Facebook has partnered with Bango, a provider of billing and analytics for app stores, mobile apps and sites. Bango will provide payment services to Facebook.
Growing mobile use, and the lack of monetization of mobile users were highlighted in the Risk Factors section of Facebook’s IPO filing. Essentially, it could harm Facebook’s business if too many of its users spend too much time accessing Facebook from mobile devices without being properly monetized.
That’s why you’ll likely start seeing sponsored stories in your mobile news feed, and will probably eventually see more mobile ads. That is likely also why this deal with Bango has been made.
The press release is short and sweet so here it is in its entirety:
Bango has signed an agreement to provide payment services to Facebook.
The terms of the deal are not being disclosed.
Bango’s board believes it is too early in the relationship to accurately forecast the level of business which it may generate.
It’s hard to say just what all uses for Bango Facebook will find, given Facebook’s increasing integration with the web at large, but app payment is an obvious use.