DOCOMO Digital Partners with Safaricom to Launch the First App Store Integration with the World's Most Popular Mobile Money Service

Global mobile commerce enabler, DOCOMO Digital has partnered with Safaricom to give customers the option to pay for content on the Google Play Store using M-PESA.

The integration, which is powered by DOCOMO Digital's mobile commerce enabling platform using Google Play's payment API, allows M-PESA customers to use the mobile money service to pay for goods and services from the app store.

The service is available to more than 27 million M-PESA customers in Kenya with an Android smartphone or tablet. From today, customers matching this criteria can purchase content and products from the Google Play Store and pay for them using M-PESA. The solution seamlessly combines Google Play with the M-PESA purchase experience that Safaricom customers are used to when paying for goods and services.

Hiroyuki Sato, CEO of DOCOMO Digital, commented: "One of our biggest goals is to break down barriers and develop ways in which the 5 billion global adult population can engage with the digital ecosystem. M-PESA has long been an innovator and leader in the mobile money space, and we are very excited to partner with them to bring this service to market. First steps like this are absolutely essential on the journey to connecting consumers, merchants, operators and service providers together to create a fair and inclusive ecosystem for everybody."

The M-PESA and Google Play Store service will ensure that users are able to buy apps and games in Play Store, using their mobile money wallet.

Joseph Ogutu, Director of Strategy, Safaricom, said: "Partnerships have been instrumental in deepening the convenience and value of M-PESA to our customers. Today's partnership will empower our customers to access Google Play content and further underlines our commitment to providing more choice and convenience to them."

Mahir Sahin, Head of Africa, Android Partnerships, Google, said: "We are thrilled to partner with Safaricom to bring Google Play carrier billing to Kenya. M-PESA has successfully demonstrated how important it is to offer financial services to the unbanked and deliver financial inclusion. Carrier billing is very important to the developer ecosystem in markets where credit card penetration is low. With this partnership M-PESA will play a critical role in the app ecosystem."