Mobile billing expands digital payment options for users

Mobile phone users of Robi Axiata and Banglalink can now use their mobile balances to purchase a wider range of eligible products and services, as the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has raised transaction limits under Direct Operator Billing (DOB).

The revised limits allow customers to spend up to Tk 5,000 a month and Tk 50,000 a year through their mobile operator accounts, expanding the scope of a payment channel that offers an alternative to bank accounts and credit cards for eligible digital purchases.

The approval will remain effective for six months from July 20, 2026, bringing Robi and Banglalink under the higher limits previously approved for Grameenphone.

According to BTRC documents, the commission granted retrospective approval for the revised limits, subject to conditions outlined in a letter sent to the two operators on September 13. Robi and Banglalink applied for the increase on August 25.

The commission said extending the higher limits to both operators was necessary to ensure fair competition, as allowing only Grameenphone to offer the facility could give it an undue advantage, despite its status as a “significant market power operator”.

Robi welcomed the initiative by the Bangladesh Bank and the BTRC to increase the Direct Operator Billing (DOB) limit.

Talking to BSS, ShahedAlam, chief corporate and regulatory officer at RobiAxiata, said, “We believe this will accelerate digital inclusion, promote digital transactions, support the transition to a cashless society, and expand customers’ access to alternative payment methods and digital services.”

DOB enables customers to pay for specified products and services directly from their mobile balances. Under the revised limits, eligible purchases include smartphones and SIM-based modems and routers, either through outright payments or instalments, alongside other permitted digital products and services.

However, the increased limits do not allow mobile balances to be used as unrestricted digital money. The service remains subject to regulatory safeguards and restrictions on the types of transactions permitted.

Operators must comply with applicable Bangladesh Bank instructions and obtain approval under the revised guidelines for prepaid payment instruments once they are issued. They must also comply with the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2024, the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.

Customers must complete know-your-customer (KYC) procedures in line with Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit requirements before using the service.

The rules prohibit DOB payments for virtual currencies used in social media applications and games, including coins, points, credits, coupons, diamonds and gems. Payments to applications that collect public investments, provide loans, store money or facilitate financial transactions are also prohibited.

The service cannot be used for gambling, casino activities, lotteries, cryptocurrency or crypto-asset trading, foreign-exchange trading, stock-market trading or multi-level marketing.�"BSS