DCB
DCB, or Direct Carrier Billing, charges a purchase — a subscription, an app, mobile content — straight to the user's mobile carrier account or balance instead of a bank card. The model is especially common in geos with low card penetration but high mobile penetration.
Where it shows up in arbitrage
In regions with limited access to bank cards but strong mobile reach — parts of Asia, Africa, MENA, Latin America — DCB often stays the primary payment method for mobile subscription and content offers, making it the key conversion path for that vertical in those geos specifically.
What to check on DCB offers
Accurate geo and carrier targeting matters a lot: an offer's supported carrier list is usually limited, and traffic from the wrong network simply won't convert. Moderation also tends to scrutinize how clearly the subscription charge is disclosed, so the pre-lander and lander should state plainly that a paid charge is involved, without misleading wording. APEX's geo targeting and anti-bot filtering help cut traffic from unsupported carriers and geos before it ever reaches the offer.
FAQ
- Does DCB work the same way in every country?
- No — availability and rules vary a lot by country and carrier, so the supported network list needs to be checked for the specific offer rather than assumed to be universal.
- How is DCB different from paying by card?
- The charge lands on the mobile carrier's account or balance instead of a bank card, which lowers the barrier to entry in markets where cards are less common among the audience.
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