In recent years, mobile providers around the world have scrambled to provide ways for customers to use their mobile phones to pay for things. Now, charging payments to carrier bills is more common, and the payment method is expected to play a major role in emerging smartphone markets, where credit cards are not as prevalent.
Sony this week announced that it will also be providing such a service to its PlayStation customers. Mobile billing has now been added as a payment option in the PlayStation Store. Customers can purchase games, movies, and music from the store while charging the cost to their monthly mobile bill.
The system works through the “wallet” feature of the PlayStation Store. The “Use Mobile” option can add funds to the wallet, after a short SMS exchange to confirm the transaction. The wallet can then be used to purchase content in the store, with added wallet funds added to the customers’ phone bill.
This new payment method may be thanks to Sony’s new focus on mobile as a viable gaming platform and interactive element of its PlayStation ecosystem. As shown earlier this year, Sony’s new interface and account system for the upcoming PlayStation 4 console will be heavily integrated with mobile devices. Sony is planning the release of a mobile app for smartphones around the time of the PlayStation 4 launch. According to Sony, the app will allow users to keep up with their PlayStation 4 friends and download PlayStation 4 purchases directly to their console while on-the-go.
