Easy payment plans to send your stuff home

Ritika SHARMA / Emirates Business

UAE is home to thousands of expats from nearly 200 countries, who increasingly rely on cargo services to send their stuff homes. It involves transactions worth millions of dirhams every month. Treading an innovative business model, a leading cargo company here has introduced a stress-free option for customers to convert the huge billing amount into easy monthly installments. This one-of-its-kind scheme seems to be a win-win situation for the payee as well as for the company.
Bringing this ease of payment in cargo services to the UAE, LBC Express Inc. — a Philippines-based courier and cargo solutions provider — has joined hands with the First Gulf Bank (FGB) to offer an installment payment system in which customers using cargo services can opt to payback at zero percent interest. This programme is the first of its kind in UAE and is available for sea cargo, air cargo and various other services.
Talking about the scheme, Mark Agalo-os, LBC’s Vice-President — Middle East, told Emirates Business, “We are offering this first-of-its kind service in the UAE as this country has many expats who use courier and cargo services to send stuff back home. This scheme will help customers to settle cargo services charges through easy monthly payments using their FGB credit cards.”
The customers can choose their payment option spanning upto three, six, nine or 12-month installment plan. While
using this service, UAE residents can send packages to as many as 236 destinations across the globe.
“Our clients can send as many packages and parcels as they wish, and they can choose from any of the monthly payment options for a minimum requirement of AED150. It is like easily sending a cargo for less than AED15 per-month, if they
opt for 12-month installment plan,” Agalo-os said.
LBC Express has its presence in over 25 countries across the globe and its more than 25 percent of the retail international business comes from the Middle East market. The company attributes close to half of the sales (in the Middle East) coming from the UAE.
Girish Advani, Head of Personal Banking, FGB, said in an official press statement, “As we continue to present better user experiences, consumers of this service also have the added advantage of a simple fee structure, enabling them to send packages to families and loved ones without having to worry about making an upfront payment.”
Recently LBC Express Inc. had opened an 11,700 square feet warehouse in Al Qouz, Dubai, to serve one of the biggest expatriate communities in the region, the Filipinos, as well as other residents. LBC, which serves 500 to 600 customers every day, has expanded its service capabilities by partnering with over 500 agents located nationwide.
Carlos Joseph, an expat from Philippines, told Emirates Business, “Sending cargos back home while availing easy monthly payment option is a great choice. I would certainly use it while sending gifts for my kids who stay in Manila with their grand-parents.”