The Singtel Group signed a deal with GrabTaxi to enable its customers across the region to use its wallet service to pay for rides.

The agreement covers Singtel’s subsidaries in Thailand (AIS), the Philippines (Globe Telecom) and Indonesia (Telkomsel). The payment service is expected to be up and running by the middle of next year, Singtel said in a statement.

Mark Chong, Singtel’s international CEO, said, “Telco billing relationships are a key enabler in developing markets, where less than 10 per cent of the population own credit cards or bank accounts. Through our Open Platform, online retailers and service providers such as GrabTaxi can easily connect to the payment platforms of all members of the Singtel Group. The collaboration will enable more mobile customers to enjoy cashless payments through their smartphones.”

GrabTaxi CEO and co-founder, Anthony Tan, said, “It’s our goal to provide another payment option for passengers via a channel they are familiar with. GrabTaxi passengers will soon have the option to streamline their payments, including transport expenses, to one mobile wallet and reduce reliance on carrying cash.”

He said the partnership will allow it to reward drivers with better value mobile plans and provide access to more customers.

GrabTaxi drivers will be encouraged to use their mobile wallets to accept payments and will be offered customised data-centric mobile plans tailored to their higher data usage needs.

GrabTaxi, which is available in 26 cities across six countries in Southeast Asia, said it has 110,000 drivers on its platform with 11 bookings made per second.