It's been talked about and showcased in closed beta form, but now BlackBerry's much fabled in-app payments system is finally available to all via its new Payments Service SDK.

The SDK is still technically in beta, but developers are now free to utilise it, allowing them to implement several new purchase options into their titles.

Playing the paying game

"The BlackBerry Payment Service SDK allows you to easily offer content for sale in your app, while still providing the consumer with the same trusted and consistent purchase experience they have today in BlackBerry App World," the firm says on its developer's blog.

The new in-app payment system – which brings BlackBerry in line with similar set ups offered on rival platforms – was first announced at the BlackBerry Developer Conference in September 2010.

However, though developers will no doubt be pleased to finally see it roll out wholesale, it does come with some fairly major restrictions.

For one, while it facilitates the purchase of additional digital properties (eBooks, photos, artwork, etc), services (video streaming or voice transciption), and extra levels, characters and features in games, support for virtual currencies of any kind is out.

A social situation"The BlackBerry Payment Service does not permit the sale of digital currencies or in-app credits that can be used to purchase digital goods," states RIM.

"Using an intermediary currency to sell digital goods can cause confusion as to what exactly is being purchased."

As a result, it's unlikely BlackBerry App World will be awash with social games in the months to come, the new payment system inflexible to the set up adopted by scores of freemium titles on iOS.

[source: BlackBerry Blog]