MoneyGram in Wireless Cash Transfer

MoneyGram International Inc. has introduced a money transfer service that wireless carriers can offer to their customers.

The Minneapolis company said its mobile phone transfer service, announced Monday, uses technology from Affinity Global Services, a Dallas provider of wireless payments technology.

MoneyGram said its service lets consumers send money through its global agent network to receivers' mobile phone accounts. The company said this would be especially useful in developing nations where many people have phones but no bank accounts.

Anthony Ryan, MoneyGram's president and chief executive, said in a press release, "Our relationship with Affinity Global Services will significantly enhance our agent network by allowing us to partner with mobile network operators in key corridors such as Latin America, Asia and Africa."

Separately, MoneyGram said it had completed an expansion of its walk-in money transfer services in Canada, tripling the number of Canada Post sites where the service is available.

Canada Post, an agent since 2002, initially offered the service in 1,000 post offices. The companies announced last year they would expand their agreement to add 2,000 outlets.

"MoneyGram's integration into Canada Post's full network will bring our money transfer service to within 2.5 kilometers of nearly 90% of all urban Canadians," said Dan O'Malley, a senior vice president at MoneyGram and the president of the Americas for MoneyGram International, in a press release last month.

MoneyGram said it will introduce its customer loyalty program, MoneyGram Rewards, in Canada this fall.

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