CATCHPLAY On Demand launches direct carrier billing with Fortumo

The leading Asian video streaming service CATCHPLAY On Demand and the mobile payments company Fortumo are today announcing the launch of a direct carrier billing partnership. Users can now purchase subscription access and single rentals from CATCHPLAY On Demand by paying for usage through their mobile operator: adding the charge to their phone bill or deducting it from their prepaid SIM card balance. The first market where CATCHPLAY On Demand has launched direct carrier billing with Fortumo is Indonesia with Indosat Ooredoo.

“As we continue to expand in Indonesia, it is crucial that we provide our users the convenience to pay through their preferred payment channels, including carrier billing. And we are glad to choose Fortumo as our partner for integration with multiple carriers.” said Jonathan Liu, CTO at CATCHPLAY.

“Mobile operator partnerships are the key to success for digital merchants in Asia, both for payments via carrier billing and user growth through bundling. CATCHPLAY On Demand is a leading player in the streaming space of the region as they have successfully tapped into mobile operators for growth. We are excited to support CATCHPLAY On Demand’s expansion in the region,” said Andrea Boetti, Head of Global Business Development at Fortumo.

In Indonesia with a population of 259 million, less than 2% of people have a credit card while 47% of people already own a smartphone. This means most people are able to access online content but are unable to pay for it. The challenge in monetizing users is similar elsewhere in emerging Asian markets. Carrier billing resolves this by making online payments available to any mobile phone owner. Additional information on carrier billing in the region can be found from Fortumo’s recent Asia market report.

CATCHPLAY On Demand is using Fortumo’s Payments API to collect payments from its users. Payments API lets CATCHPLAY On Demand integrate carrier billing once and enables connectivity to all mobile operators that Fortumo supports. The payment solution has been built with the needs of modern digital merchants in mind. This means the inclusion of advanced features such as two-step charging, dynamic pricing and automated refunds.

In addition to CATCHPLAY On Demand, Fortumo provides payments and bundling services to Google Play, Spotify, iflix, Sony, HOOQ, Gaana, EA Mobile, Gameloft, Kinguin and thousands of other digital merchants. Fortumo’s platform can be used to collect payments from subscribers of more than 350 mobile operators through one integration.

CATCHPLAY is Taiwan’s leading independent film distributor and digital content service provider. In March 2016, CATCHPLAY introduces CATCHPLAY On Demand service in Taiwan. In June of the same year, it launches its service in Indonesia partnering with market leader Telkom Indonesia and StarHub the market’s leading pay TV and telecommunication service provider in Singapore.  For more information, please visit CATCHPLAY.com

Fortumo is a mobile payments company that enables direct carrier billing with more than 350 mobile operators in 100+ countries. Fortumo’s payment products work across a wide range of platforms including desktop devices, smartphones, feature phones, tablets and smart TV-s. These products give consumers a simple, 1-click payment method to charge online purchases to their phone bill. For app stores, digital media companies and game developers, Fortumo provides one integration with 350 mobile operators as well as a single point of contact for settlements, reporting, support and infrastructure upgrades. Founded in 2007, Fortumo has offices in Estonia, San Francisco, Beijing, Delhi, Singapore & Hanoi and is backed by Intel Capital and Greycroft Partners. For more information, please visit https://fortumo.com