Fortumo Launches Direct Carrier Billing in Pakistan

Mobile payments company Fortumo and mobile operator Telenor Pakistan are launching direct carrier billing in Pakistan that will provide the ability for app developers and publishers to receive payments from more than 35 million subscribers of Telenor Pakistan. These Telenor customers now able to make online payments by charging purchases to their phone bill. Fortumo will also start powering in-app purchasing for Telenor App Store.

“An enormous part of Telenor Pakistan’s subscriber base comprises of young population which represents a strong potential to reach apps, games and web services developers’ user base. Through the partnership with Fortumo, developers can start accepting purchases from these users through direct carrier billing – the most widely available payment method in emerging markets,“ said Muhammd Farooq Shaikh, Director Digital Services, Telenor Pakistan. “The facility will play a big role in promoting online commerce through convenience and accessibility,” he added.

Less than 1.5 million people in Pakistan own credit cards while there over 130 million mobile phone users in the country. Therefore, mobile operator billing increases merchants’ payment coverage in the country almost 90 times. Smartphone ownership in Pakistan is estimated to grow by 50% this year and is currently around 15%. Smartphone adoption will further be accelerated with the launch of 3G services by Telenor Pakistan and other operators in the country.

Telenor has also implemented Fortumo in-app purchasing in its Telenor App Store which features games from top developers like Gameloft, GLU Mobile and Creative Mobile. Developers who want to earn additional revenue from Telenor App Store.

In addition to Telenor App Store, Fortumo’s Android SDK can be used in dozens of other Android marketplaces with just one integration. As announced in May 2013, Fortumo has signed a global framework agreement with the Telenor Group covering 12 countries in Europe & Asia.

Direct carrier billing lets users make payments over a data connection by confirming payments with one click on their phone. Since the mobile operator has all the information necessary to process the payment, this removes the need to send any text messages during the payment process. In markets where Fortumo provides direct carrier billing, payment conversion for first-time payments is close to 40% and higher for repeat purchases.

Fortumo offers self-service setup with no monthly fees or minimum volume commitments, allowing any developer regardless of size and location to sign up for an account and get started with mobile payments at the link below.