Advertisement

Samsung makes it easier for you to buy stuff from its Apps store

No doubt still buzzing from hitting the 100 millionth download milestone back in March, Samsung is making it even easier for Apps customers to use the mobile/HDTV storefront -- well, consumers in Europe and Asia, at least. The company announced this week that it has streamlined the purchasing process for the store, letting users tack payments onto their phone bill or SIM card balance. The upgrade is being rolled out in the UK, Germany, Thailand, India, among others, with even more countries coming later this year. The rest of the world will have to continue paying for apps the old fashioned way: sticking a check in a bottle and praying it floats all the way to Korea. More info on the press release after the break.

Show full PR text

Samsung Apps Releases New Phone Billing Payment Options
- Applications can now be charged on customer's phone bills or SIM card balance in 12 countries

SEOUL--(Korea Newswire) May 2, 2011 -- Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. today announced that Samsung Apps, its mobile & TV application store, is expanding the payment options available to customers when downloading apps. These simple and secure purchase processes allow the customer to purchase an application in just two clicks. The price can be charged on a phone bill or be deducted from their SIM card balance.

Since it launched in June 2010, Samsung Apps has offered various billing options including credit card, prepaid cards and cyber cash – and the addition of these new methods provides further convenience and ease of payment, meaning that customers no longer have to enter sensitive information such as credit card details if they wish.

The new options will be rolled out to customers in a phased approach during 2011. From April 28th, phone billing will be expanded to the UK and other countries including the following:

· Europe:Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Ukraine
· Asia:Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India

Samsung Apps plans to expand the new payment options to more countries later in the year.

To mark the new billing launch, Samsung Apps is launching a promotion called 'Buy Hot Apps, Get Cool Gadgets!' App store customers who make a purchase during the promotion will be automatically entered into a prize draw and selected at random to win prizes. All Samsung Apps customers using Samsung Wave smartphones are eligible to enter. The promotion will run from 17th May to 20th June, with the winners announced on 27th June at www.samsungapps.com. (Promotion details are subject to change and could differ by country.)

"At Samsung Apps we're committed to doing all we can to provide our customers with an enhanced user experience" said Kang-Hyun Kwon, Senior Vice President of Media Solution Center, Samsung Electronics. "The new payment method offers flexibility, choice and ultimately a simpler purchase journey."

Providing over 15,000 applications in 120 countries, Samsung Apps has continued to prove its success by reaching 10 million downloads in its first three months, then skyrocketing to 100 million downloads in March 2010, just ten months after the store opened.