Budget Mobile Announces Partnership with El Super to Bring Wireless Services and Phones to Southern Californians in Need

SHREVEPORT, La., June 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Budget Prepay, Inc., d/b/a Budget Mobile, today announced a unique partnership with Bodega Latina Corporation, dba El Super, to bring wireless services and phones to qualified El Super customers under the California LifeLine Program -- a state program that provides discounted home phone and cell phone services to eligible households.

Under the partnership, Budget has established a training center and will have a permanent presence with designated kiosks in 13 El Super locations in Los Angeles and San Diego. Additionally, Budget will bring dedicated teams on a rotating basis to 25 other El Super locations.

"The partnership with El Super gives Budget the unique opportunity to connect directly with the customer and the communities in which El Super operates," said Danny Hyde, Chief Executive Officer at Budget Mobile. "El Super represents more than a grocery store, they are trusted community partners. We look forward to sharing in that same commitment to community and to providing LifeLine services to those families and individuals that need assistance."

Staffing for the training center and 13 permanent kiosks will result in over 80 new full and part-time jobs based on the El Super partnership alone. Positions include a range of management and customer service jobs. Budget anticipates creating 256 total jobs as the company expands operations in California to include 13 brick and mortar store locations.

Budget will offer eligible California LifeLine customers a fully refurbished mobile phone with talk and text capability, along with one of the following "California Connect" service plans:

• California Connect – 1000 minutes and unlimited texts for FREE every month
• California Connect Unlimited – Unlimited talk and text for $17.60/month, after federal and state discounts
• California Connect Unlimited Plus – Unlimited talk and text, plus 3GB of data for $27.60/month, after federal and state discounts.

California LifeLine is limited to one benefit per household whether landline or mobile service, with proof of eligibility documentation required. Eligibility is based on government assistance or a household income below 150% of the federal poverty level. For more information on eligibility, go to http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc/telco/public+programs/ults.htm.

About Budget Mobile
Budget Mobile is a subsidiary of Budget PrePay, Inc., one of the industry's largest prepaid telecommunication corporations, providing a range of communication services to approximately 850,000 individuals and families nationwide. Based in Shreveport, LA, Budget currently operates 13 store locations in Louisiana and 47 corporate owned stores nationwide. For more information, visit www.budgetmobile.com.

About El Super
Bodega Latina Corporation dba El Super, began operations in Southern California in 1997 with the opening of its first store in the city of South Gate. El Super is part of Grupo Chedruai, one of the largest supermarkets chains in Mexico. Headquartered in Paramount, CA, El Super is a supermarket focused on providing high quality food products in a friendly, clean and modern environment, but above all, committed to offering the lowest possible prices in the communities we serve.  El Super currently operates 47 locations in Arizona, Nevada and California.

About LifeLine
The Budget Prepay, Inc., d/b/a Budget Mobile, offerings are a California LifeLine supported service. Only eligible consumers may enroll in the program and proof of eligibility documentation is necessary for enrollment. Eligibility is based on participation in a government assistance program or a household income below 150% of the federal poverty level. LifeLine is limited to one benefit per household, consisting of either wireline or wireless service. LifeLine service is non-transferable. LifeLine is a government benefit program. Consumers who willingly make false statements in order to obtain the benefit can be punished by fine or imprisonment or can be barred from the program. Coverage limitations such as weather, signal strength and service outages may affect wireless mobile phone service, quality or access to E-911 and/or 911 in the event of an emergency. For more information on eligibility and the terms and conditions of the LifeLine program, go to http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/Public+Programs/ults.htm.

SOURCE Budget Mobile