Following consumer tests last fall, convenience store retailer 7-Eleven Inc. said it will offer its branded Speak Out prepaid wireless service in 14 markets by the end of this month and in most of its 5,300 locations across the country later this summer. Initial markets include Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
The service is managed by Ztar Mobile Inc. using Cingular Wireless L.L.C.’s network and offers customers a flat rate of 20 cents per minute for calls, a bilingual automated customer care system that includes automatic balance notification, voice mail, caller identification, call waiting, three-way calling and text messaging at 10 cents per message. The program also offers international calling to Canada and Mexico at 39 cents per minute, as well as other rate plans for calls to more than 200 countries.
The service will initially include Nokia Corp.’s color-screen 3560 handset for $90 after a $50 rebate and Nokia’s 2260 handset for $50 after a $50 rebate, with both handsets including 50 minutes of free airtime, a pre-programmed phone number and a pre-charged battery. Refill cards will be available in various denominations at participating 7-Eleven stores with unused minutes rolled over to new balances if refilled within 120 days.
“Some 6 million people shop daily in 7-Eleven stores,” said Kevin Cooper, retail services category manager for 7-Eleven. “So the potential for exposure and sales of this low-cost prepaid wireless service is significant.”
