Safaricom on Thursday announced a new feature that will enable customers to make in-app payments for content on the Google Play Store using M-Pesa.
Kenya's leading mobile service provider announced that the deal was made possible through a partnership with Global mobile commerce enabler, DOCOMO Digital.
The integration will now allow M-Pesa customers to use the mobile money service to pay for goods and services from the app store.
The service will be enabled for the more than 27 million M-Pesa customers in Kenya with Android smartphones or tablets.
[caption caption="File image of Kenyans at an M-pesa shop"]
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"One of our biggest goals is to break down barriers and develop ways in which the 5 billion 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.
"First steps like this are absolutely essential on the journey to connecting consumers, merchants, operators and service providers together to create a fair and inclusive ecosystem for everybody," commented Hiroyuki Sato, CEO of DOCOMO Digital.
The M-PESA and Google Play Store service will ensure that users are able to buy apps and games in Play Store, using their mobile money wallet.
Safaricom's Director of Strategy Joseph Ogutu added: "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: "We are thrilled to partner with Safaricom to bring Google Play carrier billing to Kenya. 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."
[caption caption="File image of Kenyans at an M-pesa shop"][/caption]
