AT&T Tests Out Direct Mobile Billing as a Credit Card Replacement

Mobile payments have long been one of the most promising payment methods on Facebook. Mobile has also been a double-edged sword for developers, though, since American carriers have traditionally charged a huge fee (relative to what is often a small bill of only a few dollars) for SMS transactions, which are the only method available.

That charge is a holdover from an earlier period, when carriers made big money on ringtones. Today AT&T is signaling that it may be ready to try a new model, with a trial of direct mobile billing using the customer’s phone number and charging a low, percentage-based fee for transactions.

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