PaymentOne unveils carrier billing API for HTML5 apps

If HTML5 apps are to pick up the mantle from native releases in the years to come, ensuring developers can call on the same level of functionality is going to be key.

PaymentOne's new mobile payment API for HTML5 apps could be one cog in that wheel, enabling studios to add support for carrier billing allowing users to charge in-app purchases to their phone bill - just as they would for a native app.

Time and money

The company claims the roll out of the API is simply a reaction to what it bills as the forthcoming prevalence of the web standard.

"HTML5 makes every device a potential commerce opportunity for developers of games and apps," said executive vice president Brad Singer.

"The rise of HTML5 means developers can easily expand their reach across platforms, and the PayOne HTML5 API lets developers build once and monetize everywhere via the open web."

The API's development, PaymentOne claims, is also partly the result of a move by carriers across the globe to remove restrictions that previously stood in the way of carrier billing for web-based apps.

Available in 80 different countries, the launch of PaymentOne's API comes as commentators continue to speculate as to just when HTML5 apps will come to the fore, with Digital Chocolate VP head of sales Robert Unsworth recently taking to the stage at MGF 2012 to detail the view that it'll be 18 months before the standard becomes a "robust platform".