Sainsburys to sell Skype vouchers

By Steve Malone

Posted on 12 May 2006 at 10:35

Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has become the first European grocery chain to offer Skype eVouchers through a network of 500 stores throughout the UK.

The Skype eVouchers can be bought and used the same way that pre-pay 'top-up' vouchers work with mobile phones. Sainsburys' customers can buy the vouchers at the checkout desk as with a mobile top-up card. Each eVoucher has a unique PIN code that is entered into the user's Skype account page.

Once activated, the Skype credit is immediately available for use.

During a call, customers will be shown the amount credit they are using and the credit can be used to buy calls to landlines or mobiles or buy ringtones in the Skype store.

The eVouchers are the first step in a strategy that will see the supermarket chain selling Skype certified hardware including headsets and handsets.

The deal with Skype means a greater VoIP presence in the High Street. Earlier this year, Sainsburys' arch rival in the British supermarket business Tesco launched its own VoIP service with its own handset. Last year Dixons (now Currys) also introduced its own 'Freetalk' Internet phone service.