Microsoft’s operator billing lets users make app purchases and charge them on their monthly bill, a service first announced three years ago at a Windows Phone 8.1 launch event in India. It is particularly useful in countries where credit/debit cards aren’t as common. Unfortunately, a tip submitted to Windows Central reveals that Microsoft is pulling the service for Windows phones in India.
Users are being notified via SMS on their Windows phones. It reads:
“Starting March 30, 2017, Microsoft will discontinue Operator Billing services for Windows phones in India. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
With only a week left in the month, there’s no doubt that users are bound to be frustrated. It is unclear how many are actually using the service or how much of an effect dropping the optional payment method would affect the Windows phone market in India. Currently, Microsoft hasn’t made any further of a statement regarding the change.
