SMART_CARRIER_BILLING enables users to pay directly through their mobile phone carrier. This method is popular in regions with high mobile penetration and low credit card adoption. It supports both one-time and recurring payments and is often used in gaming, entertainment, and digital services.
Carrier billing abstracts integrations with various telecom operators and third-party aggregators, enabling a unified API experience regardless of market.
Supported Carrier Billing Methods
Method
Markets Supported
Notes
Boku
Global
One-click, SMS, and direct billing; supports subscriptions
Fortumo
Europe, LATAM, Asia, Africa
Local integrations; direct-to-carrier billing
DOCOMO
Japan
Integrated with Japanese carrier networks
Smart, Globe
Philippines
SMS-based and direct API integrations
Telkomsel
Indonesia
Mobile billing with local regulatory compliance
MTN, Vodacom
Africa (e.g. Nigeria, South Africa)
USSD or SMS billing depending on region
Telenor
Scandinavia, Eastern Europe
Premium content billing
Payload
Fields
Field
Type
Required?
Description
paymentMethod
ApmMethod
Yes
Always SMART_CARRIER_BILLING
paymentType
ApmFlowType
Yes
Always CARRIER_BILLING
msisdn
String?
Required
User’s mobile number (E.164 format recommended)
accountIdentifier
String?
Optional
Internal user ID for recurring or reference tracking
customerName
String?
Optional
Customer full name
mobileOperator
String?
Optional
Carrier name (e.g. MTN, Vodafone)
operatorCountryCode
String?
Optional
ISO country code of operator
recurringId
String?
Optional
For subscription renewals or linked recurring profiles
Response
Fields
Field
Type
Required?
Description
paymentMethod
ApmMethod
Yes
Always SMART_CARRIER_BILLING
paymentType
ApmFlowType
Yes
Always CARRIER_BILLING
redirectUrl
String?
Optional
If required, user is redirected to carrier page
iframeUrl
String?
Optional
Hosted iframe alternative (if supported)
providerTransactionId
String
Yes
Carrier/aggregator transaction ID
sessionToken
String?
Optional
If session continuation is needed
carrierMetadata
Map<String, String>?
Optional
Additional metadata such as billing flow, operator info
Best Practices
Normalize phone numbers to E.164 format for cross-market consistency.
Validate msisdn and match against allowed countries/operators.
Store and reuse recurringId for subscriptions.
Use carrierMetadata for reconciliation, dispute resolution, or reporting.
