Thanks to the partnership, 12.5 million subscribers of Smartfren can now make online payments without the need for a credit card by charging payments to their mobile account.

Out of 250 million Indonesians, only 5 million have a credit card, according to the World Bank. At the same time, there are more than 65 million smartphone users in the country. This means that while most people have access to online content, 9 out of 10 people are unable to pay for it. Carrier billing resolves this problem for merchants, enabling any mobile phone owner (both prepaid and postpaid) to charge payments to their mobile phone bill.

“As one of the leading mobile data providers in the market, Smartfren always provide an easy and smart solution for the customer. With direct carrier billing supported by Fortumo, our subscriber will be able to purchase their in-app items and premium memberships as easy as deducting their own Smartfren balance or bill, and this is fully supported by our widest 4G LTE network for the best experience to enjoy the services,” said Revie Sylviana, Senior Vice President of Digital Services at Smartfren.

“Integrating with Fortumo means carriers do not have to invest time and resources into growing their revenue from carrier billing. Our partnerships with leading digital merchants from all segments of the industry help carriers quickly scale up their revenue. We are very happy to partner with Smartfren and give access to online payments for millions of their subscribers,” said Siddharth Sahi, Vice President of Business Development & Carrier Relations at Fortumo.

In recent news from the region, Fortumo announced a partnership with Globe in the Philippines and Tri in Indonesia. Additional information on Fortumo’s presence in the region and data on the carrier billing ecosystem can be found from Fortumo’s Asia market report. Fortumo recently also published a white paper for mobile operators with guidance on how to manage risk and fraud in light of growing transaction volumes through carrier billing.

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