Indonesian operator Smartfren is launching direct carrier billing from Fortumo across its operations.
The partnership will allow Smartfren’s 12.5 million subscribers to make online payments without the need for a credit card by charging payments to their mobile account.
According to the World Bank, only 5 million of Indonesia’s 250 million inhabitants have a credit card, while there are over 65 million smartphone users in the country. This means that while most people have access to online content, 9 out of 10 people are unable to pay for it. Carrier billing resolves this problem for merchants, enabling any mobile phone owner (both prepaid and postpaid) to charge payments to their mobile phone bill.
“With direct carrier billing supported by Fortumo, our subscribers will be able to purchase in-app items and premium memberships as easily as deducting their own Smartfren balance or bill, and this is fully supported by our widest 4G LTE network,” said Revie Sylviana, Senior Vice President of Digital Services at Smartfren.
“Integrating with Fortumo means carriers do not have to invest time and resources into growing their revenue from carrier billing. Our partnerships with leading digital merchants from all segments of the industry help carriers quickly scale up their revenue,” said Siddharth Sahi, Vice President of Business Development & Carrier Relations at Fortumo.
In recent news from the region, Fortumo announced a partnership with Globe in the Philippines and Tri in Indonesia. Fortumo’s direct carrier billing platform is used by leading app stores (Google Play, Windows Phone Store), digital media companies (Spotify, Sony, HOOQ, Gaana) and gaming companies (EA Mobile, Gameloft, Kinguin, Rovio).
