Direct Carrier Billing and the Carrier Billing API enable shoppers to use their mobile phone number to purchase certain types of products and services, e.g.:

Digital goods & subscriptions

• App stores & digital content
• Gaming (in-game purchases, virtual currencies)
• Streaming services
• E-books & online courses
• Cloud storage

Physical goods & services

• Public transport & micromobility (bus tickets, scooter rentals)
• E-commerce purchases (low-ticket items, event tickets)
• Vending machines & parking payments
• Food delivery & quick commerce

Carrier-specific services

• Value-added services (news, insurances, ringtones, horoscope services)
• Charitable donations (via SMS)
• 5G-enabled enterprise services (IoT billing, cloud services)

For shoppers:

• Convenience – No need for a credit card; payments are frictionless.
• Security – No sensitive financial data shared with merchants.
• Accessibility – Works for unbanked users and prepaid customers (upon criteria of mobile operator).
• Speed – One-tap checkout experience.
• Global reach – Available where traditional payment methods are limited.

For Merchants:

• Higher conversion rates – No need for user registration or card input.
• Wider audience – Access to unbanked and younger demographics.
• Lower fraud risk – Transactions are tied to a carrier account. Carriers may apply eligibility filters to mobile subscribers to maximize confidence in shoppers.
• Recurring payments support – Ideal for subscriptions.
• Alternative revenue channel – Particularly for digital content providers.