Bango now has 100 mobile operator relationships in 47 countries worldwide, enabling more than 1bn people to pay for apps and virtual goods direct to their mobile phone bill.

The companys 100th connection was made in Columbia, enabling Telefónica subscribers to make payments in BlackBerry World without needing cards or a pre-registered account.

The company calls mobile billing a rare ace card for operators, which have watched the app economy create a world of commerce over the top of their networks. Bango said it expects much of its future growth to be generated in emerging markets where a user’s operator connection may be the only credit relationship in place.

“There is unprecedented energy now behind operator billing, as we unlock the win/win of frictionless payment flows and improved conversion rates,” said Bango VP of operations Karen Oakley. “Much of my team’s focus is now on emerging markets, and we’re working hard to connect operators across Latin America, India and other parts of Asia.”