Nokia and America Movil have integrated the Nokia Store with the Latin America operator group’s backend billing systems, allowing subscribers to charge app payments to their prepaid credit or monthly bill.

Users in the 17 countries in which America Movil and its subsidiaries Claro and Telcel operate will be able to use the new functionality on their Nokia phones, including the Asha feature phone range.

“Millions of people don’t own a credit card, but want apps. Together with America Movil, we are making it possible for people to pay for an app by adding it to their normal phone bill,” said Cesar Castro, head of mobile phones for Nokia in Latin America.

Developers should also benefit from the integration through increased revenue: “We are pleased to see a better way for consumers to access paid apps quickly and easily, which translates into increased revenues for developers,” said Jaime Enriquez, CEO and director of app developer Inode Technology.

The billing integration project is one of the largest ever to take place in the mobile industry. Countries where direct billing is now available include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Puerto Rico.

Nokia Store has billing agreements with more than 150 operators in more than 50 countries — more than any other mobile ecosystem, according to Nokia.