MTN Denies Increasing Price Of Recharge Cards

Have you bought
MTN recharge cards over the expected price this year? Retailers of
MTN recharge cards have alleged an increase in the price they buy
recharge cards in bulk as responsible for increase in the retail price.

Some retailers add N20 over the normal price (based on value) of all
MTN card denominations they sell. For instance a N200 MTN card
may be sold at N220.

The arbitrary increase is applicable to only MTN recharge cards in
most parts of Lagos.
Some retailers said the cards were scarce and dealers have now
capitalised on the scarcity to increase their retail prices.

“MTN cards are scarce in Lagos and dealers are selling to us at
increased prices, so we too have to add N10 or more to each
denomination to recoup our money,” a retail vendor, Emeka Ogor, told
Thisday.

Worried about this development, the management of MTN has
therefore said it has not effected any retail price increase in any of
the recharge card denominations, stating that the face value of all its
recharge card denominations remain the same.

Corporate Services Executive, MTN, Mr. Wale Goodluck, said: “We
have not effected a price increase and the retail price of the various
denominations of our recharge cards and recharge vouchers remain
the same.

“Our recharge vouchers come in the following denominations: N1,500,
N750, N400, N200 and N100, and must be sold at the face value.”
Disturbed by the new development which started last week, Goodluck
said: “Any such hike is contrary to MTN’s wishes or knowledge. MTN
has a well-established distribution structure and all our authorised
partners within this structure are obliged to sell recharge cards at
their face value.

“Any variance from the authorised face value of recharge cards is
without MTN’s knowledge or authority.”
“MTN’s 55 million customers can purchase airtime via recharge
cards or recharge vouchers as well as through a virtual top-up. The
airtime recharge options are generally distributed via a very extensive
trade and distribution network which has over the years successfully
enhanced accessibility to airtime and customer convenience,” he said.

Goodluck assured customers that the company was working
assiduously to arrest the situation and urged its customers in the
affected areas to explore other options of purchasing their airtime,
such as the MTN Virtual Top Up (VTU) or MTN Auto-Top Up.