Simpler than Google Checkout, Boku debuts Android in-app payment SDK

First launched in alpha under the name "Paymo" more than one year ago, Mobile payment startup Boku launched the SDK for its 1-Tap Billing solution for Android in 56 countries on Thursday, giving Android app developers another alternative for in-app transactions.

Instead of billing in-app purchases to the user's credit card or debiting from their bank account, Boku adds in-app purchases to the user's monthly mobile phone bill. To do this, users just click on "buy" in an app, confirm their phone number for the purchase, and that's it; no credit card info is collected, no additional registration or work is necessary.

The simplicity of in-app billing is extremely important, because the more streamlined the activity, the more likely a user is to make purchases, and the more money a developer can make.

The company has partnered with 226 leading network operators in the 56 launch countries, and claims to have a reach of over 1.6 billion wireless subscribers. In the U.S., for example, Boku is partnered with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon WIreless, US Cellular, and MVNO Virgin Mobile, giving it a significant chunk of the market.

To use the service, app developers have to download the Boku SDK library, which is available by request at www.boku.com/android, and integrate Boku's code into their app. It supports all versions of Android above 1.5, and offers 32 different languages for localization.