Apple Enables Carrier Billing in iTunes for German O2 Customers

Apple is seemingly expanding its iTunes billing options by charging users as part of their mobile phone bills for the first time.

Apple is finally playing with allowing you to charge your iTunes purchases via your mobile carrier for the first time, as it was spotted in action for O2 customers in Germany. It’s a convenience, as it puts multiple purchases on a single bill and doesn’t require that the phone owner have a credit card or a bank account.

Though we don’t know where Apple will expand carrier billing to next – or even if it will expand carrier billing – the payment method could certainly become much more widespread.

By the beginning of November, all prepaid and postpaid O2 customers will be open to avail the carrier billing service. “Unfortunately right now I can not give you more information”, the spokesperson said. Another source says that it’s not Bango working on this deal. What do you guys think about carrier billing?

Apple has opened a new dimension in terms of paying for apps on various platforms like the App Store and Apple Music. Telefonica has been working on carrier billing for years already for Android and other devices.

However, it looks like carrier billing is now only supported with O2 in Germany.

The addition of carrier billing may not seem revolutionary for more developed countries like the US. Apps, music and books fall well within that limit.

As heard by TechCrunch, Bango and Apple may have partnered for the provision of this service.

Apple has various methods of users’ payments for apps and media, a few of them being the direct integration of the iTunes Store with credit or debit card, Paypal and iTunes gift cards.

In the past, we’ve seen O2 in the United Kingdom offer a similar but unofficial solution for carrier billing with iTunes purchases.