Smartfren and Bango Launch Google Play Carrier Billing

CAMBRIDGE, England, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

- Google Play carrier billing now live through Bango across Smartfren, Indosat and XL 

- Bango Platform powering 15 app store activations across top five Indonesian operators 

Bango (AIM: BGO), the mobile payments company, is pleased to announce that Smartfren, the leading Indonesian Mobile Network Operator, has used the Bango Payment Platform to launch one-click carrier billing payment for Google Play customers.

Significantly, this launch is the fifteenth app store carrier billing activation through the Bango Platform in Indonesia. Bango has launched multiple Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) routes across each of the 'top five' operators in Indonesia, enabling hundreds of millions of users to fully engage with the leading app stores from Google, Microsoft, BlackBerry and Samsung.

"The relationships Bango has in Indonesia have created a country-wide standard for app store billing," said Ray Anderson, Bango CEO. "Bango's technical and operational experience in the market makes it easy for stores and merchants to launch mobile payments in this large and vibrant economy."

From today, pre- and post-paid customers on the Smartfren network can use carrier billing to pay for the wide variety of Google Play content. Enjoying a frictionless one-click payment powered by Bango, subscribers can pay on their phone bill, without the need to register personal details.

"Smartfren is pleased to launch carrier billing in Google Play, allowing our customers to purchase content by placing the charge on their mobile phone bill. We chose to activate another app store through the Bango Platform as it enabled us to launch Google Play fast and risk free. We believe Bango's solution will provide the best experience for Smartfren as the widest 4G operator in the country," said Revie Sylviana, Senior Vice President of Digital Services at Smartfren.

After China and India, Indonesia is the third largest smartphone market in Asia with over 55 million users, according to eMarketer, 2016. However, only 4 million people in the country have a credit card. Alternative payment methods, such as carrier billing are rapidly becoming the digital content payment method of choice, facilitating unprecedented growth in financial inclusion.

Ray Anderson commented: "Indonesian operators recognize that carrier billing is a mainstream payment method for digital content. Bango has emerged as the app store carrier billing provider of choice in this highly mobile market, taking mobile payments beyond the restricted reach of credits cards and bank accounts. Launching our fifteenth app store carrier billing route in Indonesia is a proud milestone for Bango, further extending our footprint across Asia."

The names of companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. 

About Bango 

Bango is the standard platform chosen by leading global stores to deliver mobile payments to everyone. As the next billion consumers adopt their first smartphone and look for universal payment methods, Bango will be there to unlock the world of apps, video, music, games and other content that brings those smartphones to life. Global stores plugging into the Bango Platform include Amazon, Google, Samsung and Microsoft. Bango also partners with leading payment providers around the world to drive new users and revenues through its industry-leading mobile payment solutions. For more information, visit www.bango.com.