Danielle Henry, business development and marketing manager, Paymaster Jamaica Limited, said the loyalty cards were well-priced. - File

Three months into its launch, Paymaster Jamaica Limited has discontinued its loyalty card service that gave discounts on the $30 transaction fee to customers doing multiple bill payments.

Audrey Mark's Paymaster introduced the transaction fee after rival BillExpress, owned by GraceKennedy Limited, put a $35 charge on its customers.

Membership in the Paymaster Loyalty Club was sold at $650 individuals, $1,300 corporate and seniors $130.

Marketing manager Danielle Henry dismissed any suggestion that the loyalty cards might have been overpriced, saying corporate clients, for example, do an average of 10 transactions per month.

At that average, companies would have saved $700 per month on fee charges.

Generally not interested

But, according to the bill payment agency, its customers were generally not interested in joining the loyalty club three months into its introduction.

"During this period, Paymaster had anticipated that a significant number of customers would have registered for the cards within the first three months," said a release from the company.

Henry said what the company has noted is a "redirection of business" among its network. More customers, she said, are using the Paymaster windows at power supplier Jamaica Public Service Company and at telecoms Cable & Wireless Jamaica for whom Paymaster is collection agent.

Utility bills paid on the property of the specific companies do not attract a transaction fee, but a phone bill paid at the Paymaster window at JPS would, according to Henry.

Paymaster stopped selling the loyalty cards November 1, but current subscribers will continue to have the benefits of the plan until their cards expire.

"Each card that is currently being utilised has a 12-month expiry period," said the payment agency. "Customers to whom those cards were issued will therefore be able to continue using them to avoid the $30 transaction fee."

- business@gleanerjm.com