Direct-to-bill mobile payments have been brought to Facebook in France for the first time, courtesy of Orange France and Bango.

Orange customers have been able to make purchases through Facebook since the end of last month, using its internet+ HTML5 solution, but this move enables users to make in-app purchases, and charge the cost to their phone bill.

“I am proud of this partnership with Facebook, which once again demonstrates the attractiveness of operator billing solutions,” said Hélène ViotPoirier, Head of Portals at Orange. “It is a great success for Orange which is dedicated to providing users with the best online purchasing experience, irrespective of the handset used.”

The launch is part of a wider partnership between the three companies, which brought direct-to-bill payments to the UK earlier this year. The three companies will be bringing this to other European markets where Orange has a presence, while Bango says it will be working together with other operators in these countries, and France, to launch these payment services.