Collaborating with 20-plus mobile operators in MENA as well as with online gaming merchants, regional VAS (value-added services) provider Actel (Active Telecommunications) recently announced the launch of its mobile payment solution, ActivePayments, in the Middle East. Commenting on the launch in a statement, Elie Bejjani, Actel’s CEO, said: “in an effort to fulfill our renewed ambitions, we have decided to directly participate in OTT (over-the-top) market by offering them an additional payment option for consumers linking them directly to their mobile bill.”
Through ActivePayments, Actel will offer online users the ability to purchase from several merchants and to make in-app purchases without the need to rely on credit cards or prepaid cards. Purchases made using “ActivePayments” will be debited from subscribers’ mobile bill, or deducted from their prepaid balance. To transact through the solution, users will only need to select the goods they need to purchase, enter their mobile number, and verify their identity through a PIN authentication process.
ActivePayments will also seamlessly integrate its SDK (software development kits) into merchants’ websites or mobile apps, offering them access to all mobile subscribers in Egypt, UAE, Kuwait, and Lebanon. Bejjani added: “the DCB [direct carrier billing] market has substantial growth potential, but regulatory hurdles and competitive pressures from other payment technologies will be challenging for us to win our share of the payments market.”
