Following in the footsteps of Apple, Microsoft is making a move into the carrier billing market, teaming up with network operator Sprint and Boku to enable millions of Americans to make purchases on Windows 10 devices using only their mobile number.
Sprint's 57 million subscribers can now store their phone numbers in their Windows Store accounts, letting them bypass credit cards and add movie, music, game and app purchases made on any Windows 10 device to their mobile bills.
With the new Windows Store available in 242 markets around the world, Boku says that more carriers in new countries will follow. News of the deal comes just days after Boku struck a similar agreement with Apple and mobile operator Beeline in Russia, letting people add iTunes purchases to their phone bills.
Says Boku CEO Jon Prideaux: "What’s worth highlighting about this particular implementation is that carrier billing will be offered across all Windows 10 devices, not just the mobile phone. This is consistent with the way in which we consume digital content today and proof that carrier billing is hardly just a payment method for on-mobile purchases."