Operator Billing: buy apps and games on Windows Phone Store and pay later

For our readers in India, you can now buy apps, games and other content from the Windows Phone Store through operator billing for a more seamless payment experience.

Microsoft and Idea Cellular have introduced operator billing on the Windows Phone Store for Idea subscribers in India.

So if you own a Lumia smartphone such as the Lumia 535, Lumia 930, or the Lumia 830 or any other Windows-based smartphone and use an Idea network connection, you can now get your favorite premium apps and games from the Windows Phone Store and, depending on your monthly plan, that purchase is added to your monthly mobile bill or deducted from your pre-paid balance.

This new feature is especially helpful for our Indian readers who don’t use a credit card—or who are uncomfortable using them for online transactions.

“Microsoft’s partnership with Idea Cellular is a big step towards providing Indian consumers easy and simplified access to Windows Phone Store content through operator billing,” said Nikhil Mathur, director of B2B and operator channels for Nokia India Sales Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Microsoft Mobile Oy, at the announcement.

“With smartphones becoming more affordable, the adoption of mobile Internet is witnessing an unprecedented growth. We are confident that this partnership will further accelerate growth for the app ecosystem, with mobile Internet users making a shift towards consuming premium apps and content on their devices.”  

The ever-expanding Windows Phone Store offers a world of games and apps, all ready to keep you entertained. Thanks to the “try before you buy” feature only available on Windows Phone, you can download many of those apps or games and test them beforehand.

For our readers outside India, Microsoft offers similar mobile operator-billing connections in various countries. Check out a recent story on the Fire Hose blog on how Microsoft is working with carriers to help their customers make purchases via their mobile phone account.

To know if your network operator supports this mode, go here.