Zong (payments provider) facts for kids
 |
|
| Industry | Telecommunications Mobile communications Payments |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Menlo Park, California, United States |
| Products | Electronic payments Mobile Payments |
| Owner | eBay |
|
Number of employees
|
80 |
Zong was a company that helped people pay for things online using their mobile phones. It was a simple way to make small payments, called micropayments. These payments were added to a user's mobile phone bill. This meant you could buy things online without needing a credit card.
Zong was mostly used for buying items in online games and on social networks. You could use it to get virtual goods, like special clothes for your game character. In 2011, a big company called eBay bought Zong. By 2015, Zong stopped working and its website now sends people to PayPal.
How Zong Started
Zong began in 2008 in the USA. It was created by another company called Echovox. Zong offered a new way for people to pay for things online directly through their mobile phone bills. This made it easier for many people to buy digital items.
In 2011, David A. Marcus, who was the boss of Zong, sold the company to PayPal. He then became the new president at PayPal. After a few more years, in May 2015, Zong quietly disappeared from the internet.
What Zong Offered
Zong focused on helping people make payments for things on social networks and in online games. It was very helpful for people who did not have a credit card. It was also good for those who wanted to make small purchases online quickly and easily.
Zong worked with mobile phone companies. This allowed them to add the cost of online purchases directly to a customer's phone bill. Zong also shared its special code, called an application programming interface. This allowed other developers to use Zong's payment system for their own online content.
See also
- Mobile commerce service provider
- Echovox
- Software Service & Innovation
