When it comes to mobile billing transactions, Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) and Premium Short Messaging Service (PSMS) are two widely used methods that allow consumers to make purchases directly through their mobile network operator (MNO). These payment methods offer convenience and accessibility, as charges are added directly to the user’s mobile phone bill or deducted from their prepaid balance.
However, the ease of transaction often depends on the specific billing flow implemented—whether it’s a straightforward 1-Click process, a more secure 2-Click flow, or a 1-Click + PIN for added verification. Each of these billing flows provides a different balance between user convenience and transaction security, and they are subject to compliance regulations and mandatory guidelines set by the relevant telecoms regulator and MNOs in each country.
Permitted Billing Flows By Country
It’s important to note that not all billing flows are permitted in every country, or even by every MNO within a country. The approval of specific billing flows can vary based on regulatory requirements, consumer protection policies, and the risk assessment protocols of each operator. Furthermore, these permissions are not static; MNOs may review and revise their permitted billing flows based on emerging trends, fraud prevention measures, or regulatory changes.
In the following tables, we provide an overview the most common billing flows available through DCB and PSMS in popular mVAS markets. As the landscape is continually evolving, we advise merchants and advertisers to verify the latest permissions directly with MNOs before implementing any specific billing flow.
DCB Billing Flows
| Flow | Description | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Click | When the user opts to subscribe on the landing page, the MSISDN is automatically identified and the user is subscribed to the service while payment is taken directly from the phone’s balance. This flow requires a 3G/4G connection and in some markets may only be allowed on a postpaid SIM (eg Singapore) | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| 1 Click + PIN | The user opts to subscribe on the landing page and then must complete a CAPTCHA request or enter a PIN, at which point the MSISDN is automatically identified, and the user is subscribed to the service while payment is taken directly from the phone’s balance. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| 2 Click | The user opts to subscribe on the landing page and must respond with a second simple confirmation, at which point the MSISDN is automatically identified and the user is subscribed to the service while payment is taken directly from the phone’s balance. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| 2 Click + PIN | The user opts to subscribe on the landing page, after 2 clicks receive a PIN via SMS. They enter the PIN on the landing page to complete the purchase. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| Account + 1 Click + PIN | The user creates an account and opts to subscribe on the landing page where they must complete a CAPTCHA request or enter a PIN, at which point the MSISDN is automatically identified and the user is subscribed to the service while payment is taken directly from the phone’s balance. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| Account + 2 Click | The user creates an account and opts to subscribe on the landing page with two clicks. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| Account + MSISDN + MO/Click | The user creates an account (username / password) and sends MSISDN (this may be prepopulated at account formation), receiving a request for MO confirmation or button click to confirm purchase. | United Kingdom |
| Account + MSISDN + PIN | User creates an account and enters MSISDN (or prepopulated) and clicks to send, receiving request for PIN to complete the purchase. | United Kingdom |
| MO + Account + 2 Click | User sends the MO and receives a link to create the account and opts to subscribe on the landing page with two clicks | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| MO Click + Link | The user sends an MO and is sent back an sms link to click and complete the purchase. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| MO/Click + Account + MSISDN + Pin | The process starts with the user clicking on the link they received in a message (MT) to create an account. They must then complete a CAPTCHA request or enter a PIN, at which point the MSISDN is automatically identified, and the user is subscribed to the service while payment is taken directly from the phone’s balance. | United Kingdom |
| MSISDN + 2 Click | User enters their MSISDN on the landing page and then after 2 clicks it is possible for user to subscribe the service. | Germany |
| MSISDN + PIN | User enters their MSISDN on the landing page so that the Service Provider can send a PIN Code in an SMS to the user. The User must then enter the PIN Code received by SMS on the service landing page and once this is submitted, the user is subscribed to offer. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| MSISDN + PIN | User enters their MSISDN on the landing page so that the Service Provider can send a PIN Code in an SMS to the user. The User must then enter the PIN Code received by SMS on the service landing page and once this is submitted, the user is subscribed to offer. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
PSMS Billing Flows
| Flow | Description | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Click | When the user opts to subscribe on the landing page, the MSISDN is automatically identified and the user is subscribed to the service while payment is taken directly from the phone’s balance. – Requires a 3G/4G Connection – May only be allowed on a postpaid SIM (e.g. in the case of Singapore) | South Africa |
| 1 Click + USSD | When a user requests to be subscribed to a service, the Network Operator generates a pop-up menu of options for the user to either subscribe or not. The user has to key in their acceptance or rejection of the subscription. Once accepted a welcome text is received. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| 2 Click | The user opts to subscribe on the landing page and must respond with a second simple confirmation, at which point the MSISDN is automatically identified and the user is subscribed to the service while payment is taken directly from the phone’s balance. | South Africa |
| Account + MO | User creates the account and clicks to send, receiving request for MO (eg send Accept or Yes) to complete the purchase. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| Account + MSISDN + MO | User creates an account and enters MSISDN (or prepopulated) and clicks to send, receiving request for MO (eg send Accept or Yes) to complete the purchase. | United Kingdom |
| Account + MSISDN + PIN | The User creates an account (User name / password) and sends MSISDN (this may be prepopulated at account formation), receiving a pin at handset to enter at payment page for confirming the purchase. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| MO Click-to-SMS | On the Landing page the user is prompted to click a button which opens a pre-written text in the SMS app on their phone, containing the keyword and ready to send to the short code. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| MO Keyword | On the landing page, or in response to an advert, the user is presented with a short code and a keyword to respond with. The user must send an SMS message containing the keyword to the short code. The user is only subscribed after this message has been sent. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| MSISDN + MO Keyword | The User inputs MSISDN & Sends, Service Provider sends back message requesting to confirm with keyword. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| MSISDN + PIN | The user sends MSISDN, and receives a PIN to their device which they enter on the payment page to confirm the purchase. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
| MSISDN + USSD | When a user requests to be subscribed to a service, after MSISDN manual entry the Network Operator generates a pop-up menu of options for the user to either subscribe or not. The user keys in their acceptance or rejection of the subscription. Once accepted a welcome text is received. | Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, United Kingdom. |
Understanding and implementing compliant billing flows is essential for maintaining trust and transparency in the mVAS sector and mobile billing ecosystem. Beyond defining which billing flows are allowed in their markets, regulators and MNOs also impose specific requirements on payment pages to protect consumers and ensure a transparent customer journey.
At MCP Insight, we collaborate closely with partners across the value chain to ensure that every step of the customer journey – from the advertising banner to the confirmation page or SMS – adheres to industry regulations and network codes. To learn more about how we can support your compliance needs contact us today.
