Paying for Spotify in Germany and Italy just got a little easier.
Direct carrier billing company Boku Inc. has announced new telco partnerships in both regions which will allow users to purchase Spotify Premium subscriptions using their mobile phone number without the need for a credit card.
This is an expansion of Boku’s existing global partnership with Spotify that first launched in the United Kingdom.
It includes every major carrier in Germany – Vodafone, O2 and T-Mobil DE – and one of the leading Italian mobile operators, Hutchison 3G.
In terms of Italy, an agreement has been made with the leading network operator, Hutchison 3G.
“Our partnerships with carriers connecting to Spotify in the UK have been a phenomenal success both in terms of revenue and new subscriber acquisition. So much so that, in the UK, the default payment method for new Spotify users has changed from credit card to carrier billing,” said Jon Prideaux, CEO of Boku.
“These new carrier agreements across Europe not only speaks to the global appeal of Spotify’s streaming music service, but also the growing appeal of carrier billing for Europeans as a payment method that can now be implemented as a stored payment method in the exact same manner as a credit card.”
With Boku, Spotify users enter their mobile phone number to start a free trial of Spotify Premium and when the free trial expires (30 days) the user is billed directly to their phone bill.
Spotify begins charging users for Premium on the first day following the end of the trial, on a recurring monthly basis.
Users can cancel their subscription at any time via text message.Music Business Worldwide
