At MCP Insight, we have always believed in the potential of mobile value-added services (mVAS) and its growth through mobile payments such as direct carrier billing (DCB). The ability to charge digital services and even physical goods to a mobile phone account has created an incredible opportunity – one that benefits everyone in the value chain, from mobile operators to aggregators, content providers, and end consumers.

But as the industry has grown, so has its challenges. From the early days, fraudulent advertising, misleading promotions, and poor compliance have threatened to undermine trust in the entire ecosystem. Consumers have been unknowingly subscribed to services, regulators have tightened restrictions, and mobile operators – faced with rising complaints and reputational risks – have been forced to take drastic action.

In some markets, this has led to the entire shutdown of mobile payments for mVAS, cutting off a vital revenue stream for legitimate businesses and slowing the adoption of carrier billing as a mainstream payment method.

But while Europe and other mature markets have stabilised with more robust frameworks and improved consumer trust, the risks have not disappeared – they’ve just shifted and evolved.

• In emerging markets, where carrier billing is often the only frictionless digital payment option, fraudulent traffic, rogue advertisers, and poor compliance controls still threaten the sustainability of DCB and other mobile payments.
• Bad actors have become more sophisticated, leveraging malicious apps, clickjacking, invisible overlays, device spoofing, and bot-driven fraud to exploit weaknesses in mobile payment flows.
• Operators and regulators are naturally risk adverse, sometimes mandating broad restrictions that limit even compliant merchants – because when fraud remains unchecked, trust erodes, and revenue opportunities shrink for everyone.

The reality is this: the industry is still fighting many of the same battles, just in different ways. That’s why MCP Insight was founded in 2014 – not just to protect against threats, but to deliver market visibility on activities, combining data insights with effective frameworks that ensure legitimate businesses can operate with confidence, capitalise on opportunities, and grow sustainably.

Because at its core, the problem is not the mobile payment mechanism – it’s the lack of transparency, oversight, and trust. Too often, businesses are left navigating an unpredictable landscape, where fraud thrives in the shadows and knee-jerk restrictions stifled growth.  Instead, MCP Insight focuses on deploying sustainable solutions and frameworks to tackle real industry challenges through data-driven decision-making, proactive trend analysis, and granular market monitoring.

Industry Experts Who Understand Your Challenges

MCP Insight was founded by Brian and Declan Pettit and Toby Padgham, three industry veterans who saw firsthand how fraud, compliance issues, and a lack of transparency were threatening the sustainability of carrier billing. With backgrounds spanning telecoms, payments, mobile advertising, and regulatory compliance, our founders understood that the industry didn’t need more restrictions – it needed better oversight, smarter risk management, and a way for legitimate businesses to thrive.

So, they built MCP Insight – not to be the “compliance police,” but to be a trusted partner. In fact, MCP stands for Monitoring Compliance Partners. A partner that helps businesses not just avoid risks but to also unlock opportunities – creating an environment where everyone in the value chain can grow sustainably.

From the beginning, we’ve built a team of specialists who bring deep industry knowledge, hands-on experience, and a passion for solving real-world challenges. Our people are not just analysts and technologists – we are problem solvers, strategists, and trusted partners for operators, aggregators, merchants, and regulators worldwide.

It’s this human expertise, combined with our powerful technology, that makes MCP Insight different. We don’t just flag risks – we help you navigate them. We don’t just monitor trends – we help you act on them. And we do it all with a commitment to helping our partners grow, not just comply.

Our Vision: A Stronger, More Profitable Industry for Everyone

From the start, our mission has been clear: to protect and strengthen the mobile payments ecosystem by ensuring a fair, transparent, and sustainable environment for all.

We don’t believe in shutting businesses down. We’re here to protect the industry, not police it. We believe in helping you grow – responsibly, safely, and profitably.

That means giving operators the confidence to embrace DCB, allowing aggregators to scale without fear of regulatory fines, and empowering content providers to maximise their campaigns and revenue potential while staying compliant.

We are not here to restrict innovation – we are here to enable it.

How We Support the Entire Value Chain

Every player in the ecosystem faces different challenges. We understand them because we’ve been working alongside you for years, solving problems and adapting to market needs.

• For Mobile Operators: We help you scale in mobile payments with confidence, providing market trends, insights and compliance monitoring as well as the anti-fraud solutions needed to keep your network and customers safe while maximising revenue.
• For Aggregators: We give you the insights you need to manage partnerships effectively, identify high-risk services, and ensure compliance across your portfolio. We help you onboard the right partners and scale your business without fear of regulatory fines or fraud-related losses.
• For Content Service Providers: We provide market intelligence, advertising transparency, and compliance support so you can understand your audience, track campaign performance, and grow revenue without risk.
• For Regulators: We help you protect consumers and manage risk in the telecoms sector by providing intelligence and visibility on advertising compliance and emerging fraud trends. By supporting best practices, creating frameworks for effective and fair enforcement, we help you ensure carrier billing remains both secure and sustainable.

Whether it’s monitoring ad flows, detecting fraudulent transactions, tracking competitor activity, ensuring regulatory compliance, or creating sustainable frameworks to underpin growth, we have built the tools and expertise to help every stakeholder turn challenges into opportunities.

Not Just Compliance – Enabling Growth Through Visibility & Intelligence

Let’s be clear: we’re not just about compliance.

Yes, we help protect businesses from fraud and regulatory risks – but our real value lies in empowering sustainable growth through intelligent data insights, enabling safer, more predictable, and de-risked outcomes.

• We give you complete transparency over mVAS advertising flows – from banner ads to landers and payment pages.
• We provide deep market intelligence and competitor insights, allowing you to see where demand is growing, what others are doing, and where the biggest opportunities lie.
• We help you manage risk proactively, so you can focus on scaling your business without fear of hidden threats.

This isn’t about avoiding fines – it’s about unlocking the full potential of mobile payments and mVAS in a way that works for everyone, and in a sustainable way.

Why Work with MCP Insight? Because We’re on Your Side

We know that trust is everything in this industry.

We also know that many companies have been burned before – by bad actors, ambiguous regulations, and a lack of visibility over what’s really happening in the market.

That’s why we do things differently.

• We’re human. We don’t just provide data – we help you make sense of it, apply it, and turn it into business results.
• We’re partners. We work alongside you, understanding your goals and challenges so we can help you achieve them.
• We’re problem solvers. If there’s a challenge, we find a way forward. If there’s a roadblock, we help clear the path.

Our approach is simple: If you succeed, we succeed. If the industry thrives, we all thrive.

The Future of mVAS & Carrier Billing: Let’s Build It Together

mVAS and mobile payments have come a long way. The challenges of the past don’t have to define the future.

With the right transparency, risk management, and intelligence, carrier billing can be one of the most powerful, frictionless, and scalable payment methods in the world.

We’re here to make that happen – for mobile operators, aggregators, content providers, and the millions of consumers who value these services every day.

If you’re looking for a partner who understands your challenges, shares your ambitions, and is committed to helping you grow, then we’d love to work with you.

Let’s talk. Let’s solve problems together. Let’s unlock new opportunities and build a stronger, more sustainable industry – one that benefits everyone.

This is our story. Now, let’s be part of yours.