A Thorough Look At Phone Bill Payments At Mobile Casinos

The Ultimate Guide to Phone Bill Payments | Table of Contents

What are Phone Bill Payments?

Benefits of Phone Bill Payments

How it works?

Technology and Regulations

Step-by-Step Guide to Phone Bill Payments

Phone Bill Payments at Mobile Casinos

What are Phone Bill Payments?

It’s like saying:

Put it on my

phone bill,

thanks!

Money is deducted from your phone credit

if you are a Pay As You Go User

if you have a phone contract

Or added to your monthly phone bill

In the UK, you can pay by phone bill with all major phone networks

You can pay via phone bill using any device

just as you can play at a mobile casino on any device.

This is how money flows

from player to casino

The Ultimate Guide to Phone Bill Payments | Table of Contents

What are Phone Bill Payments?

Benefits of Phone Bill Payments

How it works?

Technology and Regulations

Step-by-Step Guide to Phone Bill Payments

Phone Bill Payments at Mobile Casinos

Myths?

1. It is convenient.

You don’t have to sign up or

register for an account.

1. It is convenient.

No need to locate your wallet,

find your credit card and enter

all the details (16-digits, billing

address, expiry date…)

1. It is convenient.

No need to run to a shop to

purchase Ukash vouchers.

2. Everyone can use it!

The Cardless

No bank account or

credit cards required.

All you need is a

mobile phone; phone

bill payments work

with any brand or

phone model.

Source: Boku Website – Key Benefits (November 2014)

The Many

6.8 billion customers

with mobile phones

from 68 different

countries

The Nervous

You’ll authorise every

transaction, and you’ll

never have to share

your card details

The Busy

The payment process

literally takes seconds

– tap a few times and

you’re done!

Businesses can reach more customers than ever.

Source: World Bank (November 2014)

That’s better than any other payment system.

Source: Mobilepaymentstoday.com (November 2014)

3. Spend with confidence.

All the costs and details are clearly

displayed before every purchase.

There are receipts via text message,

notifications and reminders.

Do you want to buy 180 coins

for £1.00? It will be charged to

your mobile phone bill.

What you pay for is what you get.

4. Exercise self-control.

Phone billing is limited to £30 a day for

all users. Your phone provider has also

set a monthly credit limit to help you

manage your spending.

If you get near your limit, you’ll usually

receive a text to let you know. This is one

way life tells you that you’re in safe

hands.

Manage your account at

mFortune Mobile Casino

5. Transactions are 100% secure.

You won’t pass any personal banking

details to the merchant.

Hence, zero chance of fraud!

It is also thoroughly regulated (more on

this later).

The Ultimate Guide to Phone Bill Payments | Table of Contents

What are Phone Bill Payments

Benefits of Phone Bill Payments

How do Phone Bill Payments Work?

Technology and Regulations

Step-by-Step Guide to Phone Bill Payments

Phone Bill Payments at Mobile Casinos

Myths?

There are many people involved...

1. Payment intermediary

These are the middlemen in the transactions,

connecting mobile networks, customers and

merchants.

• They set up a billing engine, which is integrated onto the

merchant’s websites.

• They set up relationships with different mobile network

operators.

• They are well-versed with the regulations and make changes

to their payment processes when necessary, without

requiring any developmental effort from the merchant.

Some services offered by Dialogue, a payment intermediary

2. Mobile network provider

Mobile network providers are a key player in each transaction. They:

• Send the actual text messages when asked to

• Collect payments from customers and

• Transfer money to the aggregators, i.e. the amount that is successfully billed from consumers

• Issue their own guidelines, such as O2’s ₤30 monthly limit for its users

3. Merchant/ Mobile Casino

Merchants are the customer-facing

business that require money-

collection methods.

• Businesses that suit phone bill payments

include: mobile casinos, apps,

newsstands, etc.

• They contact a payment

intermediary of their choice and

integrate the billing engine into their

website.

4. Regulators

Every country has different regulations;

merchants must obey the regulations of countries that they operate in.

What regulations are there to protect consumers?

• Clear and accurate pricing information

• Honest advertising and service content

• Appropriate and targeted promotions

• Protection of consumers’ privacy, including the option to stop

messages and disable premium rate services free of charge.

• The ability for consumers to set limits or caps on spending

Regulations in the UK

Payforit is a set of standards that defines the

consumer payment experience and security

standards. This scheme is set up by PhonepayPlus,

Ofcom, AIME and the four mobile networks.

Regulations in the UK

PhonepayPlus is an independent and non-profit organisation that

regulates all phone-paid services. They publish a Code of Practice,

investigate consumers’ complaints and bar companies that break the

rules. In the UK, every business must register with PhonepayPlus before

accepting payment via phone bill.

Regulations in the UK

Ofcom regulates

communication services in the

UK (including TV, radio,

mobiles, fixed lines and

airwaves)

AIME protects network

providers and the payment

intermediaries (the company

that sets up the billing engine.)

The Ultimate Guide to Phone Bill Payments | Table of Contents

What are Phone Bill Payments

Benefits of Phone Bill Payments

How It Works

Technology behind Phone Bill Payments

Step-by-Step Guide to Phone Bill Payments

Phone Bill Payments at Mobile Casinos

Myths?

There are two payment models:

Direct Carrier BillingPremium SMS (PSMS)

Premium SMS (PSMS)

Premium SMS (PSMS)

The earliest mobile payment method.

1. Users simply send a text message to a

shortcode.

2. They are then billed when the premium SMS is

sent or when they receive a reply. Every message

to the shortcode costs a certain amount of

money, such as 10p, £1, £2 and £5.

Example usage: Sale of ringtones, donation to

charities, voting on TV shows, entry into

competitions

Premium SMS (PSMS)

Limitations of PSMS:

1. Susceptible to scamming and unscrupulous

services – Poor regulations and security

2. Merchants can only accept fixed amounts of

money – Each shortcode is configured to accept

10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2, £3 or £5.

PSMS Scam Alert!

Direct Carrier Billing

The next big thing.

1. You’ll enter your mobile number at the cashier

2. You’ll receive a text message. The text message

may provide a PIN code, which you’ll have to

enter at the website, or instructions to reply and

confirm the payment.

Example usage: Social gaming, dating sites, mobile

casinos. It is also used by Facebook, Google Play

and Amazon Appstore.Direct Carrier Billing

Direct Carrier Billing

Why is it better?

1. Secure – All communications are encrypted

using a valid SSL certificate.

2. Seamless payment method – Users are

redirected to the payment screen (in the image

on the left).

3. Merchants can set any price points – Stores may

want to accept arbitrary amounts (as customers

select few items before paying), whereas apps

sell virtual currency packages in fixed amounts.Direct Carrier Billing

Paying by Direct Carrier Billing in Google Play

Technology behind PSMS

A shortcode (with four, five or six digits is configured) and

the price for the shortcode is set (10p, 25p, 50p, 75p, £1,

£3 or £5.) In the UK, numbers are reserved and allocated

via Shortcode Management Group (SCMG)

Technology behind PSMS

The merchant decides on one of these billing models

– mobile originating billing or mobile terminating

billing.

• In MO billing, the user is billed when the premium

SMS is received (example, your daily horoscope

text message)

• In MT billing, the user is billed when the user

sends the text message (example, donations to a

charity.)

Technology behind PSMS

The SMS Gateway is the

channel in which http requests

are sent and received.

These requests follow the http communication protocol –

your mobile device requests a file, the server responds with

the status and the requested content. The content can be

delivered in a MMS or via a website. There are other

implementations, such as SMPP, UCP, CIMD and xml.

Technology behind Direct Carrier Billing

1. The payment intermediary builds the

billing engine, which consists of the

payment panel, a web-service API and an

integration portal. This is offered as a

software development kit to the

merchant.

2. Within the integration portal, the

business can decide how to price their

products, when the payment pop-up

should appear, which page to redirect

the user to after the payment is

completed, and other decisions.

Technology behind Direct Carrier Billing

After all these parameters are chosen, a

web developer would integrate the billing

engine with their website using an

application programming interface (API).

4. The merchant’s development team will

have to configure the whole payment

process.

The payment process,

from start to end.

Payment Panel on all devices

Comparison between mobile payment models

The Ultimate Guide to Phone Bill Payments | Table of Contents

What are Phone Bill Payments

Benefits of Phone Bill Payments

How it works?

Technology and Regulations

Step-by-Step Guide to Phone Bill Payments

Phone Bill Payments at Mobile Casinos

Myths?

This video demonstrates how to deposit by phone bill at mobile casinos

Watch on YouTube here.

Keep track of your transactions

You can also check your

phone bill, either the

printed copy or on your

online portal.

SMS receipts are sent

immediately after each

transaction.

Pay As You Go users should make sure that they have sufficient credit before paying.

If there isn’t enough credit, the transaction will fail and you may be blacklisted by the casino after a few times.

In most cases, you’ll need at least £10 credit.

Take note: Top up before you play

Your phone network operator sets a credit limit

to help you manage your spending and avoid unauthorised charges.

It also protects them from bad debt.

____________________________________

There is also a £30 daily limit, as directed by the Payforit scheme.

Take note: There are transaction limits

Text message: You have

reached your credit limit.

Take note: How to block phone bill payments

* Note:

Blocking phone bill payments ≠ blocking marketing text

messages

What can consumers do to protect themselves?

1. Being aware of your phone credit limits

2. Contacting your mobile network provider to disable premium rate

services

3. Complaining with PhonepayPlus, the regulator for phone-paid

services in the UK

For a detailed explanation of each step: please read our complete

guide.

Take note: No bonuses at mobile casinos

At most casinos, you receive a deposit match bonus when you add money into

your casino account.

However, you may only redeem these if you deposit with credit card, Paypal or

Ukash.

Why is this so?

Take note: No bonuses at mobile casinos

The mobile casino can’t afford to give

you bonuses!

There are multiple stakeholders involved in providing phone bill payments, and each stakeholder takes a share of the revenue.

The mobile casino only receives about 55%!

This is in stark contrast with Visa payments, where businesses receive about 85% revenue share. The industry is working on this matter.

Take note: Can’t withdraw via phone bill

Money only flows in one direction.

Mobile casino players should select another banking option

when withdrawing.

Contact the mobile casino (the merchant)

Mobile casinos would assist you to withdraw your money.

This image explains how >>

If you face any difficulties, you can also contact your mobile network provider. Under the Payforit scheme, they are required to provide assistance after the transaction has occurred.

If you would like refunds or returns…

The Ultimate Guide to Phone Bill Payments | Table of Contents

What are Phone Bill Payments?

Benefits of Phone Bill Payments

How it works?

Technology and Regulations

Step-by-Step Guide to Phone Bill Payments

Phone Bill Payments at Mobile Casinos

Which mobile casinos offer phone bill payments?

Pocket Fruity

Best Features:

Unique fusion slots

and games with

feature trails

Pocket Win

Best Features:

Classic slots that you

can download onto

your mobile device

Spin Genie

Best Features:

Adventure Island, in

which players unlock

bonuses and level up

mFortune

Best Features:

Incredibly social

mobile poker app and

exclusive games

Which mobile casinos offer phone bill payments?

Paddy Power

Best Features:

Often hosts great

promotions and

maintains a hilarious

Facebook feed

Elite Mobile

Best Features:

Reliable and stylish

gameplay on any

mobile device

LadyLucks

Best Features:

1 million players who

enjoy its popular

mobile slot games

Moobile Games

Best Features:

Hosts games that are

tailor-made for smaller

mobile screens

Which mobile casinos offer phone bill payments?

Bet and Move

Best Features:

Hosts well-known

games that UK

players love

Very Vegas

Best Features:

Neon lights and

gaudy theme on

point! Lots of jackpots

too

Winneroo

Best Features:

£5 Free Welcome

Bonus and popular

mobile games

Touch My Bingo

Best Features:

As its name goes,

great options for

Bingo players

Which mobile casinos offer phone bill payments?

Fruity King

Best Features:

Games and website

are easy to use on

mobile

Fruity Phone

Best Features:

Its games include

popular progressive

jackpots

Mr Mobi

Best Features:

Good customer

service and reliable

platform

Vegas Mobile

Best Features:

Hosts

frequent promotions

and good jackpots

For more

articles and

news on this

topic:

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE

ANDROIDSLOTS.CO.UK

Get more guides and articles

from our website:

Talk to us:

Share it with your friends: