Google introduces new billing options for the Android Market

Columbus Android owners looking to pick up some cheap apps during the holiday season now have some new Android Market options to make the checkout process even easier.

News of these Android Market billing improvements first appeared yesterday at the Android Developers blog.

AT&T Direct Carrier Billing added to the Android Market

Android owners using AT&T as a carrier now have the option to directly bill their AT&T account when purchasing something from the Android Market.  AT&T Direct Carrier Billing only takes a few clicks to setup, adding convenience to an Android owner's monthly bill tracking.

Direct Carrier Billing is being gradually rolled out to AT&T customers, so Android owners can expect to see it soon if they don't already have the new billing option.  T-Mobile customers with Android devices have enjoyed a similar direct billing feature for a while.

Google adding refund ability, more app categories to the Android Market

In addition to AT&T's Direct Carrier Billing service, Google also introduced a 15-minute refund window capability for Android owners who encounter buyer's remorse after purchasing an app from the Android Market.

Also new app categories hope to streamline the process of finding the perfect app inside the Android Market.  Poor categorization is something Apple desperately needs to improve with the iPad version of the App Store.

These additional improvements to the Android Market bring Google's app store closer to Apple's in ease of use.  Now if they can only force game companies like Gameloft to sell their Android apps at the Android Market.

Columbus folks interested in checking out the world of Android merely need to visit their local AT&T store to pick up an Android-powered handset.