Phone Number Payments May Soon Come To The High Street

While carrier billing might be changing the way we buy digital products like apps, music and ringtones, it hasn't yet become a mainstream method of payment.

That could be set to change, however, after the UK's three largest carriers agreed a new deal that may soon let you pay for physical goods using only your phone number. EE, Vodafone and O2 have teamed up with payment provider Boku to offer carrier billing through the company's new e-Money service, which allows stores to request your number and have the purchase added to your phone bill. Of course, retailers will need to actively support the service, but with the major operators already pledging their support, we imagine stores would jump at the chance to make it easier for customers to pay.