The Sweep card: A new way to pay

Paying with cash is sometimes complicated. Just this November, I had to pay my monthly and quarterly taxes. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the ATM machine as you could only withdraw P2,000 at a time and only in P100 denominations.

The middle-aged lady behind me made things worse. While I was withdrawing money, she made rude complaints about how I was taking time to finish my transaction. It was very stressful.

That is why I was pleased to learn that San Miguel Corp. has a new product: the Sweep card, a reloadable card that can be purchased at Petron, National Bookstore and soon 7-Eleven.

For a minimal fee, cardholders can load any amount up to P30,000. The Sweep card is like an ATM card, but has no annual fee and no maintaining balance. Each card is valid for three years.

The cards can be reloaded at National Bookstore, Petron, San Miguel Food Avenue, Powerbooks and Seaoil, and online via Security Bank.

Now, here’s the problem: I asked Kate Hassaram, Sweep’s marketing manager, if I can use the card to pay for my taxes. She said, “Not yet.”

However, she said that it can be included in the company’s wish list for the Sweep card. As of now, the card can only be used to purchase gas and to pay for meals at over 100 merchant partners, including Max’s Restaurant, Kenny Rogers Roasters, Yoshinoya, P.F. Chang’s, Krispy Kreme, Chatime, Dunkin’ Donuts, Potato Corner, Seattle’s Best Coffee, McDonalds, Kopi Roti, San Miguel Food Avenue and Banana Leaf.

Work in progress

Another problem: not all the branches of Sweep’s partner merchants already allow the use of the Sweep card. To get a detailed list of the branches where Sweep can be used, cardholders have to visit www.sweeponline.com.

I was disappointed when I tried to use my Sweep card at the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) this weekend.

We had lunch at a Figaro, which already has a Sweep Point of Sale (POS) terminal. However, the staff said they still had to check with their management whether Sweep cards could already be used at their shop, and thus we had to pay in cash.

We then went to Krispy Kreme-BGC and the Sweep POS machine was not working.

I was disappointed because I really wanted to try my Sweep card. I like the idea of cashless shopping or dining. In fact, I know that it will be safer to carry a Sweep card rather than cash, which you would most likely not recover if it’s stolen. The amount you have loaded on the Sweep card, on the other hand, is safe even if you lose the card—as long as you have first registered it online.

Hassaram assured that registering is very easy. “It’s as easy as registering for a Facebook account,” she said. Registering will also allow cardholders to monitor their balance and transaction history online, pay for bills and reload their phones using the card.

According to Hassaram, starting this month, cardholders can use their Sweep cards to pay for toll fees in the cash lanes of SLEX, Skyway, and STAR tollways.

Hassaram also said cardholders will earn points and be entitled to promos that can be viewed on the Sweep website and Facebook page. The Sweep card will also have more merchant partners in the future, she added, and more promos as well. — BM, GMA News