Pinoy GSM Reloading Center: E-Loading: A Sweet Success Story

Anytime anywhere the very handy cellphone can now be reloaded at your convenience in a fraction of a cost of prepaid cards. From the neighborhood stores to the roving balut vendor, reloading had literally gone a long way. No need to have a stall or a kiosk for the reloading business. All you need is a cellphone and the reliable SIM card.

Introducing e-Loading (electronic loading) – a popular technology that eliminates the hassles of collecting, scratching, and disposing prepaid cards. Convenient and affordable, e-Loading becomes an indispensable small and medium enterprise.

E-loading centers are everywhere and with its growing popularity, Elbert Lo (General Manager of Pinoy GSM) and Joy Morillo (Sales/Marketing Manager) developed a small business that brings fast, lucrative profits for small-time retailers.


Reloading ala Pinoy GSM

When Pinoy GSM was formed in April 2005, Elbert and Joy have one thing in mind – a business that is trendy.

Pinoy GSM is mainly involved in the mobile industry particularly in reloading via SMS. Although major telecommunications networks have the same service, Pinoy GSM revolutionized reloading in a very convenient way.

Coming up with a new system was a breakthrough for these budding entrepreneurs. Knowing that the competition in reloading business is tough, Elbert created a new system in e-loading that major telecomm networks could not or may not do.

Reloading, Pinoy GSM way, begins with the “all-important” SIM card. No need to change or dispose your present SIM card. All you need to have is an activated Pinoy GSM SIM card to launch your reloading business.

Joy explains that their version of e-loading is not complicated. For example, you are a Globe subscriber who wanted to start an e-loading business. Normally, a retailer would buy 3 to 4 SIM cards of different networks to dispense load. In Pinoy GSM’s universal loading system, they will activate your Globe SIM card and you can dispense load to all other networks.

This system of integrating all the networks e-loading service in just one SIM is an advance technology that only Pinoy GSM can do. “I think having a new system of integrating everything is a trendy thing,” Joy proudly relates. Aside from cellphone e-loading, Pinoy GSM also provides Internet, telephone, and online game reloading.


Network busy to message sent – Pinoy GSM Reloading Center had it covered

Introducing a new product to the market poses a lot of challenge. The operations, promotions, employees, and the market are among the concerns of Pinoy GSM.

Joy and her staff experienced minor problems in the course of running the business. However, they immediately remedied these problems to give the best service to their customers. As the pioneer of a universal loading system, Pinoy GSM ensures that their system will not backfire thus polishing their system is done regularly.

Somehow, network problems do not start with Pinoy GSM. Busy networks or poor network coverage usually come from the major telecomm companies. These network problems affect their business. Consequently, the load sent by a Pinoy GSM dealer will not reach its destination.

As Joy recalls the first years of Pinoy GSM, she describes it as hard yet easy. Adapting to the system of the major networks was challenging but once they were familiar with it, everything ran smoothly.

“At first, may mga problema talaga… We have to adapt and polish the system. Some of the major networks aren’t easy kasi may problema din ang mga systems nila. So, we have to anticipate those problems (At first, we have experienced some problems that we need to adapt and polish our system. Some of the networks aren’t easy since the systems of the major networks encounter some problems.),” Joy narrates.

Surpassing all trials that came along, Elbert and Joy are in control of their hit reloading business. Despite having to start out with only 10 people as their staff, the company now has 29 franchisees all over the Philippines and is still growing.


Pinoy GSM E-loading: a trendsetter hit

With only over a year in the business, the company remains to be innovative as it continues to gear up their system.

Pinoy GSM is so into the reloading business that they’ve exerted a 100% of their time and effort. The company is also aware that competitors may arise since e-loading is an uncomplicated thing. That’s why they don’t limit the e-loading transaction to cellphone to cellphone. They also created a web transaction interface where in dealers could load up your phone thru the web.

“We’re really into it. Basta kung anong ino-offer ng mga network companies, we also try to offer them… We constantly innovate. Kasi kung hindi, maiiwan ka e (We try to offer what other network companies offer. We constantly innovate, because if not, we’ll be left behind),” Joy points out.

And they don’t stop from just cellphone reloading, they also try to research for other things where in they could integrate with reload. This determination is probably the reason why Pinoy GSM stands still despite the threat of competition.

However, the company already has an edge because of the recognitions it has acquired from trade fairs and special events. Most of the time, the company joins job fairs and trade events. These helped them a lot especially when the company was starting out.

Among the events they participated were last year’s Department of Tourism Job Fair and the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) trade events like E-Services Philippines and IFEX.

The most memorable, however, is the E-Services Philippines where in Pinoy GSM won in the Best Technology Category for their universal load dispensing system. They also won runner-up in the wireless/mobile category for the same product. Joy was so proud of their achievement at E-Services Philippines considering the fact that they only decided to join a few minutes before the competition.

“In E-Services, they have a panel of judges and they scrutinize your products. So if they tell you are the winner, you have to be proud of it. It only means that they really decided on the product,” Joy proudly recalls.

These recognitions only proved that Pinoy GSM is force to be reckoned under wireless services. It also shows how advance and creative Philippine IT is.


Today: the Philippines, Tomorrow: the World and… Google?!

From a small establishment along the busy sidewalk of Cubao, Pinoy GSM now takes on the world. The company’s biggest goal is to have an international franchise. Almost half-million Filipinos are working abroad, Joy realized that there is a probable big market out there.

A lot of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) inquire about Pinoy GSM’s e-loading system. OFWs nowadays see the potentials of e-loading. Aside from giving fast and convenient load, this will also provide a small business for them.

Through these inquiries, Joy is set on pushing for the export market. As they cover e-loading to all networks and services, Pinoy GSM is most likely to sell, not only among the OFWs, but also to foreign clients.

As Joy and the rest of Pinoy GSM work on this achievable goal, Joy still dreams of an ambitious aspiration. It may sound bizarre but she wishes Pinoy GSM to be searchable at Google or Yahoo. She also dreams that one day she’ll see the phrase, powered by Pinoy GSM as it was used in some companies’ systems.

Unfazed with competition or some copycats, Joy believes that Pinoy GSM will continue empowering its system. As the first service provider for integrated e-loading system, the company is set to be recognized in the Philippines and the rest of the world.


Pinoy GSM sales office is located at 605 EDSA, Cubao, Quezon City, accessible via the Southbound MRT Cubao Station. You may also contact them at these numbers: 414-1050, 415-1144. Or email at hello@pinoygsm.com.