14 DAY TRIAL // This week, Google made some enhancements to the payment options available for Android users who purchase applications through the official app portal, Google Play Store.
Specifically, the Internet giant has expanded its partnership with wireless carriers around the world to provide users with the option to have more of their acquisitions charged to their monthly carrier bills.
Called direct billing (or carrier billing), this payment options offers increased convenience, as users won’t have to enter their credit card details to buy new applications and content.
In fact, no registration is necessary either, apart from the Google account that all Android users need to have to access the store.
Carrier billing has been made available for various owners of Android-based devices before, and covering an expanded range of digital content up for sale in the Google Play Store.
The feature was rolled out in Germany (T-Mobile International, Vodafone), Italy (Vodafone), Japan (Docomo, KDDI, Softbank), Korea (KT, SKT, LGU+), Spain (Vodafone), UK (T-Mobile International, Vodafone) and US (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile).
Only users in the United States and Japan can benefit from these improvements at the moment, limited to a few carriers alone.
“This week we expanded this service to include all types of digital content on Google Play. In the U.S., T-Mobile customers can now purchase apps, music, movies and books by charging them directly to their mobile bill,” Google notes in a recent post on Google+.
“In Japan, DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank customers can also enjoy the convenience of paying for movies, apps and games on their mobile bills, too.”
Additionally, the Internet giant announced that United States-based wireless carrier Sprint will also start offering the expanded payment options to its Android customers in the not too distant future.
To take advantage of this payment option, developers will also have to make sure that their applications have been submitted for distribution in these countries, Google notes.