Mobile based payment service ImpulsePay has expanded its set-up to include an age-verification service to validate the purchase of adult-based content.

Previously known as GoPayforit, ImpulsePlay allows users to pay for online goods by adding the cost to their phone bill (or taking it from their credit if they're on pay-as-you-go).

The company is now expanding its existing framework to provide a set-up that ensures those under the age of 18 can't get hold of adult material.

Of legal age

The system is straightforward. After clicking on the ImpulsePay 'buy now' button on any website running the system, users are prompted to provide their mobile number and then enter a pin sent to them via SMS.

Once entered, the operator can then check whether the user is registered as 18 and above, blocking or confirming the purchase as appropriate.

It's supported by all UK mobile operators.

It's a system ImpulsePay hopes will appeal to gaming and betting sites alike, as well as aiding the purchase of what the company describes as more "traditional 18+ content".

Reaching maturity

"This is the next step for us," said ImpulsePay CEO Chris Newell.

"Our service, which combines the benefits of Payforit and SMS billing, has proven to be really popular with a wide variety of content owners and website users. What we’re doing now is opening it up to all content providers.

"The offline world can easily see if a person is old enough to purchase over-eighteen content. We bring that peace of mind to the online world as well."

Another advantage is mobile websites which use Payforit find the revenue split is similar to the 70:30 model offered by Apple’s iPhone App Store, but works on both mobile and standard web sites.