Idea has introduced direct carrier billing on all app purchases made on the Google Play Store. This feature lets Idea users pay for apps, content, and in-app purchases though their prepaid or postpaid accounts. In order to avail the service, subscribers will have to choose the Idea billing option when they are prompted during a purchase. The company added that a nominal convenience charge will be included in the final transaction. This is the first time such a feature is introduced in India.
P. Lakshminarayana, Idea Cellular’s Chief Operating Officer – Corporate said, “Idea has been at the forefront of the internet revolution and has built a robust network through an extensive 3G and now 4G rollout. With capabilities to provide wireless broadband services to nearly 880 million Indians, Idea is well poised to take the lead in the way content is served to an increasing army of digital savvy users. This tie up with Google Play creates a vast set of opportunities for Idea subscribers and also builds a secure gateway to the digital world.”
Last year, Idea had similar deal with Microsoft. As per the deal, Windows Phone users could purchase apps and games from the Windows Store, and the amount will be added to their monthly bill, or deducted from their prepaid balance.