Microsoft and Idea introduce operator billing in Windows App store

Microsoft and Idea Cellular have gone old school, introducing operator billing on the Windows Store for Idea subscribers. This partnership enables Idea users on all Microsoft Lumia devices, as well as all Windows-based smartphones across brands, to access their favourite premium apps and games from the Windows Store and pay for them through integrated operator billing.  The amount will be either added to their monthly mobile phone bills or deducted from their pre-paid balance, depending on their data plans.

With this announcement, Idea Cellular becomes the first operator in India to offer integrated operator billing on the Windows Store. This facility will make the consumer’s payment experience more seamless and will be a boon for those who do not own credit cards or are uncomfortable using them for online transactions.

“Unlike other parts of the world, credit card penetration in India is very low and this in turn impedes the consumer purchase experience and limits app monetization. With the introduction of operator billing, we have seen a significant increase in consumer commerce across developed and emerging markets,” said Harish Vaidyanathan, Director-Evangelism at Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd.