US credit card giant American Express has acquired virtual currency and in-game payments provider Sometrics in a cash and shares deal worth US$30 million, according to Techcrunch. Amex will deploy Sometrics’ technology within its Serve m-wallet. Sometrics helps publishers make money out of free-to-play games and also offers in-game payment options.  Carrier billing via mobile operators is among the payment options it offers.  Existing investors include AT&T alongside a number of venture firms. The company is headed by CEO and co-founder Ian Swanson (pictured).

Just last week Amex’s executive vice president David Messenger said the credit card giant was on the hunt for acquisitions. He put potential targets into two categories: significant investments outside the US and promising start-ups within the States. Sometrics definitely fits into the latter category.  Earlier this year, Amex made an investment in Payfone as part of a larger funding round for the carrier billing firm. Payfone’s technology is also being deployed within Amex’s Serve m-wallet.