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Online bill payment is a convenience worth exploring. Bankrate explains it.
Online bill payment is a secure electronic service that allows customers to pay bills without having to write checks and mail them. Online bill payment usually is tied to a checking account from which funds are withdrawn electronically for payment of one-time or recurring bills. Online bill payment is offered by many banks and bill-pay services.
Online bill payment, also known as electronic bill payment or automatic bill payment, offers several advantages. Among them:
Connie travels a lot for her job and has unintentionally paid bills late before because she was not home to retrieve her mail and write and mail checks on time. She has a mortgage, car loan, utility bills and a couple of credit card bills to pay each month. Connie has heard many of her colleagues and friends say they enjoy using online bill payment, so she inquires about the service at her bank.
Connie banks with a major financial institution that offers full online banking services, including bill pay. She signs up for the service at her bank’s website. She enters the key account information for each of her creditors and schedules payments for specific dates each month. Now, Connie travels with peace of mind, knowing her bills are being paid on time. She can also check her account using a mobile computing device, such as her smartphone, while on the road.
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