Have you ever received an SMS, consisting of “DCB_ASSOCIATION: YXXXXKXx from an unknown number on your phone? And you instantly start worrying whether your phone or your bank account has been hacked. In today’s world, it is very natural to be in a dilemma regarding the safety of your data and personal information. On reception of such a message many people also tend to believe that it is a spam message. People start panicking as the messages are from random codes like DCB_Association: Y3349K56788R8889MDNKSJGKJ. Well, there is no need to worry.
In this article, we will take a look at what DCB stands for and what exactly is DCB_Association.
What Does DCB_Association stand for?
DCB is a short form that stands for Direct Carrier Billing. It is a payment method that is used for online transactions allowing users to make purchases by linking the transactions to their mobile phones. Direct Carrier Billing Association is a collaboration between people. Direct Carrier Billing is available to people on various platforms like smartphones, tablets, etc. People using Android can also use this carrier as a method of payment on various online stores like Android apps, Google Play Store, etc.
How Does DCB Work?
Using the phone for a variety of tasks has become very normal these days. Earlier people used to be cautious while paying for something online but with changing times, the mindsets of people have also changed. Now, people have no qualms over using various online payment methods and portals. For downloading apps most Android users download them from the Google App Store. They also make payments through various online payment portals and using their debit and credit cards. Instead of using these methods, the user can also opt for alternative methods provided by the service providers.
- When the user enables the mobile phone as the method of payment, Google Play Store will send a carrier-specific SMS with a code like “DCB_ASSOCIATION:${authentication_hash}.”
- The carrier that has been set up as the method of payment will then verify the ${authentication_hash}and will check whether the code was sent from the Google Play Store or not. It will also check whether it is from the user’s own Google account or not.
- The carrier is then authenticated and is enabled as an option for payment in the app store. The user will receive a message on their phone which will read DCB_ASSOCIATION and further will receive another message with the code.
Safety Protocols
You can never be too safe when it comes to sharing personal details and data online. Therefore, after the setup of the DCB, the users should follow some safety protocols to keep their data safe. It is very easy for hackers to hack into your account and make illegal transactions from your Google Play Store account. If anything as such occurs and you receive a DCB_Association text:
- Change the password of your account as soon as you can.
- Contact your mobile service provider and register a complaint about the illegal transaction.
- The carrier will then refund the money upon successful identification of the illegal transaction.
Also Read: How To Use Two WhatsApp In One Phone
How To Add DCB Payment Mode?
- Go to the Google Play Store App.
- Click on the particular icon for Menu
- Now, select the Payment Methods option.
- Click on Add Payment.
- Then, choose the DCB method. Press on OK.
How To Remove DCB Payment Mode?
- Go to Google Play Store app.
- Click on the particular icon for Menu.
- Now, select Payment Methods
- Click on More Payment settings.
- The page will be redirected to Google Payment Center.
- Now, select remove shown on the display to replace the existing method of payment.
Steps To purchase an app after DCB Payment Method Setup
- Go to the Google Play Store application.
- Then open the app you need from the search bar present at the top of the screen.
- Tap on the “Bill My Account” option in the payment options.
- Then, click on Buy.
- After that enter the Google account password and press on Confirm.
- Also, press on the confirmation notification for the transaction.
- You will then receive an Order receipt via email which will consist of the purchase details.
- A confirmation SMS will also be sent.
What Can be Bought using Direct Carrier Billing?
The following things can be purchased via this method:
- Online games and Applications.
- Virtual items like currency.
- Virtual Goods.
- Digital subscriptions for magazines and ebooks.
Conclusion
We hope that this article will help our audience to clear all the doubts and suspicions regarding this mysterious text message which they have been constantly receiving on their phone. This method is very reliable and safe. It could be opted instead of the other payment methods.
