The Foundations of a Long-Term Partnership
Long-term partnerships are increasingly rare in today’s fast-moving digital economy. Yet for MEO and Digital Virgo, longevity has been driven by a simple principle: shared objectives.
The relationship actually strat before Digital Virgo’s involvement, extending back nearly two decades through previous corporate structures and acquisitions. What remained constant throughout that evolution was MEO’s search for a trusted partner capable of helping navigate an increasingly fragmented digital services landscape.
“We decided that we needed to have a trusted partner that could help us navigate through the fragmentation of products and services offering for the mobile world,” explains Tiago Silva Lopes. “This was around 15 to 20 years ago, which also tells a lot about the type of partnership we have because it’s not easy these days to have such a longstanding relationship.”
For MEO, selecting the right partner has always meant looking beyond short-term opportunities.
“The most important thing about our partnership is that we are aligned in terms of incentives,” Silva Lopes says. “We’re very focused on guaranteeing that the partners we choose understand our values and our concerns, and that they are more interested in growing business together with us than taking shortcuts.”
Fran Sánchez believes this alignment has been fundamental to the partnership’s continued success.
“The key word is partnership,” he says. “We wanted to make it grow and make it grow together. From the very beginning, we felt that MEO wanted to work together to build something sustainable and create value for everyone involved.”
“Some times we took a step back, and took difficult decisions. But looking at the long-term trend, those were the right decisions for the market, for MEO’s customers and for our partners” – Fran Sánchez – Group Head of Payments | CEO Americas & Iberia, Digital Virgo
This long-term mindset has allowed both companies to prioritize sustainable growth, customer trust and ecosystem health over immediate returns.
New Opportunities in Portugal’s Evolving Digital Economy
Portugal has emerged as one of Europe’s most innovative digital payment markets. The rapid adoption of digital services, subscription models, mobile-first experiences and local payment methods has transformed customer expectations and created new opportunities for operators and merchants alike.
For MEO, this transformation reinforces the importance of acting as a trusted intermediary between consumers and an increasingly complex digital ecosystem.
“We think we can add value to our customers by being a trusted brand,” says Silva Lopes. “Someone that you can come to if there’s an issue, someone that can protect you from whichever problem may arise from all of these new things that are coming in.”
As the number of digital services continues to expand, MEO sees its role evolving beyond traditional connectivity.
“We think that being the aggregator of all those services and bringing customers the best options, with quality and guaranteed customer service, is clearly a winning approach.”
This vision reflects a broader trend across the telecommunications industry, where operators are increasingly becoming ecosystem orchestrators, helping consumers discover, access and manage digital services while maintaining trust and simplicity.
Direct Carrier Billing: More Than Just a Payment Method
Against this backdrop, Direct Carrier Billing continues to play an important role within Portugal’s digital payments ecosystem.
While consumers today have access to multiple payment methods, including bank cards, digital wallets and local payment solutions, carrier billing offers a unique combination of convenience, accessibility and trust.
“Direct Carrier Billing is based on the trust of the consumer in the telco,” explains Fran Sánchez. “Telecom operators are trusted companies all around the world. DCB provides not only that trust but also easy access to digital services.”
The appeal of carrier billing goes far beyond payment processing itself.
As Sánchez points out, consumers increasingly expect frictionless experiences throughout the entire customer journey.
“The consumer is looking for something fast, quick and easy, not only during the purchase but throughout the entire customer journey, especially in the post-sale experience.”
For MEO, Direct Carrier Billing is a strategic tool that supports its ambition of becoming a larger part of customers’ everyday lives.
“Carrier billing allows us to choose the best applications and services from different industries and provide them in an easy way to our customers. We can help make the connection between what the customer needs and what providers can offer, whilst protecting the relationship with the customer” – Tiago Silva Lopes – Head of Consumer Product MEO
Perhaps most importantly, both executives reject the idea that DCB should be viewed purely as a payment mechanism.
“DCB is not just a payment service,” Lopes emphasizes. “We can be in the middle to help consumers make informed decisions and guarantee they choose the best solution for them.”
This combination of payment, distribution, customer care and trust is what continues to differentiate carrier billing within an increasingly crowded digital payments landscape.
DCB, MB Way and Digital Wallets: Complementary Solutions, Not Competitive
The growth of alternative payment methods (APMs) such as MB Way has prompted questions about the future role of carrier billing in Portugal.
For both MEO and Digital Virgo, however, the debate is largely misplaced.
Rather than competing, different payment methods serve different customer needs and usage scenarios.
“Apple Pay, Google Pay, MB Way and DCB are all complementary. For merchants, having multiple payment methods available creates more opportunities. For consumers, it provides choice” – Fran Sánchez – Group Head of Payments | CEO Americas & Iberia
This complementary approach is becoming increasingly important as merchants seek broader reach and improved conversion rates.
Global digital service providers entering Portugal often look for a comprehensive payment strategy rather than a single payment solution. In this context, carrier billing becomes part of a wider payment ecosystem that combines local relevance with customer convenience.
At the same time, DCB continues to offer benefits that extend beyond payment acceptance, including customer support, trusted billing relationships and access to operator distribution channels.
Beyond the Payment: Why Customer Experience Defines Success
If one theme defined the conversation, it was customer experience.
For both MEO and Digital Virgo, the success of any digital service depends not only on acquisition but also on retention, satisfaction and trust.
“We look at KPIs such as NPS, customer complaints and subscriber value,” explains Silva Lopes. “What we’re looking for is a service that is relevant to the consumer, provided in a clear way, with a seamless experience.”
“What we’re looking for is a service that is relevant to the consumer, provided in a clear way, with a seamless experience” – Tiago Silva Lopes, Head of Consumer Product, MEO
The discussion highlighted that customer care does not end when a transaction is completed. In fact, post-sale support may be even more important in preserving trust and long-term engagement.
According to Sánchez, transparency between partners is critical to delivering that experience.
“We have been really transparent with each other, measuring and agreeing on the KPIs that matter. At the end of the day, it’s all about the customer and the partners.”
This commitment to transparency also extends to managing challenges and failures when they inevitably occur.
“Failure is part of the process,” says Silva Lopes. “The important thing is learning fast. Transparency is the key.”
Both executives agree that sustainable digital ecosystems are built on accountability, continuous improvement and a shared responsibility to protect customer trust.
The Next Chapter: AI, New Payment Models and the Future of Digital Services
Looking toward the future, both MEO and Digital Virgo see significant growth opportunities across digital payments, premium digital services, alternative payment methods and ecosystem aggregation.
For MEO, the ambition is clear: evolve from a traditional telecommunications provider into a broader digital services ecosystem that customers trust.
“We see the opportunity of being the brand that people trust to give them the best service possible,” says Silva Lopes. “In the future, we will probably provide even more services outside telecom than inside telecom.”
For Digital Virgo, innovation will continue to accelerate the transformation of payments and digital commerce.
“It’s going to move faster and faster,” says Sánchez. “AI is changing payments, checkout experiences and customer journeys. There will be many opportunities, but also many risks.”
In such a rapidly evolving environment, trust, customer care and strong partnerships will become even more important.
“MEO already has the customer and already has the trust of the customer,” Sánchez concludes. “That’s an asset that very few players have.”
After more than a decade of collaboration, the partnership between MEO and Digital Virgo demonstrates that the future of Direct Carrier Billing, digital payments and digital services is not simply about technology. It is about building trusted ecosystems that create lasting value for consumers, merchants and operators alike.
And in a digital economy moving faster than ever, trust may prove to be the most powerful innovation of all.
