UK publisher IPC Media and Silicon Valley mobile payments startup Boku have partnered to create a “Text-to-Pay” package that will offer IPC’s top print magazine subscriptions to individuals via text, according to a Boku announcement released today. Readers can subscribe by texting a keyword to a short number, charging the subscription to their mobile device without using a credit or debit card.
After confirming via text, subscribers will complete the registration process via a mobile website, entering in their mailing address. The charge will appear on the carrier bill, or can be deducted from their prepaid balance using Boku’s e-money product.
The solution, says Boku, is expected spark a rise in print magazine subscriptions, “particularly among young, mobile-first, consumers.” The initiative also serves as a further step in fusing the physical and digital worlds as paper inserts and ads act as gateways into mobile payment-based subscriptions.
“Providing IPC Media with the ability to capture payment easily and immediately in the physical world – in a doctor’s office, waiting on a plane to take off, or just relaxing on the beach – is the perfect integration for our service,” said Jon Prideaux, CEO of Boku, in the release. “Working with IPC Media to create such a simple, elegant solution for people to easily subscribe to their favorite magazines paves the way for ‘text-to-pay’ solutions for a variety of subscription based products.”
Some of IPC’s iconic magazines that will be available via Text-to-Pay include: woman&home, Marie Claire, InStyle, and Ideal Home.
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