Bango says it has seen a four-fold increase in the number of WAP transactions in the US over the last three months, as leading content providers including Gameloft and Dada Entertainment choose to sell their content using Bangos mobile billing relationships with AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel and Virgin Mobile. This reflects a shift in the way mobile content is sold in the US, says Bango, with WAP billing gaining momentum as the industry realizes the mobile web delivers a superior and safer consumer experience.
Bango notes that content providers can now reach over 130 million US subscribers across all three major US operators using its billing platform. Mobile users can pay for content per download or as a subscription, charging it to their phone bills.
It notes also that key stakeholders in the mobile industry from operators and leading content providers to influential bodies such as the Mobile Marketing Association are supporting WAP billing for mobile content sales. WAP billing offers consumers a safe and transparent payment experience, says Bango. Customers can see the price and conditions of purchase before they click to pay.
The shift to WAP browse and buy is a solid response to the recent claims of inappropriate charging of consumers, says Bango SVP of Marketing, Anil Malhotra. Content providers are adapting to these challenges by using WAP to deliver a clean, clear buying experience for the user. Their businesses also benefit from far low customer service costs and refund levels of less than 0.1%, compared to figures approaching 10-20% where content is purchased with Premium SMS (source: research firm iGillot).
Massimiliano Pellegrini, CEO of Dada Entertainment, says the mobile web market is booming in the US.
65% of all new phones purchased are now music-enabled, says Pellegrini. WAP billing offers an easy, seamless experience for our Dada.net consumers and fits in well with our overall mobile music strategy.
And Jean-Sebastien Laverge, US D2C Manager at Gameloft, says that: WAP billing provides a better consumer experience through its phone recognition system, a better user-flow and a clearer offer, all of which, increases consumer satisfaction and drives more volumes in our off-deck sales.
Theres more information on Bango WAP billing in the US here.