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
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