Haiti and, soon after, Jamaica.”

Digicel is offering three plans: The small seven-day plan, which provides 4GB, unlimited Digicel to Digicel calls and WhatsApp messaging; a medium 15-day plan, which provides 8GB, unlimited Digicel to Digicel calls and WhatsApp messaging; and a large 30-day plan, which provides 16GB, unlimited Digicel to Digicel calls and WhatsApp messaging.

To send a Digicel plan to Haiti, customers will provide the receiver’s number and their own Bahamian phone number. Once selected, the customer would provide the value of the plan chosen to the agent, and the transaction is completed.