Digital games marketplace Kinguin launches carrier billing with Fortumo

The digital games marketplace Kinguin and the mobile payments company Fortumo are announced the launched of a carrier billing partnership. Kinguin users can now purchase games and in-game items from Kinguin by charging payments to their mobile phone bill, without the need for a credit card.

Kinguin’s gaming portfolio contains thousands of products at the lowest prices, ranging from downloadable games to CS:GO skins. Gamers can now buy these items through carrier billing with Fortumo and make payments in a seamless way, without having to sign up for additional accounts or enter their credit card details.

“We give our customers the freedom to choose from our wide range of payment services we offer. We have noticed demand for mobile payment services from our customers. Partnering with mobile payment companies such as Fortumo enables us to reach customers who are willing to pay by phone with best possible fees,” said Faheem Bakshi, vice president of Global Expansion at Kinguin.

“A growing amount of gamers are located in countries where traditional online payment methods are scarcely available and where gaming growth outpaces traditional markets. Fortumo helps game developers, marketplaces and e-sports streaming platforms reach users in over 90 countries by giving anyone with a mobile phone access to online payments. We are very happy that Kinguin has selected us as their partner and look forward to growing their revenue from the unbanked audience,” said Andrea Boetti, vice president of Global Business Development at Fortumo.

According to SuperDataResearch, carrier billing is the third most popular payment method for digital gaming transactions globally, after bank card and eWallet payments. The payment method is most popular in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific due to low ownership of bank cards.

Only 24% of Brazilian, 14% of Russian and 3% of Thai young adults (15-24 year olds) own a credit card, according to the World Bank. This means most gamers in emerging markets are unable to make payments online. Carrier billing solves this issue by enabling payments for a younger, unbanked audience, but also for those users who are reluctant to share their credit card details online.

Besides Kinguin, Fortumo’s direct carrier billing platform is used by leading app stores (Google Play, Windows Phone Store), digital media companies (Sony, HOOQ, Gaana) and game developers (EA Mobile, Gameloft, Rovio). To enable global carrier billing for these merchants, Fortumo has partnered with more than 350 mobile operators across the world.

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