allopass review: carrier billing with a 10% reserve

How carrier billing with allopass works

allopass charges the purchase to the buyer’s phone account through four channels: Internet+ carrier billing, premium SMS to a short code, premium-rate SVA+ numbers, and cards. On a mobile network, a carrier billing purchase takes two clicks. On wifi, the buyer enters a phone number and confirms with a code sent by SMS.

Cards, for one-off, recurring or one-click payments, run behind allopass’s own e-money. The adult page pitches phone billing as a complement to cards, to recover declined payments and to sell where few people hold a card, citing Romania and Bulgaria.

What allopass charges

The commission taken by allopass and the carriers is not published and is set in the quote or order form. Monthly rental of premium-rate numbers is listed by number quality: €3,333 excluding VAT for a Diamond short number, €200 for Platinum, €150 for Gold, €100 for Silver, €50 for Bronze and nothing for a standard number. All but Diamond can be discounted to zero.

allopass reserve and payout terms

allopass can hold up to 10% of monthly sales in a dedicated account and releases it within six months. It can change that rate at any time with 15 days’ notice.

You request a payout from your account once your balance reaches €50 excluding VAT, or pay a €40 fee below that. Carrier billing, SMS and card payouts arrive 30 days after the request. Premium-rate number payouts depend on the carriers and can come months after the call, and getting paid early costs 1.5% to 4.5% of the amount.

Fees on small accounts

An account bringing in less than €250 excluding VAT over twelve months has its password disabled after six months, and regaining access costs €50. An account with no revenue for a year pays €15 a month in management fees until its balance runs out. allopass can also suspend an account without giving a reason during its first six months.

Who runs allopass

allopass is a French SAS with €50,000 in capital, based in Toulouse, registered under RCS number 824 638 209 and operating as agent of HiPay, a payment institution licensed by the French regulator ACPR. Formerly Mobiyo, it gives 1993 as its founding year on one page and 1999 for its e-money on another. It claims 200+ merchants in 20+ countries without naming the countries. Every transaction is screened by Evina, and a French-speaking support team can refund buyers before the carrier processes the charge.

Strengths and limitations of allopass