Why You Need to Offer Online Bill Payment in 2020 2021
We’ve recently updated the post to include information regarding COVID-19 and ways to take contactless payments online.
It’s no secret that the past year has led to a serious shift in the way we work — not only for local government organizations but for our whole nation. Now more than ever we’re seeing the shift to utilize more online services.
Prior to the past year, services like online bill payments were a convenience. But, as we navigate into the digital world, the more online payments are a necessity. Online bill payments are the best option to continue to collect important payments when in-person transactions are on hold and the postal system is delayed.
Navigating lock down orders and social distancing might be your first concern when it comes to taking online payments in 2021. But, there are still a number of reasons why it’s the right time to make the switch and start offering online bill payments.
Faster and Easier
In today’s fast-paced, technologically based world, customers are looking for more convenient ways to pay their bills to avoid lines at the counters or payments via mail. With many private sector companies offering online bill payment options, customers are leaning on their local government organizations to follow suit. Not only does online bill pay give people the option to pay from anywhere and on any device, but it also makes it more convenient for them when making payments from out of town or for loved ones. They can simply view and pay their bills online without worrying about misplacing their bills or worrying about mail carrier delivery.
And, let’s not forget about the billing and accounts receivable departments. Online bill payment solutions reduce the costs associated with mailing bills, and it also increases customer and employee satisfaction. Just think of what your organization can do with the extra money and time.
It’s Safer than Paper Mail
That’s right, online bill pay is often safer than using paper billing statements. With online payment there is the risk of hacking, spyware, and viruses when you’re online. But, “non-digital’ or physical mail theft is also significant risk factor. In fact, according to a 2017 report from the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Identity, more than half (53%) of identities stolen in 2017 were classified as due to ‘non-digital’ or paper-based theft.
The fewer paper bills, checks, and personal information you let physically float through the mail, the better.
That may seem counter-intuitive. Especially In a seemingly increasingly hostile digital world where ransomware and data breaches are becoming more and more normal. But, even though there are threats to your digital information, there is also a lot of protection from those threats. SSL certificates, safe password practices, spam filters, and data monitoring add layers of protection to digital information. Those types of protections just aren’t there when it comes to “non-digital” or paper-based sensitive information. It’s much easier to steal personal data from a paper source than digitally. No prior technical knowledge is needed for criminals. All that is needed a stolen piece of mail and a way to open an envelope to steal your customer’s information.
So contrary to the once-popular belief, online bill payment can be safer than snail mail. There are fewer opportunities for unsophisticated theft of personal data and there are added safeguards when you use a trusted, secure vendor that uses modern security and data privacy protections.
Going Paperless- Go Green and Save $$
One of the biggest advantages of online line bill payments is eliminating paper and the time it takes to process it. Sending out eBills or electronic billing notifications means less mail and fewer envelopes to open (and then refill). This leads to less hassle for your organization and your customers — and less paper waste in the landfills.
Let’s do the math. If fewer bills have to be printed, stuffed in envelopes, stamped, and sent out, that means way less energy and fuel is being used on processing and transporting them. It’s a clear conclusion that online bill payment is the leader in terms of environmental benefits.
And then there’s the money-saving part. If you’re not sending out bills in the mail, or at least reducing the amount you send, you’re not spending as much in postage or envelopes. That means your organization spends a lot less money on online transactions than they do on the snail-mail variety.
Eliminate Pesky Human Error
Now, nobody is pointing fingers, mistakes are a part of the human experience. But that doesn’t make up for the annoyance and harm that can come from innocent keying errors.
Even small mistakes with bill payment entry can lead to significant headaches when it comes to customer accounts and credit card balances. With online bill payment you can eliminate the potential for human error and keying mistakes caused by human error. This is especially relevant when it comes to potential duplicate entries on the accounts receivable side when dealing with manual entry.
How can online payments eliminate duplicate entry or human keying errors? By using a fully integrated system that connects your payment solution to your accounting software. With an integrated solution manual entry is taken out of your accounts receivable department hands. Instead, they can rely on the customers entering their own payment information online and the direct connection to your account receivable software.
A fully integrated online payment solution not only frees up time and reduce the hassle from correcting mistakes, but the seamless process can improve your organization’s reputation and relationship with your customers.
In 2021 Your Customers Expect an Online Payment Solution
The fact of the matter is that your customers expect a modern solution for paying their bills online for a couple of reasons.
- It’s more convenient for them
- It reduces their cost by eliminating the need for physical checks, envelopes, and stamps
- It replicates their already existing financial habits of paying bills online
- It gives them more time to pay their bills compared to using snail mail
- Online payments offer an extra layer of protection from identity theft
Are You Ready to Move to an Online Payment Solution?
Learn More About Harris’ MyGovHub Today!
