Up until now, it was only possible to pay for digital goods purchased through iTunes using your debit/credit card or via an iTunes gift card. Starting from today though, Apple is adding another way for you to pay for your purchases on iTunes: carrier billing.
The iTunes store also includes the iOS App Store, iBook Store, and Apple Music.
By simply linking your phone number with their Apple account, you will be able to pay for items in the iTunes store. The purchase price of these goods will then show up in your next mobile bill. If you are a prepaid user, the amount will be instantly deducted from your balance.
For now, only O2/Telefonica users in Germany will be able to take advantage of carrier billing in iTunes.
Below is what Telefónica had to say about enabling carrier billing for the iTunes store to TechCrunch:
“Telefónica Germany is working with Apple related to carrier billing,” a spokesperson told us in an email. “Payment via the O2 phone bill is now available for Apple Music, iTunes, App Store and iBooks Store Purchases. The service is gradually being rolled out and will be available for all O2 customers (prepaid and postpaid) in Germany by the beginning of November 2015.”
Apparently, Apple is also working with Bango, a carrier billing provider that already works with other major app stores, to bring carrier billing functionality to iTunes.
It is likely that with Germany and O2/Telefónica, Apple is simply testing out carrier billing. The impact of this feature will be felt more in developing countries like India and even China, where the penetration of debit/credit cards is still relatively low.
[via TechCrunch, Image Credit: Caschys blog]
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