Microsoft fixes international transaction fees on Windows Phone 7 purchases (Australia)

Good news for Australian Windows Phone 7 users (and other regional markets around the world), Microsoft has finally fixed the international transaction fee issue some users have experienced with credit card purchases of applications and games from the WP7 marketplace.

As suspected, the root cause was that Microsoft didn’t have payment processing facilities in a number of regional markets around the world to handle credit card transactions locally. In Australia’s case, these transactions were previously processed in Microsoft’s Asia Pacific hub, Singapore. Instead, now they are processed in Sydney as “MICROSOFT *WIN PHONE NORTH RYDE”.

Even though I have to point out oddly the problem was not experienced by every Australian user, some combination of bank accounts and credit card issuers resulted in an international transaction fee for every purchase transaction – a severe financial penalty when transactions are small but many for a mobile marketplace.

Due to the third-party and international nature of the issue, I applaud the Windows Phone 7 team to look into it and addressing it as quickly as they did. The Zune team could learn a lesson or two.

15 insightful thoughts

  1. Yes, the Zune team could, now they’ve got a internal payment processing center, how about Zune Pass & Zune Music Marketplace?

  2. Seeing as they now have international processing – it would be really nice if they could just start paying Marketplace developers from these regional centers. Currently developers need to waste loads of time and effort dealing with US Tax laws, W8/W7 forms and have to get a US ITIN (an expensive, difficult and painful experience). And then to top it off – our banks will turn around and charge a 2-4% processing fee on any funds coming in from the US in USD.

  3. Now if they could just allow changing the Live ID Account Region then I might actually consider buying a WP7, currently my Live ID / Xbox Live is locked to the USA… and I don’t bloody live there.

  4. good to know. i havent had any issues with xbl but i guess thats different then wm marketplace

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