UK

mGage delivers a world-first Mobile Payments within RCS Messaging solution

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

mGage delivers a world-first Mobile Payments within RCS Messaging solution to offer a conversational commerce channel

London UK, 1 September 2020 – mGage, a leading global mobile messaging provider, today launched the first-of-its-kind solution to bring Mobile Payments within the Rich Communication Services (RCS) channel. This advanced and pioneering technology creates a seamless and richer experience for customers while delivering a strong ROI for brands. By leveraging the high engagement rates of RCS and the increased conversion rates of mobile payments it provides a ground-breaking solution within one platform.

By working closely with UK Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) – the UK regulator for content, goods and services charged to a phone bill – mGage has inaugurated its industry-leading, innovative solution that marries the proven capabilities of RCS and Mobile Payments into a single industry-compliant solution.

“With this ground-breaking solution, RCS is now a truly conversational commerce channel that brings innovative and new ways for brands to monetise their services and allow for purchases to be made seamlessly within the RCS messaging app,” said Nick Millward, VP Europe at mGage. “By working closely with UK Mobile Operators and Regulators, charities and enterprises alike now have access to a game-changing solution that will enable them to offer fast and seamless payment journeys for additional services without compromising on the customer experience.”

According to ITProPortal, mobile commerce is forecast to account for 53.3 percent of the total commerce value by 2021. Enterprises need to seriously consider solutions that allow customers to make quick and easy payments without the need to push consumers to other applications as 80 percent of consumers admit that they would abandon online payments if pushed to another site.

By bringing together RCS and Mobile Payments, end-users are now able to purchase on-demand subscription services, make charitable donations and enter competitions in a seamless and quick way. With in-built brand verification within RCS channels, consumers also have peace of mind knowing who the message is from.

With this latest capability of RCS messaging, brands are able to achieve a strong return on investment with conversion rates seven times higher when compared to the manual input of credit card details. With RCS messaging already achieving nationwide rollout across the UK and the US, organisations of all sizes will soon be able to adopt this next-generation solution and monetise their services.

To find out more about the solution and to request a demo, please visit: mGage RCS & Mobile Payments.

Alchimie’sTVPlayer switches on direct carrier billing with Fonix

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

Fonix, the mobile payments and messaging specialist, announced its partnership with Alchimie’s UK based OTT service, TVPlayer today.

TVPlayer offers a monthly premium subscription service with access to live television channel streams, catchup and on demand. As part of this partnership Fonix has introduced carrier billing specifically for premium TVPlayer subscribers who join through social media channels.

Fonix’s carrier billing solution is being used on the service to seamlessly charge the monthly subscription straight to the consumers’ mobile phone bill, without the need to enter credit card details.

Stephen George, Commercial Director, Fonix, said: “We are very happy to help TVPlayer grow and monetise their user base. Providing consumers with a carrier billing payment experience to access content is proving to be an essential part of the payment mix for OTT providers, which is why Fonix and TVPlayer are such natural partners.”

Kieran Knight, Commercial Director, TVPlayer, added: “The Fonix service provides an additional fast and easy payment option enabling our viewers to purchase a subscription with just a couple of taps, and allowing TVPlayer’s premium customers to watch their TV shows, on demand, and offline, without interruption from ads.”

Fonix to power mobile donations for The Big Night In Appeal

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

23 April 2020, London – Fonix has announced that it will be providing the mobile payment mechanic for tonight’s Big Night In Appeal on BBC One.

Two of the BBC’s biggest charitable partners, Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need are coming together for the first time, for a night of live entertainment. The Big Night In will raise funds to help support vulnerable people across the UK who may be significantly affected by the current Covid-19 crisis.

Fonix will be working with Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need to provide a text-to-donate platform, enabling donors to send a text message to donate either £5, £10, £20 or £30 which will be charged to their mobile phone bills.

Clare Charles, Director for Media and Charity at Fonix, comments: “We’re so very proud to be working with Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need during these troubled times. We’re looking forward to seeing the results and the difference that it makes to people all across the UK.”

Jules Thorne, Campaign Co-director at Comic Relief, said:“The Big Night In is an amazing way for us as charities to join forces and show how much of an impact we can make on the lives of those who need our support. Fonix’s experience within the charity sector has been invaluable to helping us get up and running quickly with mobile donations for the campaign.”

Kerry Howard, Head of Operations Appeal for BBC Children in Need, said:“It’s in unprecedented times like these that it’s more important than ever to collaborate and look to support this situation in the best way we can; coming together with Comic Relief will help us achieve just that. Through the power of TV, mobile technology and the public’s generosity, it’s going to be a brilliant night for a great cause.”

The Big Night In will air tonight on BBC One on at 7pm.

Member Spotlight: Meet Fonix

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

We are on a mission to help our members and their businesses. One the ways we are doing this is to give them an opportunity to tell us more about their business and the services they offer, and promote them however we can. Supporting our members is supporting business, and future growth across the industry.

Our first spotlight interview is with Fonix, who is a mobile payments and messaging services provider. Please feel free to reach out to them if you are interested in what they do and want to learn more.

Read the full interview: Fonix Spotlight Member Feature April 2020

Fonix and Global lead the way with RCS for Valentine’s Day campaign

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

Fonix has partnered with Global, the Media & Entertainment Group and Google in promoting Zing Flowers, a Global owned company, using Rich Communication Services (RCS).

The RCS marketing campaign launched just before Valentine’s Day across Global’s Capital FM and Radio X opted-in database of listeners to promote the purchase of flowers for loved ones.

RCS allows businesses to implement branded, two-way rich communications. The technology delivers interactive elements such as carousels, suggested response buttons, video and high-resolution images on mobile phones.

RCS is now fully enabled in the UK and with momentum continuously building and customer demand increasing, RCS is well on its way to becoming the primary next-gen messaging tool for today’s B2C messaging.

Joel Stern, Commercial Enterprise Director at Global said: “We always strive to lead the way and with a proud record of mobile innovation, we’re very excited about the opportunity RCS represents. As compatible handsets grow, so will the number of consumers we can reach and this could completely transform the way we communicate with our listeners.”

Stephen George, Commercial Director at Fonix added: “We’re thrilled to be working with Global – it’s been great to showcase the exciting work that we’ve been doing behind the scenes to drive RCS forwards.

“If everyone comes together and gets moving: mobile operators and RCS Messaging hubs (e.g., Google, Samsung, etc.), the industry, brands, and enterprises have a real promising opportunity ahead.”