14 DAY TRIAL // When it comes to the Android Market, Direct Carrier Billing is one of the feature that is expected to result in an increase in download and purchases, and Google has just announced the availability of this feature for users in more countries.
The number of Android users around the world has lately increased significantly, and Google wants to make sure that they can enjoy fast and easy access to their favorite apps and games via the Android Market.
Direct Carrier Billing for the application storefront has just gone live in three new countries, namely Germany, South Korea and the UK.
Eric Chu, Android Developer Ecosystem, Google, notes in a blog post that the roll-out of the service has begun in South Korea on the airwaves of two of the largest carriers in the country, namely SK Telecom and KT Corporation.
“When complete, the rollout will reach more than 10 million users, who will be able to charge their Android Market purchases straight to their phone bills,” he explains.
As for Europe, the service is set to become available for users of Vodafone in both Germany and the UK, just as the wireless carrier announced a while ago.
“Initially, the service will be available only to users who have purchased their devices through Vodafone’s online and retail channels,” Eric Chu explained.
However, the roll-out will not stop here. More wireless carriers will soon begin to offer direct billing service for their users, in addition to those who already offered it, such as T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint in the US, or SoftBank, KDDI, and NTT DOCOMO in Japan.
Through carrier billing, users can purchase applications and games from the Android Market and have them put on the monthly bill they receive from the operator, or have them billed against their prepaid accounts.
“Direct Carrier Billing is a key payment option for users worldwide, especially in regions where credit cards are less common. We will continue to partner with more operators to offer this payment option to their Android users. Watch for more announcements in the weeks ahead,” the said blog post concludes.