Tesco Mobile offers customers discounts in return for ads

Tesco Mobile is offering customers the chance to get 3 off their monthly bill if they opt into watching ads on their mobile device.

The service will be available to Android users first and then will roll out to those using Windows Phones shortly after. It will not be offered to iPhone users, because iOS doesn't support mobile platform Unlockd, which will provide the software.

To participate, customers will need to download the app onto their device and opt into receiving the ads. They will only be displayed when the customer is using their device for maximum exposure.

Tesco hasn't revealed how often customers will be asked to view advertising, but it is giving those who opt in an extra 200MB of data every month to cover the data used to serve them.

"This innovative new service is a UK exclusive and we're excited that our customers get to benefit first from this new technology," said Anthony Vollmer, chief executive of Tesco Mobile.

"Customers can choose whether or not this is a service they want to use. Customers can still use ad-blocking software but they now have the option to get value from viewing ads - something that no-one else is doing.

"Imagine if someone gave you some cash or vouchers every time you watched a TV advert. This is not the network taking a stance against ad-blocking but it is about offering choice to our customers."

O2, which owns half of Tesco Mobile has said it is considering taking the opposite approach, however, by using ad blocking technology to prevent advertisers bombarding its customers with spam.