The company will provide a mobile-payment option for its online gaming platform, Z8Games. Consumers can enter their mobile number to buy Z8 points, which let them buy in-game content and digital goods.

“Offering a mobile payment option to its users is a first for G4BOX,” said Kolja Reiss, managing director at Mopay Inc., San Francisco. “They have realized that there is a target group within their users that they cannot monetize through credit card or bank account payments.

“As G4BOX extends its reach internationally they will accordingly extend mobile payments,” he said. “The target demographic for online games almost entirely overlaps with the target group for mobile payments – 13 to 25-year-olds.

“The reason is that credit card and even bank account penetration in this demographic is very low but mobile phone penetration is very high – that is why mobile payments are especially popular in this demographic being the only payment option available.”

Mopay is a worldwide provider of mobile payment services for network provider-based billing of small amounts.

G4Box specializes in publishing and distributing online video games.

Mobile games
Mopay will let Z8Games players in 36 countries buy Z8 points by entering their mobile phone number and have the charges billed directly to their mobile phone accounts.

Players without access to credit cards or bank accounts can have the same gaming experience as other users.

By enabling mobile payments, gaming providers are opening up new revenue channels and creating other options for users looking to enhance their gaming experience.

“The G4BOX offer addresses multiple markets,” Mr. Reiss said. “While offering mobile payments in only one country through only one carrier is not that intricate, offering mobile payments in over 36 countries through 4-5 carriers per country is.

“It is quite common for international publishers to outsource building payment interfaces to all carriers to a payment provider,” he said. “Partnering with a single provider that can cover all markets further reduces administration cost.”

Virtual money
In order to unlock special levels or upgrade skills and tools in the Z8Games, users can buy the virtual currency within the Z8Games platform.

Players can buy certain amounts of points online via a selection of payment options.

Consumers who choose mobile payments via Mopay, will have to type in their mobile phone number. They will then receive a PIN on their mobile phone in order to verify the order.

The PIN is then entered online to complete the transaction.

The purchase is automatically charged to the respective mobile phone account, whether it is post-paid or prepaid.

“For gamers mobile payments provide a fast and easy way to purchase online goods – no prolonged typing in lots of numbers and personal information and therefore a minimum risk of data theft and abuse,” Mr. Reiss said.

“For publishers mobile payments offer the possibility to address and monetize a user group not reached via common payment options,” he said. “They open up a unique new target group.”