Telkom South Africa has partnered with Bango to launch carrier billing for Google Play in South Africa for the first time.
The operator is using the Bango Payment Platform to provide the service to its Android customers, giving them access to a universal payment method to fully enjoy the app store experience.
In Africa, Google’s Android platform currently represents 89% of the smartphone market, according to IDC (2015). Telkom customers using Android smartphones and tablets can now purchase apps, games, music and other digital content using one-click carrier billing, charging the cost to their phone bill or deducting the charge from airtime, without the need for a credit card or to register personal details. This gives customers with limited or no access to other payment methods the ability to buy from the range of content in the Google Play store.
By combining the mass market of the smartphone with the ease and simplicity of one click payment, carrier billing is emerging as a vital enabler of mobile commerce globally.
“Telkom is striving to make our customers’ experience more streamlined and simple,” said Attila Vitai, MD of Mobile and Consumer at Telkom. “This partnership with Bango provides Telkom customers with a seamless experience for purchasing apps from Google Play and charging them directly to their mobile phone bill or airtime”.
