14 DAY TRIAL // One of the manners in which users can pay for applications purchased from the Windows Phone Store is carrier billing, meant to provide them with increased simplicity by eliminating the need to add a credit card to their accounts.
Microsoft has been working with carriers around the world to add the functionality to the app portal, and it is now reporting that no less than 64 operators around the world are currently offering it to their users.
The feature not only makes the purchasing of apps from the store simpler than before, but it also ensures that more and more users receive access to pair applications and games.
Through carrier billing, users are able to buy content from the app portal and pay for it on their monthly bill, rather than using a credit card or a back account.
Apparently, the Redmond-based software giant is currently working with even more carriers to add support for this payment method for their users.
On some markets, however, Windows Phone Store offers carrier billing across all of the networks available locally, and Singapore is one such example.
According to a recent post on Nokia Conversations, Singapore is the first country where this happened, but the aim is to make it possible on even more markets worldwide.
“If you live in Singapore and own a Windows Phone, no matter which network you’re on, you’ll be able to purchase apps through the store and pay for it on your phone bill,” Tim Stevens, head of Operator Billing, Asia Pacific & India at Microsoft, says.
According to Microsoft, this feature is great not only for end users, but also for application developers, as their apps usually bring more revenue this way.
“Imagine you’re a developer of an app that has a cost to download. If a market doesn’t allow for operator billing and the people within that market don’t have a credit card, your app will never be downloaded,” Tim says.
He also notes that, by expanding the availability of the payment method, Microsoft is not only allowing more users to find apps in the Store, but it is also strengthening the entire Windows Phone ecosystem.
In all markets where carrier billing has been introduced, the number of downloads from the Windows Phone Store has seen an increase, even in countries where credit cards and bank accounts are widely used, the company claims.
“People seem to like the idea that they can add their purchases onto their phone bill. With Windows Phone, once you push that ‘buy’ button in Windows Phone Store, or for an in-app purchase, that’s it. It’s yours. Unless you’ve configured your phone to ask for a PIN, that is,” Tim also notes.
As mentioned above, Microsoft is currently working with more operators around the world to provide the feature for their customers, yet no further details on the matter have been provided as of now.