If you have ever received a text message that you have had to pay for then you have been involved in a process called reverse SMS billing. In standard SMS billing, the company sending the message is the one that has to pay for the transaction. In reverse SMS billing, the mobile customer pays for the transaction.

Why would a mobile phone user want to pay for SMS billing? There are actually quite a few times when SMS billing has its place in the lives of mobile consumers. Some basic examples include:

• Customers want to receive specific mobile content and are willing to pay for it. For example, a customer may want to receive text messages alerting them about the day’s weather, the changes in the stock market or the latest horoscope.
• Customers want to make a one-time or ongoing donation to a cause that they support. They are willing to pay a small SMS billing fee in order to be able to easily make their donation with their mobile phone instead of through some other charitable method.
• Customers want to cast a vote for something. In the world of American Idol, many text messages customers are interested in voting by cell phone. In some cases, SMS billing may be appropriate for this.
• Customers may be texting to enter a competition. Some customers are willing to pay a small fee to enter various competitions via SMS. The convenience of being able to enter the competition from anywhere as long as they have their phones with them is worth the cost.

Both traditional SMS billing and reverse SMS billing definitely have their place in the mobile world that we operate in today.