How can your Service Provider help you with your bills? With almost everyone having at least one account with a service provider, it will definitely be a lot easier to track our bills and payments if most of them can be consolidated into these accounts. Given the enhancements in the carrier billing segment, more Service Providers are offering their subscribers the choice to charge their purchases to their mobile accounts. Latest among these is the Etisalat, the UAE's leading telecommunications operator, who is the first in the Middle East to launch carrier billing for Google Play store allowing its customers to charge their Google Play purchases directly to their monthly mobile bill or prepaid account.
According to a statement from Etisalat, its mobile customers in the UAE can now enjoy this secure, convenient, and flexible payment option using their Etisalat accounts. All they have to do to have access to this facility is simply choose the application that they want to buy from the Google Play store and select the 'Etisalat account' option on the payment screen to continue with the transaction. The customer's Etisalat account will be automatically set as the default option for all future purchases of applications, games, or in-app purchases.
With the increasing number of applications available on Google Play, which aggregates all the applications for Android smartphones and tablets, subscribers will benefit from the ease of paying for their purchases on a single interface. This tie-up is expected to benefit both parties, spurring more purchases on Google Store, and enhancing retention among subscribers who benefit from a readily available payment option without the need for credit cards, PayPal accounts and other payment modes.
"Etisalat is keen on introducing services that improve our customers' smartphone experience. We are very happy to be the first in the region to offer millions of our Android smartphone customers the facility to pay for apps purchased on Google Play through their mobile phone accounts. It's our effort to make access and payment for millions of apps, games and other content much easier and more secure for users."
- Khaled ElKhouly, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat UAE
