Monetizing applications on the Android platform can be tricky. More than half of Google Play's 80,000 apps are free, creating a need for in-app monetization products. Carrier billing (or charging to a person's mobile phone bill) is quickly becoming the most popular alternative to billing through an app store, because it does not require customers to have a credit card. boxPAY recently released an Android SDK (Software Development Kit) for developers, which enables t
hem to bill users for in-app content in a single touch. The end charge goes on the mobile phone bill, and the customer never has to leave the application, generating a postivie user-experience.
In-App One-Touch Mobile Payments work for mobile and tablet applications in a variety of verticals, including: gaming, press and media, music, classified, dating, and more. Any web merchant who wants to offer their cu
stomers an alternative payment option to services that require registration and traditional credit card billing can use carrier billing and in-app payments.
The SDK works by automatically recognizing the user's phone number in the back-end of the app, and sending a hidden text message to initiate the payment transaction. This effectively removes the SMS confirmation step that is required with the desktop widget billing product, in which a user has to enter their mobile phone number in at the point-of-sale, and then confirm the transaction with a PIN code sent to their phone.
boxPAY Co-Founder Gavin McConnon explains why eliminating this confirmation step in the application user-experience is so important, “The conversation rates that our merchants see with the new Android in-app carrier billing product are exponential. The payment-wall is reduced to a single touch, making it incredibly seamless for the user. This will further increase successful sales for merchants.”
In-app carrier billing can be implemented across a variety of platforms. The payment gateway works on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, in many programming languages including Flash and HTML 5. It can even be used in a subscription format.
If you would like more information about in-app one-touch payments, or are interested in our SDK for the Android product, please email sales@boxpay.com.
If you are an e-business working with a mobile billing company to accept payments for digital goods, or even interested in doing this, you may have come across the phrase “Direct Carrier Connections”. You may be wondering what they are or about the differences between them and regular SMS billing. Continue reading and wonder no longer.
A typical SMS payment transaction works like this:
- User browses website
- User wants to make a digital good purchase
- User enters their mobile phone number into a payment box
- User receives a text message with a PIN code and enters that back into the payment box
- Transaction complete
This is called MT billing, in which a mobile-terminated message is sent by a telecom carrier through a platform (like boxPAY) to an end user in response to a service request. Users may also be prompted to send a text message to a short code (Ex: Text “boxPAY” to 12345) instead of entering their mobile number into a payment box. This is an MO message, meaning a mobile-originated message sent by an end user to an allocated number.
In both scenarios, and in the case of premium messages, the charge is in the text message itself.
How Direct Carrier Connections differ from the scenario outlined above, is that your mobile payments provider (like boxPAY) is connected directly into a telecom carrier (for example, O2) billing platform. Nothing looks or feels different for the user, and they still receive a message with a PIN code to complete a transaction. The important thing, though, is that the charge goes directly onto a mobile phone bill or is deducted from a prepaid balance. Doesn’t seem like there is any difference, right?
Maybe not to a customer, but for a merchant, there is a big difference. When a mobile payments provider has a direct connection, it means:
- Higher payouts for merchants in excess of 70%
- Flexible price points up to 30 Euro (or dollar, or other currency) For Example: 1.29, 1.99, 2.50, etc.
So, in other words, more money and a better user-experience! boxPAY are leading the charge with direct carrier connections and are soon to offer this service in Ireland with O2 and Vodaphone, and the USA and Germany with all carriers. Stay tuned for more info or email contact@boxpay.com with any questions. You can always begin accepting mobile payments immediately at boxPAY.com. There is no cost to sign up.
So, you've signed-up as a merchant on boxpay.com. What's the next step? Integrating our auto-generated code into your website, so you can begin accepting mobile payments and making more money.
Here are boxPAY's top 3 FAQs regarding integrating our mobile billing platform into a website:
1. Payment Status Notification. Are you having trouble determining what your ReturnURL should be? You will need three separate URLs, one for a "Payment Pending" status, one for a "Failed Status" and one for a "Successful Payment" page. Check out this easy-to-understand diagram for more help.
2. CSS Override for Payment Box. Are you looking for a full API integration or a CSS override for your payment box? This means that you want to take integration a step further. We have created a payment box that automatically pops up when your customer goes to pay using boxPAY. Another option we have is if you want our payment box to sit inside the frame of your website. As a boxPAY merchant, you already have access to both versions of the payment box. However, if you want to white-label our payment box to match your branding (like the picture below) we need to grant you additional permissions. Email sales@boxpay.com and our team will get you started immediately.
3. Test Console. Unsure how to generate a test transaction?
With the boxPAY test console, you can simulate what a transaction will look like for your customers without the charge actually appearing on your mobile bill. Once you set-up a payment box in your merchant portal, you can enable it in test mode and use the handset simulator to test the user experience.
Email techsupport@boxpay.com if you have any questions regarding the test console and one of our specialists will answer your questions.
According to analytics firm Compete, in a survey entitled "Obstacles to Mobile Payment Adoption", Security Concerns top the list of obstacles to widespread adoption of mobile payments at 64 percent. An underlying reason is that 46 percent of people just see their phones as devices to call or e-mail people.
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world, we all get a bit obsessed with security and how fine-tuned our system is. We need to know how our platform will deal in the busy times and in the very, very busy times. Not letting down our clients and their customers is paramount and as a result stress-testing plays a serious role in how we operate.
Stress testing is usually defined as the method by which you try and intentionally break or disrupt your system to see how it handles failure and then how it recovers afterwards. Essentially, we want our system to fail on our terms. 
So, when it does happen for real, we are ready and we know what to do.
So, how do you break your own system? You might double the number of users in a moment, close down the database or simply run too many resource-heavy tasks. Whatever it takes, we have to break it.
When doing a stress test, you are imagining a world of chaos and what might happen to your application when under its biggest strain. When you successfully brake it down, you’ll see how it attempts to recover.
For example, does it hang or give out accurate error messages?
Is the security compromised? This is the important issue for us at boxPAY. Because we focus on security as one of our core values, we have to ensure security remains our number one issue when performing a stress test.
With the economy in its current state, businesses and individuals are always looking for ways to ramp up their revenue and bring in a bit of extra cash. Below are a few ideas to get you started as the weather gets colder around the world and keeps you inside (with the exception, of course, of my friends south of the equator). Don't waste time in front of the TV this winter, get going on one of the ideas below and make some money!
1. Accept Donations
It might sound silly at first, but think about it. Do you write a daily or weekly blog? Do you raise money for a non-profit? Do you share your valuable information, like dating or business advice on a website? Do you post recipes online? It takes time to do these things and they are all worthy of a donation.
2. Write an E-Book or E-Guide
What is your expertise in? Write about it. One author made $72,000 in a week from a Portraits E-Book he created for DigitalPhotographySchool.com! No, that's not a joke.
3. Create Premium Content
Open a "members-only" access to a premium content portion of your website for a small fee.
4. Sell Photo
s or Illustrations
Did you take a National Geographic-worthy photo on your last vacation? Or do you create designs or sketch illustrations in your free time? Sell them online for a few bucks and make money from them.
So the next question is, how do you accept the money for the content you have created?
Mobile billing is the answer. Easily incorporated into your blog or website by copying a snippet of JavaScript code, accepting mobile payments allows you to monetize content without having to go though a messy integration process with a big company that won't give you the time of day. Using mobile payments, anyone with a mobile phone can purchase your digital content, with the end-charge going on their carrier bill or deducted from a pre-paid balance.
Check out boxpay.com to register for FREE and begin accepting mobile payments today. There are no maintenance fees or hidden costs.
Web vendors across the world shuddered a little at last month’s news that Steam, the online digital store, game library, and multiplayer network, had been hacked. In a time when web merchants like to think they have all gotten that bit better at system security and protecting customers’ details, something like this happens. And it’s often the lure of credit card information that is the main attraction for cyber criminals.
Now, this is in no way a
smug smile in the direction of Steam, as a security breach for any of our online contemporaries is devastating. Everyone has been robbed, burgled or had something stolen from them at some stage and it’s an awful feeling.
As good as securities companies get at credit card security and analyzing every possible gap in the system through which a hacker might get in, the attraction of credit cards for purposes of fraud will never diminish– online or offline.
At boxPAY, we focus on mobile billing through SMS and direct carrier connections and thereby avoid the threat of credit card fraud. We set up boxPAY because we wanted to offer web merchants the ability to provide an alternative payment option to their customers that doesn't require a credit card. (This is valuable not only for those customers wary of s
ubmitting credit card details online, but also so customers who don't have access to a credit card can make online purchases as well!)
Some of our merchants want to attract customers to their website that are fearful of getting their credit card details stolen. They need to offer online shoppers the ability to make fast purchases for small amounts in a simple and secure manner. That’s why mobile billing works – when it comes to making a payment, we want to require as little information and as few steps as possible for the customer. In this way they have a better experience purchasing online, and want to come back to your website to do it again. And again. And again. This is how our merchants increase the number of transactions completed at the point-of-sale and generate more revenue.
Essentially, by using boxPAY mobile billing technology as your preferred payment model, you as a merchant are telling would–be hackers not to waste their time because the payments platform has no credit card details or no personal information stored in the database.
A question that often comes up before merchants are willing to try mobile billing is; "is it secure?" Mobile billing is not only safe and secure but the most convenient way for your customers to pay for goods or services online. If you’ve often wondered how you can make the online buying experience easier for busy customers, then consider accepting mobile payments 
as a solution. boxPAY offers a simpler online buying experience for your client with safety and security guaranteed for both parties. In fact, the most common security question we have to answer is – ‘all you need is your phone number?’
That’s where the security starts and finishes. Your customers need only to give just one telephone number….no names, addresses….no credit card details or expiry dates…no mother’s maiden name or favourite colour. This translates into happy, secure online users who are now just one data field away from buying online.
Using boxPAY payment technology, your customer is prompted to enter their mobile phone number at point of purchase. They get a text back with a unique PIN code. They enter the code on screen. The transaction is complete. There is very little opportunity for fraud as the only qualifying factor is that your customer must be in possession of their phone to make the purchase.
It is that safe. And easy. Just one telephone number.
As an online merchant, you also want to be sure you are partnering with a robust, stable application. The boxPAY platform is built on carrier-grade technology infrastructure. Our system is used by some of the world’s biggest mobile networks like O2, Vodafone, Virgin, AT&T and many more. The boxPAY platform also provides safe and secure tracking as well as periodic reporting on every transaction made by your customers using our technology.
As it’s not a subscription service, there are no multiple transactions allowed without the consent of your customer. With boxPAY technology and payment infrastructure in place, you know that just a mobile phone number stands in the way of making a fast and secure online sale.
No more than just a number. It’s the simplicity that guarantees the security.
The way internet and application users are paying for online goods and services is changing. As the digital ecosystem continues to evolve, so too do e-commerce business models and how they monetize their products. In this new frontier, micropayments or small and quick transactions, are the Holy Grail because they offer customers flexibility without any commitment. Technology is changing your customer’s behaviour and the way you do business, and this is especially true when it comes to how a user makes a purchase.
As boxPAY gears up to attend the G-Star gaming trade show in Korea next week, we have been thinking about how the online gaming industry, particularly in Asia, has been cashing in on mobile micropayments – to the tune of billions – for years, but mai
nstream media and entertainment producers are lagging behind. Ernst & Young compiled a detailed and informative report titled ‘Monetizing Digital Media’ in 2010 assessing the current reality facing media and entertainment industries’ e-commerce models. As the report says, many of the largest names in media are playing catch-up, instead of being on the forefront of owning their own digital content. One key component of any e-commerce solution intending to work in harmony with our digitally mediated consumer behaviour, according to Ernst & Young, is micropayments. “Mobile internet content is providing an example of consumer willingness to pay for digital content.”
So, will the present crisis in journalism, which has seen online ad revenue decline, subscription models met with resistance, and established papers under threat, be saved by micropayments? Walter Isaacson, a former managing editor of Time, thinks so and argued for micropayments as a cure for newspapers’ ills way back in 2009. Steve Jobs, as we are all aware, did this with the music industry. Consumers are only too happy to pay a $1 (and now up to $1.29) for a tune. Apple’s iTunes model is a perfect example of micropayments in music and the unbundling of content. Why buy the album if you only want one song? Newspapers should go the same route and offer customers the option of purchasing a single story, or group of stories, for a small price, instead of forcing a yearly subscription on someone.
Existing digital financial service giants like PayPal and Visa are mobilizing to simplify and broaden their micropayment offerings. All the while the mobile billing industry has been forging ahead and continues to be a primary revenue generator for many dating and classified sites, free-to-play games, and hopefully soon— the press and media industry. The ability to access emerging nations and economies where mobile phones are ubiquitous and bank accounts rare, is just one example of their how mobile payments extend the reach of online merchants to previously unbankable customers. With micropayment set to become a new buzz word, mobile billing through Boxpay is emerging as a favourite payment choice for many online merchants.
With the online dating community seeing a large increase in micropayment transactions for services such as registration, digital gift giving, and premium profile placements, mobile billing provides an ideal, simple solution for merchants to increase their conversions at the point of sale. If only meeting your ideal mate was so easy!
So how would mobile billing work in the world of online dating? Well, let’s use the example of a potential user – a guy called Mick. Mick stumbles across an effective online dating ad telling him there are singles in his area. Curious, Mick clicks the ad and gets taken to the home page; he browses the site and gets to look at a few profiles. Mick likes what he sees and eventually gets directed to the sign up page which, once complete, will give him 
access to all the new member benefits of this great dating site. So Mick spends five minutes of his valuable time filling out the client information, interests, personal description and other necessary information. So far so good; Mick clicks next hoping to carry on browsing local singles. Instead he is taken to a new page requesting credit card information in order to process his application. Mick isn’t happy – more time consuming forms and personal information required! He shuts the browser and heads out for a coffee with his friends never to return to the site again.
Mick’s experience is an all too common, statistically proven, reality. Now imagine that Mick had other, simpler, payment, choices - the choice to use his mobile device to pay for a subscription the online dating site. With boxPAY’s mobile billing solution consumers like Mick are far more likely to try the offer and even become subscribers.
boxPAY prides itself on offering simple, no friction, mobile billing for the consumer – fully in line with their billing preferences. This means fewer users leaving the page without paying and more conversions for the site. Given the many new unique ways online dating sites are finding to monetize their services, whether it’s dating tips or the always entertaining Hot or Not apps, there has never been a better time to integrate boxPAY as an alternative payment solution on your dating website.
Perhaps the end user has concerns with credit card security, perhaps they don’t even own a credit card, or maybe it’s all about convenience and they are unwilling to use one for small one time purchases and subscriptions. Regardless, from the point of view of online dating sites it’s the conversions that matter and boxPAY is offering the online dating world a simple solution with many advantages.
Remember, while dating can be stressful, boxPAY can guarantee you results and happiness!
As breaking news, entertainment media, and a wide variety of digital content becomes increasingly accessible through the Internet, press and media organisations are seeking new ways to generate revenue streams, outside of the traditional subscription payment method. Digital media is primarily digested on-the-go via laptops, tablets and smart phones. Because of this, print media has struggled in the recession with advertising revenue dropping and readers getting their news online and free of charge.
The industry needs a lifeline and the solution is in the form of micropayments, or small and quick transactions.
Whilst the press industry in general has been slow to embrace paid content online, publications like the Wall St Journal have seen their revenue soar thanks to an increase in micropayments. Content is unlocked by paying a small fee. However, readers are not always comfortable using their credit cards for such small amounts and are deterred by time-consuming credit card forms. Mobile micropayments provides a solution to this problem.
boxPAY’s mobile billing platform offers readers a simple, secure way to unlock online news content while generating much needed revenue for press and media organisations. This is especially relevant considering the huge increase in the number of smart phone users. According to Nielsen, 51% of all mobile phone purchases in the US in the last 3 months were smart phones. Filling out lengthy credit card forms on a mobile phone can be time consuming and frustrating, but with boxPAY, a transaction can be completed in less than 10 seconds…and the user can have access to their desired content.
Micropayments are also proving to be a perfect fit for the press and media industry because online readers often do not visit a single online news source, unlike the market for print newspapers in which readers typically subscribe to only one paper. Today’s online readers are news hungry, and absorb information from a variety of media sources. These digital savvy readers don’t have a problem paying small amounts to unlock content about their favourite celebrity or sports team on many different sites.
Similarly within the telemedia industry, micropayments are seen as a major source of future revenue.
Britain’s biggest free to air TV Company; ITV announced in July 2011 that they would be introducing a micropayment system for online customers.
Adam Crozier, ITV's chief executive, said the group would start charging the public for some content on its ITV Player from January 2012. This model is expected to become more and more common with other TV companies struggling with declining advertising revenues.
So, as micropayments continue to thrive with song and video downloads on iTunes, and are now the payment method of choice for gaming and digital goods, it seems that press and media industries are ready to follow. Micropayments are perfectly poised to contribute in a big way to the future of press and media on the Internet.