The Yankee Group's Technologically Advanced Family Survey Reveals Internet and Credit Card Services Have the Highest Percentage of Customers Reviewing and Paying Bills Online

Business Wire, March 12, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2003

According to a new Yankee Group report, "EBPP and the Consumer: The Yankee Group's 2002 Technologically Advanced Family(TM) Survey," the marketing of electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) to consumers is at an all-time high, with companies across the entire communications industry looking to push consumers to the Web. Reducing churn, lowering expenses, creating new marketing channels, and increasing customer satisfaction are among the potential benefits of deploying EBPP solutions. The hard part becomes convincing consumers to change their bill reviewing and payment habits.

"It is apparent that for select services, receiving bills via an online channel varies greatly by bill type. In particular, Internet, credit card, and long-distance services all show strong customer adoption of online bill management," says Lisa Cebollero, Yankee Group Billing & Payment Application Strategies analyst. "Since users of Internet service are already online, reviewing bills is a natural extension of the service. Additionally, credit card and long-distance service providers have been pushing EBPP longer than service providers in other verticals, which has resulted in more visibility and adoption in their areas.

"Conversely, only about 13 percent of consumers are paying at least one bill via an online channel," Cebollero says. "This confirms that paying bills by mail is still an entrenched habit that will be difficult to change."

NOTE TO EDITORS

For interviews contact Lisa Cebollero, lcebollero@yankeegroup.com.

THE YANKEE GROUP (www.yankeegroup.com)

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