hi5, one of the world’s largest and fastestgrowing social entertainment sites, announces a partnership with PlaySpan, the leader in monetization solutions for online games, social networks, and virtual worlds. Under the agreement, hi5 will offer two of PlaySpan?s global payment services to its subscriber base of more than 62 million users.
PlaySpan?s PayByCash and Ultimate Game Card will provide several different purchase capabilities for virtual goods and other premium content. PayByCash and Ultimate Game Card cover 180 countries and 80 different payment methods.
?Some of the world?s most recognized brands use PlaySpan as a monetization solution for their virtual world customers,? said Anil Dharni, Vice President of Products at hi5. ?Our partnership offers our users a very flexible means to purchase hi5 Coins, the virtual currency our members use to acquire premium goods and services on the site. Not only will our North American users have the security and convenience of a retail stored value card, but our users in Europe, Latin America and Asia will also have more payment options at their disposal.?
?With the addition of hi5 to our client network, PlaySpan now provides payment services for over 1,000 online games and social network applications worldwide,? said Karl Mehta, Founder and CEO of PlaySpan. ?hi5 is growing rapidly, and we are thrilled to help its users maximize their enjoyment of the site. We?re also proud to deliver benefits to hi5 developers as well, giving them the ability to monetize applications, which in turn fuels development and generates more consumer entertainment options.?
PayByCash is rapidly expanding its global services to keep pace with hi5?s tremendous growth. Additional payment services from Turkey, Thailand, Portugal, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina are expected to launch this month with several more in the pipeline.