Both prepaid and postpaid customers can use the service. They need only enable the MobiFone payment feature in their account on Google Play and provide personal information upon request, such as address and subscription number, and can then immediately buy applications and games, with payment charged directly to their MobiFone mobile account.
The new service aims create more flexibility and increase security for customers in internet trade.
Users do not have to provide a variety of personal or credit card information during the transaction, avoiding revealing accounts and becoming vulnerable to fraud and theft, according to MobiFone.
Mr. Bui Son Nam, Deputy Director of MobiFone, said this payment method was becoming more and more popular for its convenience, security, and support from the mobile phone network.
Subscribers were previously required to have one of two international credit cards if they wanted to buy games or apps on Google Play, which most Vietnamese do not have.
Security concerns also made many credit card holders reluctant to use them to buy games and apps on Google Play.
MobiFone saw this as an opportunity to serve millions of customers better, according to Mr. Nam.
“The cooperation with Google and other leading tech groups such as Apple and Facebook is part of MobiFone’s strategy of establishing multilateral cooperation with partners at home and abroad to develop our services,” he said.
“We want to provide our customers with more advanced products and services.”
Established in 1993, MobiFone became the first mobile operator providing 900/1800 GMS services, marking the beginning of the mobile communications sector in Vietnam.
It currently has around 25 million subscribers.
