If you’ve ever shopped online, you may have encountered problems like having your purchase rejected because the website doesn’t recognize your Philippine credit card or falling in love with something you absolutely lust after, only to find out that the online store doesn’t ship to the Philippines.

Well, if you’re a Citibank cardholder, you’re one step ahead of the rest when it comes to doing away with these headaches with the new and exclusive Globeshopper service.

Here’s the 4-1-1 on what you get out of the Citi Globeshopper service:

-    It’s free for all Citi cardholders who want to register for it.

-    It lets Citi cardholders shop and get good deals from online stores for brands like Bluefly, Apple, Toys ‘R’ Us, Macy’s, The Body Shop, Sephora, Crate and Barrel, Ikea, Bath and Body Works, and My Jewelry Box.

-    The Citi Globeshopper’s free Concierge Service can be used to purchase items for online stores that don’t accept Philippine-issued credit cards; the service can be used as a proxy for a minimum purchase/charge of US$20.

-    Purchases made on or before April 30, 2010, will come with a 10 percent discount on standard shipping charges.

If you’re a Citi cardholder and ready to register, follow these simple steps:

1.    Go to the Citi website.
2.    From the homepage, click on the Credit Cards tab on the top menu.
3.    Once on the Credit Cards page, click on the Citi Globeshopper box on the right-hand side
4.    At the bottom of the page, find the Register Now button and click on it.
5.    Follow the instructions for registering your card with the Citi Globeshopper service.

Have more questions about the mechanics of the service? Call the 24-hour CitiPhone at 995-9999 or visit www.citibank.com.ph. We’ve also collected three of their FAQs below:

1.   How much is the standard shipping charge for goods going to the Philippines when coursed through this service? By weight?

Shipping charges are based on both the weight and the volume of the package shipped, so the actual charges will vary per shipment. Customers also have the option to choose between Standard Delivery and Express Delivery, with the Express service commanding a premium. The Citi Globeshopper site features a Total Cost Calculator that customers can use to estimate total charges, including shipping and taxes. Customers that would like to get an idea of the cost of shipping via Citi Globeshopper before making a purchase are encouraged to use this interactive tool.

2.   Will the service be rolled out to purchase from other countries or focused on US only?

Citi Globeshopper mainly caters to customers that would like to shop for items from US websites; however, customers may actually shop from any store in the world that will deliver to their Citi Globeshopper US address. Citi Globeshopper is also keeping an eye on online shopping trends to identify other countries where Filipinos frequently shop from, as they hope to expand this service in the future.

3.    How long is the wait for the buyer to get the goods purchased from the US?

When customers purchase items from US websites, it normally takes 2 to 3 days to deliver the goods to their Citi Globeshopper addresses in the US.  The customers then have the option to ship each purchase to the Philippines separately or consolidate all of their purchases into a pod and ship everything all at once. Once customers instruct Citi Globeshopper to ship the items to be delivered to their Philippine addresses, these items take 2 to 3 days to reach the Philippines via Express Delivery, and 4 to 6 days via Standard Delivery.

(Photo courtesy of Citibank)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at 5:23 pm and is filed under New Products, Other Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.