Definition
Carriers have billed for content since ringtones: the subscription appears on the phone bill or is deducted from a prepaid balance, no card required. A content provider contracts with the carrier, often through an aggregator, and the carrier keeps a share. For the advertiser the attraction is reach: in markets where most adults have a phone but few have a card, carrier billing is the only payment method that converts at scale. For the media buyer the attraction is a short funnel with a payout per subscription.
Subscription flows
| Flow | What the visitor does | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 1-click | Taps a subscribe button on the carrier's network; the carrier recognizes the number | Carriers that allow header enrichment |
| 2-click | Taps subscribe, then confirms on a second screen | Most carriers, as a consumer-protection step |
| PIN submit | Enters a phone number, receives an SMS code, types it in | Wi-Fi traffic and carriers without enrichment |
Flows that work only on the carrier's own network explain why mVAS buyers target by carrier and connection type (cellular vs Wi-Fi), two targeting dimensions that other verticals rarely use.
How mVAS is advertised
Popunders and redirects deliver the landing page directly to mobile visitors, which suits a one-tap flow; push and in-page push carry a short hook. Campaigns are narrow by design: one GEO, one carrier, cellular only, Android or iOS as the offer requires. Reporting by source ID and by carrier is where optimization happens, since the same source can convert on one carrier and not another.
Rules that shape the vertical
Carriers and regulators require a clear price, the subscription period and an unsubscribe instruction on the landing page, a confirmation step on most networks, and no misleading claims about what the content is. Ad networks moderate mVAS landing pages for these points before traffic starts; the requirements Reacheffect applies are on its advertising policies page.
Related terms
| Term | Relation | Where defined |
|---|---|---|
| CPA | Payment model | Term page |
| Popunder ads | Main traffic format | Term page |
| Sweepstakes advertising | Overlapping PIN-submit flows | Term page |
| Traffic source | Optimized with carrier targeting | Term page |
FAQ
What does mVAS stand for?
Mobile value-added services: content and services billed to the mobile phone through the carrier, such as games, video and antivirus subscriptions.
What is direct carrier billing?
A payment method in which the charge is added to the user's phone bill or deducted from a prepaid balance, so no card or bank account is needed.
Why do mVAS campaigns target by carrier?
Because 1-click and 2-click subscription flows work only when the visitor is on the carrier's mobile network, and payouts differ by carrier.