Member Article

Bango and Infomedia partner to create joint Direct Carrier Billing offering

Bango and Infomedia, global providers of Direct Carrier Billing (DCB), have come together in a new partnership to attempt to jointly accelerate the growth of DCB worldwide.

DCB is an online payment method, which allows users to make purchases by charging payments to their mobile phone bill. This payment method is available to all smartphone and feature phone owners, with a sim card device the only thing needed to confirm payments.

Historically Bango and Infomedia have had a level of competition. However, due to a shared belief in consolidation around a single set of technological and commercial standards, the two have joined forces.

The partnership will allow the businesses to expand the DCB ecosystem through the introduction of a whole variety of new partners, standardising all aspects of their experience, including the use of the Bango Platform for the application of payments to carriers and opening-up Infomedia as the standard platform for merchant services.

The deal gives the market a common technology for DCB that is open to the broadest range of merchants of all sizes, from the major App Stores to publishers, insurance and ticketing, physical goods and IoT.

This will enable mobile carriers and brands to deliver products and services to consumers via the world’s most successful mobile payment method. DCB is accessible to any consumer with a mobile device and can deliver 10x conversion compared to other forms of online payments.

Anil Malhotra, CMO, Bango said: “We are delighted to partner with Infomedia, which provides an essential service for operators keen to feed their content-hungry customers. The Infomedia methodology and technology ensures that the merchant services provide a safe and enjoyable customer experience.

“We are pleased that this partnership will allow us to combine Bango’s ability to monetise content at scale with the world’s leading online stores alongside Infomedia’s deep and trusted merchant relationships.

“Wind the clock back just 10 years and many might have predicted carrier billing could have faded away by 2017 - but the huge growth in interest from the world’s largest brands including app stores shows how dynamic the market is for paid content and its potential.

“We have seen that Infomedia is a critical driving force in expanding the scope of carrier billing, in a way that no one else is doing, by bringing new services and industries into the market.”

Michael Tomlins, CEO of Infomedia said: “Our decision to partner with Bango is based on our joint vision for the continued growth of DCB and alternative payments, and Bango’s position as the app store standard for DCB.

“We see an advantage in partnering with Bango to promote a single set of technological and commercial standards to emerge for carrier billing. Together we will be a driving force in what has been a fragmented industry, delivering a clear advantage for all parties through consolidation.

“This reflects our ongoing mission to create the safest worldwide network for our merchants and boost to their businesses through global growth.

“The Bango Platform’s market-leading work with the App Stores, combined with Infomedia’s merchant focus provides global access to all key growth segments for DCB, as a result more carriers will be able to deliver all the services their customers want through our network of trusted global brands and merchants - building on our promise to actively manage both consent and payment.”

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