Who or what the heck is PPP?

PPP?
Well the answer is PPP is what ICSTIS turned into.... none the wiser... let me explain. As you are all aware the industry is awash with acronyms or TLAs as I like to call them (that's Three Letter Abbreviations). Well PPP stands for Phone Pay Plus, and this is the organisation that regulates phone-paid services in the UK. It replaced the equally easily understood ICSTIS (Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services).

 

What they do for Consumers

PPP exist to help protect the consumer from harm from services paid for by phone, this primarily means Premium rate lines and sms services. One of the things that PPP provides is a simple number checker so that Consumers can check who owns any given number or short code. For example if you look up 62277, a WIN shared shortcode, you will see our info. This allows consumers to identify who has billed them.
 
They also regulate services using a Code of Practice. This sets out the rules with which all providers of phone-paid services must comply. Among other things, they require:

• clear and accurate pricing information
• honest advertising and service content
• appropriate and targeted promotions.

 

What they do for Businesses
For companies operating services PPP will provide copy advice for adverts, service messages and other promotions. And if people do not stick to the Code of Practice then PPP can bar services, and if needed will also make adjudications on services and fine the operators of the service. Hopefully by keeping services in line the industry can avoid the Consumer confidence issues that Premium rate lines suffered in the past.

 

Who pays for PPP?
Well the industry pays for PPP, a small % is taken from every transaction to pay for PPP.

 

 

Regulators in other countries
Ireland RegTel

(Can Greece and KL post details of the Regulators in their countries please)

Free or Freemium... either way its Flirting!

With Valentines almost upon us I thought that this week I would take a look at one of the leading freemium sites in the UK (but accessible from most countries) and it might even help you find a valentine!

Flirtomatic is a dating and flirting site that is aimed (mainly) at mobile users, but can also be accessed on the web (left). But what is 'freemium'? Well the sites basic services are all free, but for some additional service you pay a premium.

So head over to www.flirtomatic.com on your mobile and you see see the intro page, from here, if you click on the links you will be invited to register.

The registration allows you to specify your sex and the sex (or sexes) of the people you like to flirt with, along with your age details. Once done this gets you a basic profile up and running. Later you can add pictures, and change your nickname which it allocates automatically.

The site uses PayForIt along side other billing mechanisms for the premium services. So if you click on "Find Flirts Near Me" you will be told that access for 24 hrs costs 75pts, and that you need to purchase points. When you choose to purchase points you will see that there are a variety of payment techniques, including PFI.

The site also uses the PayForIt API to identify returning customers.

So give it a go and get flirting for valentines.