Mobile transaction hub OpenMarket has partnered with micro-billing provider GlobalCharge to develop a new breed of in-app billing services for Digital Chocolate, the specialist mobile and social games developer.

The strategic partnership has developed an in-app billing solution that enables customers on 3UK’s network to bill the cost of social game-play to their mobile phone pre- or post-pay account. The first game in Digital Chocolate’s social games inventory to benefit from the billing feature is Millionaire City, which is embedded on new 3UK handsets.

“This is a significant development for both 3UK and for application providers,” says, OpenMarket associate director of marketing, Andrew Darling. “It enables a simple, quick and consumer-friendly way to monetize a new genre of social games. OpenMarket and GlobalCharge have developed a best of breed payment solution that is tailored to the new social game and app formats which are becoming more prevalent.”

Rob Stevenson, sales director UK and ROI at Digital Chocolate, adds: “This is a milestone moment for Digital Chocolate in embedding this game onto handsets. We’re one of the leaders in innovation and socially connected games. Being able to work with this technical and commercial solution with one of our key operator partners, such as 3UK, is exciting.”