By Mike Hunt

PLYMOUTH, UK – Given that this time next year the number of people accessing the web from their mobile devices is expected to outnumber those doing so via fixed-line internet, it is now more important than ever to have in place payment mechanisms suited for the mobile era in which we all now live.

Historically, credit cards and mobile devices never made for good bedfellows. Over and above having to fumble around to find the card itself, customers needed to go through the arduous task of entering a sixteen digit number into a relatively small device — leading to the inevitably high risk of errors. Hardly the most satisfying of end-user experiences.

Fast forward to today. For those lucky enough to live in the UK, the process of paying for online services hardly could be more different. Depending upon how the mobile consumer connects to the internet (broadband or mobile network), typically they are presented with either a “pay now” screen or a simple three-step payment form into which they must type their mobile number, or they must send a PIN code to a number shown on-screen. Once they authorise the payment, a request is sent to their mobile operator and the cost is applied to their next phone bill or removed from their existing credit.

By paying this way, UK customers eliminate having to disclose any card information altogether. Instead, they transact with a company with which they already have a contractual relationship — their mobile network operator — and that company effectively becomes the payment processor on the consumer’s behalf. Whilst telco fees may be nominally more expensive than credit card processing fees, the end result is more money to the merchant thanks to higher conversion rates.

Once users have opted in for single-click payments, a one-hour session is initiated during which they may continue purchasing access to content, profile upgrades, virtual gifts and so forth without having to re-enter their data each time. A single click is all that is necessary once the user has activated this option.

The new payment method is now the de facto standard that all merchants billing on the web should be using going forward when dealing with UK mobile customers.

Despite — and arguably because of — having one of the most regulated mobile markets in the world, the UK remains one of the most innovative and dynamic mobile marketplaces. The new one-click billing mechanism is a product of cooperation between all the mobile network operators in the space, who acted in concert with remarkable foresight.

Adult Mobile Solutions will host a webinar outlining the features and benefits of the new UK one-click billing paradigm beginning at 8 p.m. ET on May 8. For more information or to secure a spot, email the company.

Mike Hunt is a spokesman for Adult Mobile Solutions, a UK-based division of txtNation, which providing billing, branding and content-management to adult entertainment companies.