Sprint makes it easier, quicker for Android customers to purchase apps

Looks like Sprint has jumped on the carrier billing band wagon with AT&T and T-Mobile and rolled out support for their Android devices. Customers using phones powered by Android OS now have the option to purchase applications from the Android Market and charge it to their monthly Sprint bill. The carrier billing option supplements Google’s Checkout, which has seen limited success compared to other mobile payment methods. While the service is still currently rolling out, Sprint customers shouldn’t expect the services to be fully implemented for a few days.

The addition of this service support to Sprint Android devices is welcomed, as it becomes much easier for Android owners to purchase apps on their phones. Instead of setting up a Google Checkout account or entering credit card information on the device, the ability to add purchases to a monthly phone bill makes downloading applications a one-click transaction. In turn, this will help application developers to create and sell more software in the Android market, as a recent survey from Strategy Analytics shows that 38 percent of customers prefer carrier billing, and are therefore more apt to make purchases.

With the three major US carriers now on board with Direct Carrier Billing, this is a smart move for Sprint to keep up with its competitors in the mobile market. At AndroidCentral, a tipster provided the blog with an early screenshot of what the new payment option will look like. Users will have a choice to use their credit card or use an option that reads "bill my Sprint account."
        
This service provided from Sprint and Google has been one of the many recent partnerships between the two companies, as the carrier recently announced that all Sprint devices will support Google Voice. It only leaves us to wonder what they have in store for the future.

Will direct carrier billing make you want to purchase more apps from the Android Market?