The carrier billing and cross-platform mobile payments provider Boku Inc. has opened new offices in Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo, the company announced today, with plans for more offices in the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years.

Direct carrier billing allows consumers to purchase digital goods and services using only their mobile phone number. Boku customers enter their phone number to check out, then respond via SMS to confirm the payment. The charge appears on their wireless bill.

The company said the service benefits merchants with higher conversion rates compared to credit cards while providing access to more paying customers.

"Mobile payments have a clear benefit in enabling online commerce in areas with large numbers of unbanked consumers and significant mobile phone penetration, both of which are true in many countries in the Asia Pacific region," Jon Prideaux, chief business officer, Boku, said in a news release. "By opening these new offices, we are well positioned as a company to continue to grow our network of merchants and carriers as well as better serve our existing merchant partners and carrier partners in the region. We intend to significantly ramp up our investment in the region in the coming years."

Learn more about direct carrier billing.