Direct Carrier Billing Market Report 2025

This report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market’s historic and forecast market growth by geography.

The direct carrier billing market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $52.67 billion in 2024 to $60.45 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to mobile phone penetration, digital content consumption, expanding e-commerce and m-commerce, the rise of subscription-based services, and the expansion of mobile gaming.

The direct carrier billing market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $103.6 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to the rise of digital subscriptions, focus on financial inclusion, growing preference for mobile-first experiences, enhanced user experience, and expansion into new verticals. Major trends in the forecast period include personalization and targeted marketing, contactless payments and NFC Integration, blockchain and cryptocurrency Integration, expansion into IoT and smart devices, and voice-activated payments.

The growth of the direct carrier billing market is expected to be propelled by the increasing number of mobile phone users in the foreseeable future. Mobile phone users, individuals who utilize mobile devices for telecommunications services, are witnessing a rise owing to the accessibility of affordable smartphone technology and the expanding internet reach, particularly in emerging markets. Direct carrier billing streamlines in-app purchases on mobile phones by enabling users to charge transactions directly to their phone bills or prepaid balances, simplifying payment processes and improving accessibility. For example, data from Uswitch Limited indicates that the UK saw 71.8 million mobile connections in 2022, marking a 3.8% increase from 2021. Hence, the growing mobile phone user base is propelling the direct carrier billing market's growth.

Key players in the direct carrier billing market are concentrating on innovating their offerings, such as introducing direct carrier billing for mobile games, to maintain a competitive advantage. Direct carrier billing for mobile games allows users to make purchases within gaming apps and charge them directly to their mobile phone bills or prepaid balances. For instance, in January 2024, TPay recently launched direct carrier billing for PUBG Mobile in Egypt in collaboration with Tencent Holdings Ltd., facilitating convenient in-game currency purchases. This method eliminates the necessity for credit cards or traditional payment methods, enabling instant service access with a single click for users with mobile subscriptions or prepaid plans.

In November 2023, Viveri Group bolstered its capabilities by acquiring Dynamic Mobile Billing, a UK-based provider of telecom carrier billing and payment optimization solutions. This acquisition enhances Viveri Group's ability to offer multi-channel automated engagement across digital platforms, backed by a comprehensive payment suite featuring crypto, open banking, and direct carrier billing options.

Major companies operating in the direct carrier billing market report are Vodafone Group Plc; Telefónica; ZTE Corporation; Singtel; Telenor Group; Global Message Services AG; Amdocs Limited; Twilio Inc.; Infobip Ltd; Digital Turbine Inc.; OpenMarket Inc; Aeris Communications; Oxygen8 Communications UK Ltd; Boku Inc; Telecoming S.A.; BlueSnap; Paymentwall; Logia Group; Bango plc; Fortumo OU; Comviva Technologies Limited; Centili Limited; TPay; ImpulsePay Limited; Empello Ltd.; QPay Europe SA.

North America was the largest region in the direct carrier billing market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the direct carrier billing market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the direct carrier billing market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The direct carrier billing market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as payment processing, customer support, user authentication, in-app purchases, compliance, and regulation. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

Direct carrier billing is a mobile payment method that enables consumers to make purchases by charging payments directly to their mobile phone bill or deducting them from their prepaid balance. This method eliminates the need for credit or debit cards and is commonly used for purchasing various digital goods and services, including app purchases, in-game items, digital content, and subscriptions.

The primary types of direct carrier billing include limited direct carrier billing (DCB), pure direct carrier billing (DCB), MSISDN forwarding, and other variations. Limited direct carrier billing (DCB) imposes restrictions on the maximum amount users can spend on digital purchases using their mobile phone bill or prepaid balance. Authentication methods for limited DCB can include single-factor or two-factor authentication, and it serves various end-users such as applications, games, online media, and other digital services.

The direct carrier billing market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides direct carrier billing market statistics, including direct carrier billing industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a direct carrier billing market share, detailed direct carrier billing market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the direct carrier billing industry. This direct carrier billing market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

This product will be delivered within 3-5 business days.