Docomo Digital has partnered with Safaricom to give customers the option to pay for content on the Google Play Store using M-Pesa.
The integration, which is powered by Docomo Digital’s mobile commerce enabling platform using Google Play’s payment API, allows M-Pesa customers to use the mobile money service to pay for goods and services from the app store.
The service is available to more than 27 million M-Pesa customers in Kenya with an Android smartphone or tablet. From today, customers matching this criterion can purchase content and products from the Google Play Store and pay for them using M-Pesa. The solution seamlessly combines Google Play with the M-Pesa purchase experience that Safaricom customers are used to when paying for goods and services.
Hiroyuki Sato, CEO of Docomo Digital, commented: “One of our biggest goals is to break down barriers and develop ways in which the global adult population can engage with the digital ecosystem. M-Pesa has long been an innovator and leader in the mobile money space, and we are very excited to partner with them to bring this service to market.”
Joseph Ogutu, Director of Strategy, Safaricom, said: “Partnerships have been instrumental in deepening the convenience and value of M-Pesa to our customers. This partnership will empower our customers to access Google Play content and further underlines our commitment to providing more choice and convenience to them.”
Mahir Sahin, Head of Africa, Android Partnerships, Google, said: “M-Pesa has successfully demonstrated how important it is to offer financial services to the unbanked and deliver financial inclusion. Carrier billing is very important to the developer ecosystem in markets where credit card penetration is low. With this partnership, M-Pesa will play a critical role in the app ecosystem.”
