Australian mobile payments group Mobile Embrace wants to expand its presence throughout Asia after securing a deal with Singapore Telecommunications.

Mobile Embrace will provide direct billing services to the telco’s customers in Singapore who want on-demand entertainment on their smartphones.

SingTel also owns Australian telco Optus, and businesses in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Mobile Embrace managing director Neil Wiles said SingTel plans to expand the company’s direct billing system across its Asian carriers.

“It’s the first step to building our international footprint … it’s very significant for us,” he told AAP.

“Wherever SingTel is … we would be looking to partner into territories with SingTel first and foremost.”

Mr Wiles, who joined Mobile Embrace in 2003, said the company also had its eye on Vietnam and Malaysia as other potential new markets.

“We have quite a detailed assessment process in determining whether a market is a good market,” he said.

“That’s not just how many mobile customers they have but it’s also looking at what kind of products are suitable to the market, how quickly we can bring those products to market.”

Shares in Mobile Embrace gained one cent, or 5.26 per cent, to 20 cents.

Just six months ago the shares were trading at 1.9 cents.