Android developers received some good news last week, when T-Mobile USA said it will begin offering carrier-based billing for postpaid customers with devices running Android 1.6.

The 1.6 models include the T-Mobile G1 and T-Mobile myTouch 3G. Customers with those phones began receiving updates to allow purchases to be charged directly to their T-Mobile account. That way, customers can buy apps without entering credit card information or using Google Checkout.

Developers have cited the lack of convenient billing options as one of the inhibitors to making money in the Android Market. Giving consumers the option to add a charge to their phone bill should make it easier.

In a forums post, T-Mobile said the carrier and Google will stagger the update, so customers should be able to make a T-Mobile account purchase by early January or sooner. The carrier also issued a reminder that any applications uninstalled within 24 hours will not be charged to the customer's T-Mobile account or credit card.

For now, the Motorola CLIQ and Samsung Behold II, which operate on Android 1.5, will continue billing through Google Checkout.