Payvia, the leading direct carrier billing mobile payments and messaging provider, today announces a partnership to integrate its mobile payments technology with Mobile XL, whose feature phone browsing platform provides access to digital services such as Facebook, Twitter, email, news, sports and games for millions of people in Africa and India.
Mobile-XL browsers use SMS as a data channel, creating an innovative solution that gives feature phone users access to a wide range of digital content. By adding payvia's mobile checkout into services on the Mobile-XL browser, the partnership will let consumers purchase digital goods and service with two-click payments made from their pre-paid carrier airtime. This means that millions of feature phone users will have a fast and secure way to transact across services like social media, communications, news and games, without requiring a bank account or credit card.
Mobile-XL is directly connected to leading carriers including Orange, MTN, Vodafone, Etisalat, Idea and Airtel and provides consumers with fast and affordable access to popular, everyday content without needing a data service and with just a small fee taken from their carrier airtime. Unlike other mobile payment solutions, payvia's direct carrier billing mobile payments technology has a frictionless two-click checkout process that works on any device, including feature phones, for consumers across 40 global markets. payvia is committed to dramatically simplifying the process for consumers to purchase the products and services they want on their mobile device and this partnership extends its ability to deliver on that commitment across a range of emerging markets.
"With over 800 million mobile subscribers in Africa alone, fewer than one-third of whom have access to traditional banking or credit card solutions, we believe that payvia's technology will soon be the preferred way for both consumers and merchants to buy and sell digital goods throughout Africa," said Darcy Wedd, CEO, payvia. "Our partnership with Mobile-XL, whose emerging market expertise is unrivalled, is testament to our commitment to provide consumers with greater mobile access to the digital goods and services people want"
"Mobile-XL is breaking down the barriers of internet access, enabling users to enjoy the mobile web at the low cost and convenience of messaging" said Guy Kamgaing, CEO of Mobile-XL. "Our partnership with payvia is an example of innovation to solve the challenge of providing affordable access to valuable digital services to people without smartphones, data plans, bank accounts or credit cards".