Direct carrier billing to grow by $35 billion globally over the next four years, as anti-fraud capabilities are enhanced by network APIs

A new study by global tech strategists Juniper Research forecasts that the global value of direct carrier billing (DCB) transactions will rise from $51 billion in 2026 to more than $87 billion in 2030. Juniper Research believes that this growth depends on the ability of mobile network operators (MNOs) to serve a broader range of market verticals.

The report identifies physical goods and digital ticketing as key growth areas over the next four years, with MNOs reducing transaction fees to win market share. However, it argues that to compete with alternative payment technologies in the long term, such as digital wallets, MNOs must deploy standardised anti-fraud application programming interfaces (APIs).

MNOs Must Overhaul DCB with Network APIs

MNOs must increase the value of DCB to merchants by leveraging their networks that process payments to provide real-time fraud prevention using network signals. Being the first to integrate a payment technology with network signals will differentiate DCB from alternative payment technologies.

Alex Webb, Senior Research Analyst at Juniper Research, comments, “Anti-fraud capabilities are a key driver of merchants’ choice of payment technology. To retain market share, they must position DCB as a leader in real-time fraud detection, with it protecting users from losses and chargebacks.”

The report warns that it is imperative MNOs work with payment service providers to limit the impact on merchants’ profit margins, as high costs for API calls can undermine the value added from anti-fraud capabilities for merchants.

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An extract from the new report, Direct Carrier Billing Market 2026-2030, is available as a free download.