Telkom Mobile, the mobile division of telecommunications company Telkom, and BlackBerry have announced an integrated carrier billing service for BlackBerry smartphone customers in South Africa.
The service is made possible through Telkom Mobile’s newly developed Event Billing service and will enable Telkom Mobile customers to purchase applications on the BlackBerry World™ storefront and charge it directly to their mobile phone bill or airtime. Customers can also make in-app purchases, such as additional content or new levels for a gaming app, without interruption to the app experience.
To make secure purchases and payments on BlackBerry World, customers will be required to enter their BlackBerry ID username and password. BlackBerry ID provides customers with a secure and device-independent user identification to access apps and services on BlackBerry World.
The carrier billing purchase experience includes a double opt-in process to ensure that customers are aware that they are purchasing an app or a game and not surprised when their account is billed for the purchase. Details of each transaction will be itemised on customers’ invoices. Customers can also call Telkom Mobile Customer Care to further validate purchases.
“We are thrilled to introduce Carrier Billing with BlackBerry as our first partner,” said Vishal Phlad, Executive Technical Product Development at Telkom Mobile. “By providing a facility for BlackBerry smartphone users to pay for apps and content using their airtime, or by adding purchases to their account, we make it more convenient for them to transact.”
Yudi Moodley, Managing Director for Africa at BlackBerry said, “We are delighted to expand our relationship with Telkom Mobile with the launch of integrated billing. Telkom Mobile’s integrated carrier billing for BlackBerry smartphones will make it easier than ever for South African customers to get apps and games on BlackBerry World. It is a simple, secure and convenient way for our customers to get the most from their BlackBerry smartphones.”
