I used to think that the future of payments was going to be all about cards. Of course, I was being unimaginative. These days, we have mobile payments, and I have to admit that it rocks. Among the many things that I carry with me, it’s the smartphone that I don’t forget. I lose my handkerchief, my pen, my lipstick, even my wallet –but never my smartphone.

Fortumo, an international mobile payment portal offering Premium SMS payment services, releases cross-platform, HTML5-supported mobile payments.  It will allow app and game developers to monetize mobile web apps across 60 countries, using any mobile device in a single platform. The company is also known as an in-app purchasing provider for top Android developers.

Here are the vital advantages of using the new mobile payment tool: Cross Platform support that’s optimized for all key mobile browsers on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Symbian, Java and Bada, including tablet devices, and a single integration tool for developers, providing the widest possible reach.  There’s less clicks for end users, by using data already stored on a device, and payments can be completed in less clicks than on the conventional web.  Integration of Mobile Operator Billing is a strong alternative to credit cards, especially in emerging markets.  Mobile billing works for over 3 billion mobile users worldwide without the need to register or have a credit card.

“Mobile web apps are interesting for developers because they are platform-independent,” says Martin Koppel, CRO of Fortumo. “We’re looking to provide web app developers with similar mobile payment tools that native app developers have.”

Fortumo is now available in 60 countries in partnership with 230 carriers, and supports direct billing if available. Otherwise, It will resort to Premium SMS. It’s going to be available to any merchant for free, and is a self-service setup for developers.

Mobile payments is a booming industry that even Google wants to be a part of. Google Wallet looks forward to stretching its arms for more automatic rewards features, expanded and exclusive offers, and partnerships with several major merchants. It’s leveraging NFC technology which it launched back in September, making way for the Google Wallet SingleTap experience.

Meanwhile, Square, another mobile payments company developed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, will be pushing its card-reader device in Wal-Mart Stores nationwide. It was previously available in 200 Apple stores, as well as Target, RadioShack and Best Buy outlets.