In Russia, people have the option of linking up cards to their account or link their mobile phone. By choosing the mobile phone option, it is activated the payments feature. Users will be either charged to their monthly bill, or payments will be deducted from the topped-up, pay-as-you-go account. Carrier billing lets consumers charge things like app payments and music purchases to their mobile account instead of credit or debit cards.
What’s more, TechCrunch (quoting a source close to Boku) has added that the US-based startup is providing the mechanics behind this as Apple’s partner. TechCrunch has confirmed that Boku is also the company working on the billing integration with O2 in Germany that debuted last month.
Beeline is owned by VimpelCom, which is headquartered in Amsterdam and also owns carriers across other emerging markets, including Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Laos, Algeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic. It also has operations in Canada, Italy and Greece.
Moreover, Apple quietly turned on carrier billing in iTunes in Germany last month too.
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