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Direct Carrier Billing Service for Google Play
General Service Information
What is ‘Collect on Behalf’ or ‘Direct Carrier Billing’ Service for Google Play Store?
Direct Carrier Billing Service is a Collect on Behalf Service offered by StarHub that allows StarHub Postpaid Mobile Subscribers to purchase Apps, Games and In-App Content from app store such as Google Play Store and charge it to their Postpaid Bill.
How do I charge my Google Play Store Purchases to my StarHub bill?
Simply follow the steps below to charge your Google Play purchases to your StarHub bill.
1. Select app to purchase and accept the app permissions.
2. Select ‘Enable StarHub billing’ as payment option.
3. Once the account is verified, please enter your billing address.
4. Please confirm your billing address.
5. Please tap on the StarHub Terms of Service before accepting.
6. Upon successful provisioning, you can then continue with the purchase.
7. If you want to validate the association of your mobile billing account to your Google Wallet account, please login to Google Wallet website using your Google credentials.
Is Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) Service available to Prepaid or Business customer?
No. This service is only available to StarHub Postpaid Mobile - Consumer subscribers.
How do I make in-app purchases on Google Play?
1. Select in-app item to purchase
2. Google play requires the password to be entered
3. In-app item is installed or credited in case of purchase of coins or virtual currency.
4. Purchase Email Confirmation
For every transaction on Google Play, Google will issue an email receipt/invoice. The email receipt contains detailed information regarding the transaction for your future reference.
Here is a sample invoice from Google:
1. Order Date
2. Content Name
3. Link to Content Publisher / Developer Contact
4. Link to Order History
5. Links to Google Play refund policy and ToS
6. Links to Google Play and Google Wallet help centre
7. Total price (incl. GST)
8. Mobile Account used
What kind of content can be purchased from Google Play Store using Direct Carrier Billing Service?
- Type of Content: Apps, Games, Books
- In-app Purchases
- Subscriptions
What specific terms and conditions are applicable to Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) Service?
This Service is governed by StarHub’s Service Specific Terms for Billing and/or Collection on behalf of Third Party Application Stores Service found on StarHub corporate website.
By enabling this service on Google Play Store you agree to these Terms of Service.
Who can access my personal data?
Personal data you’ve given to us as your mobile operator can only be accessed by us.
Refer to Google Data Privacy terms for any personal data you may have disclosed to them during setup of Google account.
Restrictions
Why is Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) Service not available to me?
Your mobile service is barred or blocked from using carrier billing service via .
What is the monthly spending limit and can it be changed?
Customers may spend a minimum of $50 worth of digital goods/content in any calendar month and such amount applies to all Application Stores / Service Providers.
The monthly spending limit is determined by StarHub, is FIXED and cannot be changed unless otherwise approved by StarHub.
The monthly spending limit will, however, be reset on the first day of each calendar month.
Customers can switch to alternative payment methods to complete their purchases.
Bill Presentation or Charges on StarHub Bill
How will the purchase look on my bill?
All charges will appear under the Mobile Service used at the time of purchase.
Transactions will appear under a section called:
“Itemised Usage Details > Collect of Behalf Goods/Services”
Google Play Store transactions will appear under sub-section: “Google Play Store”.
Transaction details will include following details:
- Time of purchase
- Content name
- Content publisher name
- Charges
Will customer be charged additional 9% GST on purchases made using Collect on Behalf Service?
StarHub will not charge additional GST on top of the list price.
Other than StarHub Bill, do I receive an invoice or receipt for each purchase from Google as well?
You’ll receive an email invoice/ receipt from Google in the mail account used on mobile device at the time of purchase. Email receipt will provide transaction information such as order ID, item name, date of transaction, support contacts and price breakdown (w applicable GST). You can also login to Google Wallet (http://wallet.google.com) to check you transaction history.
Switching of Payment Method or Removal of Collect on Behalf Service
Can I switch to an alternate payment method?
Yes. You can switch to another payment method at the time of purchase.
Simply follow the steps below:
1. User taps on the item price (Right corner of the payment popup) to bring up payment options link.
2. User taps on payment options to bring up available payment options
3. User selects one of the payment options.
Switching of SIM Card/Mobile Operator
I changed my SIM card and the Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) option is not shown.
If you replace the SIM Card in your device with a SIM card from another Operator, you will not be able to use carrier billing service from StarHub. But if you replace the SIM Card with another SIM card from StarHub, you may be eligible to use carrier billing service.
Note: Replacing a SIM card will initiate the verification and provisioning process. Please ensure that your device is connected to Mobile Network and not Wi-Fi for data access.
If I switch from StarHub to another mobile carrier, can I still continue paying via Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) service?
When you switch to another mobile operator, you will need to go through the process of setting up this payment method for Google Play Store.
If the carrier that you switch to has not enabled this service, then you will not be able to use this payment option anymore.
How do I enable Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) service if I have changed my MSISDN/SIM card?
If you have changed your SIM card or MSISDN, you will need to ensure your phone is provisioned to use this service.
Please connect your device to Mobile Network for data access instead of Wi-Fi for Mobile Service verification and provisioning to be completed.
Refund/Waiver of Charges
Can I obtain a refund for my purchase?
There is no refunds policy for purchases made through Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) Service.
It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is compatible with your device before the purchase. Also, refer to the application reviews and star rating to determine the quality of the app.
I would like to return an app on Google Play Store?
If you bought an Application or Game from Google Play Store, you will have 2 hours from the time of download to refund the purchase with a full refund.
How to return an app within the 2 hours return period?
- Launch Google Play on your device, Select Menu > My Apps, Select the app you'd like to return.
- If the 2 hours refund window has not yet passed, the app is eligible for refund and will have a button saying "Refund". Select the Refund option. After clicking “Refund” the client will automatically uninstall the application and trigger a refund.
- You can also check the status of the transaction within Google Wallet.
If the 2-hour return window has expired, you will have to contact the developer directly to initiate a refund. You will find the developers' contact information in the description of the item and Google Wallet.
You can find the developer/publisher contact details in the corresponding email receipt/invoice from Google. To do so, you must login to Gmail using Google credentials used on Google Play.
Click on the contact link to Google Wallet.
You can select one of the available request types (including refund request), fill in the message and submit the request to the provided contact.
What if I want a refund and I've owned the App for longer than 2 hours?
After the initial 2 hours you will be able to request a refund by emailing the App developer directly by using the contact details on the purchase page.
For more information please review Google’s Refund & purchase policies at https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2479637?hl=en.
How can I control unauthorized purchases?
As a safety measure you are can add password protection to help prevent accidental or unwanted purchases on your account. You can add it through your Google Play Store app settings.
Open the Google Play Application and select "Settings" from the top right menu.
Under "User Controls" select the check box next to Password.
Enter your Google Account password to confirm the change.
What devices are compatible?
The Google Play store app comes pre-installed on supported Android devices running Android OS version 2.2 (Froyo) and above. You can find and open the Google Play Store app from your device’s app launcher. All your content is instantly available across all of your Android devices. For a complete list of supported devices please click on the following link:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1727131?hl=en&ref_topic=2803017.
Service Access
Do I need a StarHub Mobile Data connection to purchase content on Google Play?
During the initial setup of Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) Service for digital content purchase, you will need to be logged on to StarHub’s 3G/4G/5G network.
Once the setup is successfully completed, you may download the app over Wi-Fi connection or StarHub’s 3G/4G network.
Is it possible to purchase content and charge to your phone bill when in roaming?
You can only purchase content in Roaming Network if you have already setup Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) service on your mobile service in your home network.
Can purchases be made via PC/Mac?
No, Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) Service is available for purchases made from mobile device only.
If I accidentally delete an app, will I be charged twice to get it again?
No, your purchases are accessible from 'My Apps' section within Google Play, as long as you use the same Google Id that you used to download the app (i.e. youraccountname@gmail.com), you will not be charged again.
Why can’t I see the Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) option on my device?
You have to make sure that:
- The Google Play version is 3.4.x and higher
- You may need to clear the cache of Google Play to allow service discovery to take place:
- Go to Applications in your Android Settings
- Select Google Play application
- Force Stop
- Clear Cache
- Open Google Play and accept the Terms of Services
- You are connected via mobile network such as 4G, 3G, and 2G etc.
- The account association between your Google account and your mobile phone account (SIM card) has been successfully completed.
- The price of the item you want to purchase doesn't contain a ~ (tilde), this means it's only an estimated price and those can't be purchased via your phone bill.
Usually, if a purchase is declined, you will see an error message, which gives you a hint as to why the purchase couldn't be processed.
I have changed my SIM card and no Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) option is shown on Google Play.
If you changed your SIM card or MSISDN, you will need to ensure your phone is provisioned.
Please proceed with the following procedure in order to trigger a new provisioning:
- Go to Applications in your Android Settings
- Select Google Play application
- Force Stop
- Clear Cache
- Open Google Play and accept the Terms of Services
I have switched to another mobile operator and the Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) option is not shown.
If you switch the SIM Card to another Operator, you are not allowed to use the service over your former Operator anymore. But if you switch to an Operator, who is providing the similar service as well, please do the following procedure:
- Go to Applications in your Android Settings
- Select Google Play application
- Force Stop
- Clear Cache
- Open Google Play and accept the Terms of Services
The error code from the new operator will trigger a new user association. Your existing Email address will then be mapped to your new MSISDN.
Who should I contact if I have a question about a content purchase on Google Play Store?
Please contact the content publisher/developer that you made a purchase from if you have any questions or issues regarding the content or application.
You have two options to find the developers' contact information:
- Visit Google Play via the client and select the app via context menu ‘My Apps’
- On the app's description page, scroll down to the "Developer" section
- One of the following contact options will be provided: an email address, a phone number, or a website.
- Alternatively each purchase on Google Play is followed by the email with the purchase description and developer contact details.
Google Wallet (http://wallet.google.com) is a handy tool which contains all transactions and respective information regarding the developer.
Do I need a Gmail account to use Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing)?
Yes, it is a pre-requisite to have a valid Gmail account even though you don´t want to use the email function. You will receive an email receipt/invoice from Google after each purchase/refund transaction. The email receipt contains detailed information regarding the transaction for your future reference.
Why are the available content types on Google Play Store changing when I am in Roaming?
Google Play usually displays the content types of the country from where you are currently accessing the store. So there might be a discrepancy of the content types displayed which you are used to and the content types you are eligible to purchase.
Unfortunately you are only able to purchase content with carrier billing which is enabled in your country. For the available content types the amount of money will be transferred into the currency of the country where your SIM card is registered.
I want to stop paying via Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing) option, how can I do so?
To stop charging via Collect on Behalf (or Direct Carrier Billing), you can delete this payment method as mentioned below:
- Sign in to your Google Wallet account at https://wallet.google.com/manage.
- Click Payment methods along the left side of the page.
- Click delete next to the Mobile Payment option.
You may switch to the other modes of payment by clicking on the small green arrow on the upper right side which appears during the purchase process. By clicking on the arrow you will see a drop down menu with all available payment methods.
How do I recover paid apps?
Your application purchases are tied to your Google Account and can be installed an unlimited amount of times on any of your devices associated with your Gmail address. If you are being asked to purchase an application you have already purchased on Google Play on an existing or previous device, you might be using a different account than the one you were using at the time you made your purchase. Please choose the correct Google account which you easily can do via the Google Play menu. Please note that free applications are not saved to “My Apps” if you removed them from your device.
If the issue persists, please contact the developer with the receipt of the purchase.
Subscriptions on Google Play Store
How do I manage my subscriptions?
You can see all current / past subscriptions in your Google Wallet Account, in Google Play.
To access Google Wallet go to wallet.google.com and login with your Google Account.
How do I cancel a subscription?
There are 2 ways to stop your subscription:
- Google Wallet wallet.google.com
- Google Play client (installed on the device)
Google Play considers the subscription valid until the end of the current billing cycle, i.e. the status of the subscription will not change in Google wallet before the next billing cycle would start. You can continue to enjoy the content for the rest of the cycle.
Can I carry over my subscriptions to a new Google Mail account?
Your subscription plan is tied to your Google Account. Once you change your account and delete the old one all Apps and Subscriptions are lost.
If you wish to keep your current subscriptions you will need to subscribe again.
What happens to my subscriptions if I change my phone?
Your subscription plan is tied to your Google Account. You can carry it on to another phone as long as it is and Android-based handset.
Can I change my subscription from Monthly to Yearly or other way around?
No, you cannot change it on your own. The developer decides about the subscription model hence the amount and billing period.
Can I obtain a refund for a subscription within 15 minutes like one-time payment?
Unfortunately, subscriptions are non-refundable within 15 minutes of subscribing to the service.
The only way of refunding a subscription is by contacting the developer after the 15-min trial window has lapsed.
Content Developer/Publisher can be contacted using contact info found in Google’s email receipt/invoice or through Google Wallet.
1. You can find the developer/publisher contact details in the corresponding email receipt/invoice from Google. To do so, you must login to Gmail using Google credentials used on Google Play.
2. Click on the contact link to Google Wallet.
3. You can select one of the available request types (including refund request), fill in the message and submit the request to the provided contact.
What is a free-trial period for subscription?
If you subscribed to a service with a free-trial period, you can test the service with a subscription model and the first charge will happen after the free trial period ends.
If you cancel the subscription within the trial period, you will not get charged at all.
Are there any device-specific requirements for subscriptions?
The version of Google Play Store on your device may need an update. For subscriptions you need at least Google Play 3.5.
Links to Official Help Pages
Google Support Page | |
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Google Wallet | Transaction History, Refunds functionality, Customer Support Contact, Billing Help links. |
Self-Help Information, FAQs | |
Google Play Store | Transaction History, Refunds functionality, Customer Support Contact, Billing Help links |