What is a DCB Association and Should I Remove it?

Received a message dubbed DCB association with some alphanumerics? You may be wondering whether you’ve been hacked. We answer what it entails and whether you should disable it.

What is a DCB association?

A DCB association or Direct Carrier Billing association is the integration between your mobile network operator and a digital service provider. It enables you to make online purchases or payments by charging them directly to your mobile phone bill or deducting the amount from your prepaid balance.

This makes it easier to pay for digital goods and services such as mobile apps, games, music, eBooks, or in-app purchases. It eliminates the need for traditional payment methods like credit cards or bank transfers that may be plagued by card verification errors and failed transactions from time to time.

How can I disable a DCB association?

1. Remove your mobile number from the payment methods

1. On your phone, launch the Google Play Store app.
2. Tap on your profile picture and select Payments & subscriptions.
3. Select Payment methods.
4. Tap on More payment settings and you’ll be directed to Google’s Payment Center.
5. You’ll see your mobile phone carrier listed then tap Remove.

2. Deactivate your phone number

For some reason, you may be unable to remove your phone number from your Google Play Store account. If so, you must contact your mobile network operator’s customer service to deactivate your phone number.

It’s important to note that the process of disabling or removing a DCB association will vary. Factors such as your mobile network operator and the service associated with the DCB will come into play. This may be impossible if you have any pending payments or active subscriptions.

However, your mobile network operator may be able to help by freezing your funds until such a time you’ll be able to opt out of the service.

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Reasons to opt out of a DCB association

• Unauthorized charges – If you notice suspicious activity related to the DCB association, you should disable it to secure your financial information.
• Unwanted subscriptions – If you subscribe to services through the DCB association without your consent or knowledge, you might want to disable the association.
• Alternative payment methods – The DCB association is not everyone’s cup of tea, so if you prefer using other payment methods, such as credit cards or digital wallets, you may choose to remove the DCB association.

Generally, there’s no need to remove the DCB association since it’s a very secure and convenient payment method. Most importantly, it is not a hacker trying to access your details. With many scams like the FedEx text scam going around, you can rest assured this is not one of them.

Most of the unwanted and unauthorized charges are usually from free trials. You probably just forgot to cancel before you’re charged. As for protection, you can always enable 2-step verification on your Google account and keep an eye on your subscriptions.

However, if your Google Pay transaction is not going through, you may benefit from virtual credit card apps.

Have you connected your phone number to Google Pay? Would you say the DCB association is better than traditional credit and debit cards? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.