Reverse Billed Data Explained: How Zero-Rated Mobile Access Makes Your Website or App Accessible
Reverse billed data, also known as Zero-rated mobile data, is rapidly transforming digital engagement across Africa. If your customers or staff frequently run out of airtime or mobile data, Zero-Rated Access ensures they can still connect to your website, app, or digital services at no cost to them.
But what does Reverse Billed Data actually mean? And how can your business use it to reduce friction, increase adoption, and expand your digital reach?
Below, we explain everything and introduce how Obsidian™, PMT’s Service Connectivity Platform, makes reverse billing simple, scalable, and secure.
What Is Reverse Billed Data? (Reverse Billing / Zero-Rated Data Defined)
Reverse Billed Data is a connectivity model where a business or service provider pays for the mobile data that users consume when accessing their websites or mobile apps.
This gives customers Zero-Rated Access, meaning:
- Users browse and interact without using their own data.
- No airtime or mobile data is required to access your service.
- Your business receives aggregated, preferential data rates.
- Digital access becomes instant, inclusive, and barrier-free.
Why Reverse Billing Matters for Digital Adoption and Customer Experience?
High mobile data costs are one of the biggest barriers to digital engagement in South Africa and across many emerging markets. By adopting Zero-Rated mobile access, businesses can:
– Increase Website & App Usage
With zero data cost, customers use your platform more frequently and for longer.
– Improve Conversion Rates
Removing the “I have no data” barrier significantly boosts completion rates of registrations, payments, self-service interactions, and digital transactions.
– Expand Market Reach Across All Segments
Prepaid, top-up, and budget-sensitive users gain unrestricted digital access.
– Support Digital Inclusion & Social Impact
Zero-rated services empower low-income households that cannot afford high data fees, aligning your brand with accessibility and inclusion.
– Enable Remote and Field Workers
Staff can operate reliably from anywhere, even when out of data.
Reverse billing is not just a connectivity feature—it’s a competitive advantage, a business enabler, and a tool for societal upliftment.
Reverse Billed Data, Made Simple with Obsidian™
PMT’s Obsidian™ Service Connectivity Platform is designed to make reverse billing fast, secure, compliant, and seamlessly integrated across all major mobile networks.
Obsidian™ provides:
- API orchestration for mobile service connectivity
- Secure, controlled, zero-rated access
- Real-time reporting & insights
- Universal deployment across hybrid and multi-cloud environments
- Multi-operator connectivity across South Africa and expanding African markets
Obsidian™ has been engineered to enhance and improve existing mobile operator reverse billing models, providing more control, stronger reliability, and significantly better service performance.
Obsidian™ empowers enterprises to deploy Reverse Billed Data services faster, reduce complexity, and unlock new revenue opportunities.
Learn How Reverse Billed Data Can Transform Your Business
Want to explore how zero-rated mobile access can increase engagement, improve accessibility, and drive digital adoption?
Visit the Obsidian™ product page, get in touch via our contact page, or follow PMT™ on LinkedIn for the latest updates.
About Pattern Matched Technologies™ (PMT™)
PMT™ offers a modular suite of platforms designed to support mission-critical digital transactions, payment systems, and mobile service enablement. Each product addresses a specific functional need, while collectively forming an integrated ecosystem that can be tailored to meet the unique requirements of clients across telecommunications, financial services, retail, and related sectors.
PMT’s expertise spans transaction processing, financial switching, prepaid services, and mobile banking systems underpinned by secure, cloud-first infrastructure. This includes real-time routing, payment aggregation, and configurable billing logic aligned to industry-specific demands.
