BRUNN AM GEBIRGE, Austria — DIMOCO has released its new mobile operator payment country report, this time showing France’s current trends in billing digital content.
The company reported mobile handset penetration rate of 98.4 percent in France compared with credit card ownership of 37.5 percent, which shows enormous potential when it comes to billing digital content via mobile operator payment.
DIMOCO noted that the fact also reflects the development of value added data services, that according to ARCEP, showed an increase from 196 million Euros in the fourth quarter of 2012, to 226 million Euros in the fourth quarter 2013. DIMOCO said this represents an annual growth rate of 15.4 percent and includes premium-rate services such as various data and push services, e.g. chat rooms, weather forecasts, TV game shows, horoscopes, ring tone downloads that corresponds to all amounts billed to customers by operators, including out payments from operators to service providers.
At the same time, the number of value-added data service messages decreased from 209 million messages in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 183 million messages in the fourth quarter of 2013 — representing a decrease of 12.6 percent.
“More and more payment transactions are made through direct carrier billing,” CEO Gerald Tauchner said.
He added, “Thanks to our partnerships with mobile network operators we have in-depth knowledge of the markets. With our mobile operator payment special report on France, we are once again not only sharing our know-how but highlighting the enormous potential of a highly developed telecommunication country.”
The report went on to explain that digital content can be billed using three billing types and up to a tariff range of 30 Euros. In France, billing digital content is possible with all four mobile network operators: Orange, which has a market share of 44.2 percent; SFR, the second mobile network operator in the country with a market share of 34 percent; Bouygues Telecom (17.7 percent) and Free Mobile (4.1 percent).
DIMOCO explained that besides premium SMS and direct carrier billing, mobile network operators also offer ISP billing. While “SMS+” stands for the French Premium SMS Billing Solution, “Internet + Mobile” is the Direct Carrier Billing Solution and “Internet + Box” is the well-known, commonly used billing interface where consumers are charged via their ISPs in France.
“Including ISP billing in their portfolio is rather specific to the French market, but expands our business customers’ reach,” Tauchner said. “The payment method is well-known and commonly used in France.”
DIMOCO noted that billing mobile digital content and web access can be billed as one-off and subscription services up to a tariff range of 30 Euros. Via mobile operator payment, the company said it provides the mobile operator with a Web TAN opt-in process where a unique SMS pin code is entered on the payment page. Via ISP billing and mobile operator payment, consumers log in with usernames and passwords.
To view the report’s infographic click here.