Telekom Slovenije, Fortumo launch carrier billing on Google Play in Slovenia

Telekom Slovenije, the communications service provider in Slovenia, offering mobile, fixed and ICT services and solutions, and the mobile payments company Fortumo have launched direct carrier billing on the Google Play app store.

More than a million Telekom Slovenije customers can now charge payments on Google Play to their phone bill. Telekom Slovenije is the first operator in the country to support carrier billing on the app store.

Carrier billing helps merchants like Google reach more paying users as some people either do not have a credit card or do not want to pay with it online due to privacy concerns. With carrier billing, they can instead pay by deducting the amount from their prepaid account or charge it to their monthly phone bill without sharing any private information online and the payment method works for any phone owner.

“Telekom Slovenije will be the first operator in Slovenia to offer carrier billing for purchases made in Google Play store. This way users avoid sending out sensitive payment card information and the payments are just as safe, while even more simple and transparent with all monthly communication services charged in one place – on the operator’s monthly invoice,” says Tomaž Pernovšek from Telekom Slovenije’s Product House. “In line with the company strategic guidelines Telekom Slovenije has been expanding its financial services portfolio. Android being the most widespread mobile device operating system, the cooperation in billing communication services on their platform with a single invoice is a win-win combination for all. We are very pleased to have found a responsive partner and service provider such as Fortumo, with whom we jointly developed the solution for our customers.”

“Carrier billing helps mobile operators increase customer satisfaction with their services while also increasing revenue per user. Telekom Slovenije is the leading carrier in Slovenia and we are very excited to launch Google Play with them as first in the country. Fortumo’s unique expertise in the region and our industry-leading billing platform will help Telekom Slovenije to grow payment revenue both from app stores and other digital merchants,” said Gerri Kodres, Chief Business Officer at Fortumo.

Google Play has been enabled by Fortumo’s carrier billing platform that supports both app stores such as Google Play and digital merchants in other segments like music and video streaming, social networking and gaming. As part of the agreement, Fortumo also provides Telekom Slovenije with Fortumo Insight, a smart data analytics platform which helps track and analyze app store performance and make improvements to grow carrier billing revenue.

For Fortumo, Telekom Slovenije is the third operator with whom carrier billing on Google Play has been launched in 2017. During January, the company announced launches of app store billing in Latvia with LMT and in Vietnam with Vietnamobile.

In addition to Google Play, Fortumo’s customers include among others Spotify, Sony, HOOQ, Gaana, Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Kinguin and Rovio. In order to enable payments for these merchants, Fortumo works together with mobile operators in more than 90 countries.