POLL : How would you want your utility bills paid?

[bubuyog]

Just an informal survey on the paying preferences of PExers.

Let's assume that we are the ones who foot our utility bills, or at least, we are the ones given the task to settle them. By utility bills, let's mean them to include PLDT/Globelines/BayanTel bills, Meralco bills, Nawasa/Maynilad bills, mobile phone monthly bills, and cable TV monthly subscription bills.

How would you want your utility bills paid?

1. Direct payment to the utility companies and/or their payment centers.

2. Payment Deposit to affiliated Banks

3. Debit from bank and credit card accounts

4. Have someone else to do the legwork for you, i.e. maids, drivers, company messengers, etc.

5. Door-to-door pick up of payment (presently implemented by water companies, previously implemented by Meralco)

Another question: if utility companies (except the water companies) offer you door-to-door pick-up service, would it be okay with you if they charge you with a minimal fee, say P50.00, for this added service?

Your participation in this poll would be of great help to the feasibility study I am presently conducting.

Thanks in advance.

PEACE :)

[council]

Originally posted by bubuyog

How would you want your utility bills paid?


Honestly, I want my utility bills paid using other people's money... not mine. ;)

Seriously... I'd only pick 2 options:

1. Direct payment to the utility companies and/or their payment centers.

2. Payment Deposit to affiliated Banks

I'd rather not pay any fee (however minimal it may be) for door-to-door pickup service. The bank is only a door away from our office.

[KuyaDanny]

This is how it's done now, which works very well for me:

4. Have someone else to do the legwork for you, i.e. maids, drivers, company messengers, etc.


If I can't have the above anymore, I would choose:

1. Direct payment to the utility companies and/or their payment centers.
5. Door-to-door pick up of payment (presently implemented by water companies, previously implemented by Meralco)


I also am willing to pay via secure server (credit card) over the internet, but not via automatic debit or automatic charge.

I am not willing to pay for pickup service.

[ching]

I prefer to pay online via bank account debit or credit card charge. Or, if that's not possible, then by phone through my bank. Take note, it's not an automatic debit... I get to review my bills before I pay.

BPI Express Bills (www.bpiexpressbills.com) has a neat feature where you can schedule payments -- so you can set up the payment when the bill arrives, and it gets paid on the due date.

They notify you by e-mail when a new bill comes, which is great for me since paper mail sometimes gets misplaced at home or at the office before it gets to me.

Sometimes I print paper copies; say, if I need to submit an expense report for my cell phone bill.

[introvert]

I usually do it through:

3. debit from bank and credit card accounts

And it's setup to do automatic debit.

As far as charging for door-to-door pick-up service, I am in disagreement with that.

[bubuyog]

Hi guys!

Thanks for the prompt replies. They surely are of help to me and my feasibility study.

Obviously, I am focused on the prospect of providing door-to-door pick-up service. While you are collectively in disagreement with such set up, I'd like to post here the following as my reasons for contemplating such a business:

1. Generally speaking, Filipinos are tamad (pardon my prejudice), so I'm offering the most convenient way of collecting utility bills;

2. The service fee that I propose to charge for such service will be competitive enough so as to make it less costly for people who have their bills debited from their bank or credit card accounts (vs. finance/interest charges, which are normally at 3%), people who pay bills through messengers (vs. transportation expense), and people who must go out of their way to reach affiliated banks and payment centers (neighborhood banks are apparently an exception); and

3. I intend to target the upper-class segment of the subscribing public. To lessen risks, I likewise intend to accomodate check payments only. From experience, I can say that rich people tend to pay for convenience.

If you have other infos to share, or disputes against my observations, you are very much welcome to post them here. Who knows, PExers like you might be the ones who would save me from a business that would otherwise be non-viable.

Thanks again.

PEACE :)

[ruff]

like ching, i prefer paying bills online, on the phone or via atm. for me it's convenient since all i do is punch in the necessary keys. i also don't have a checking account and don't plan to get one for now. another thing is that doing it online or via phone doesn't cost me anything extra. ;)

my problem with door-to-door pick-up is that someone has to be at home when the 'utility person' comes to pick up the payment. i prefer to do it on my time, either when i'm online, on the phone or near an atm machine at the mall.

[CaRaMBa]

I wanna pay my bills online, but BPI Express Online sucks. Hope they improve on it.

Right now I pay via the phone. The BPI Phone payment system is pretty good, what I don't like about it is that you have to dial a lot of numbers.

To answer the question, I'd go for either 1 or 2, done through the phone or online.

[beams]

gusto ko magbayad through the net o through the phone. pero para sa kin nde naman importante means of paying, ang impt yung service. saka yung existence ng options. *****, tubig, ilaw telepono namin puro lopez ang kumikita bwiset. dapat may competition, hindi oligopoly. grrr.... ah ewan, nagiging political na naman ako. hehehehe. :p

[introvert]

Originally posted by bubuyog
1. Generally speaking, Filipinos are tamad (pardon my prejudice), so I'm offering the most convenient way of collecting utility bills;

You need not stop at Filipinos. Everyone IS tamad when it comes to paying bills.
Originally posted by bubuyog
3. I intend to target the upper-class segment of the subscribing public. To lessen risks, I likewise intend to accomodate check payments only. From experience, I can say that rich people tend to pay for convenience.

Won't you be targetting the wrong segment? Upper-class people would probably have the means (be it through another person or whatever) to pay their bills.

[CaRaMBa]

Originally posted by bubuyog

1. Generally speaking, Filipinos are tamad (pardon my prejudice), so I'm offering the most convenient way of collecting utility bills;

2. The service fee that I propose to charge for such service will be competitive enough so as to make it less costly for people who have their bills debited from their bank or credit card accounts (vs. finance/interest charges, which are normally at 3%), people who pay bills through messengers (vs. transportation expense), and people who must go out of their way to reach affiliated banks and payment centers (neighborhood banks are apparently an exception); and

3. I intend to target the upper-class segment of the subscribing public. To lessen risks, I likewise intend to accomodate check payments only. From experience, I can say that rich people tend to pay for convenience.



Hi bubuyog, just going to post my thoughts on this.

Re: No. 1. It's true that a lot of Filipinos are tamad, but you'll be surprised that even with the many payment options, people still line up at the offices of Meralco and PLDT and the like. I agree with your assumption, but I don't agree that your proposed way is the most convenient. With door to door pick up service, there's still that effort of preparing the money, leaving it with the helper or with someone else, etc. For me, dialing (for phone payments) and clicking my mouse (for online payments) are more convenient.

Re: No. 2. Service fee? Noooooo! I'd rather pay straight - I don't pay fees by paying my bills through phone payment. You mentioned three things: interest charges, transportation expenses, and the effort of going to the bank. If I'm used to these things already, why would I go for a door-to-door pick up? What's in it for me? I don't think your competitive service fee will be enough to make me change my routine. There should be a clear benefit for me to really go for your service. I can't think of any.

Re: No. 3. I think this is totally the wrong segment to target. The upper classes will surely go for either phone or online payments. The expenses will not matter to them also.

[KuyaDanny]

Here are some considerations you might want to include in your assessment:


1) A major reason we employ messengers is to pay bills, but they perform other functions, too. Unfortunately, even if we took the bill paying duties away from them they still have to do their other functions, and we would still have to pay their salaries. The transportation expense we would save from not having the messengers pay bills will not offset the P50.00 (per bill, I assume) you are contemplating on charging.

2) There aren't that many rich people in this country. And while it may be safe to assume that these rich people can't be bothered with such "trivial" stuff as bill payment, you could also assume that these people already use hired help to do these, and other, tasks.

But there are plenty of working class people who don't necessarily have all the time in the world to line up and pay bills. If you provide a service that saves them time, stress, and headaches, maybe you can justify asking these harassed people to pay a fee.

[bubuyog]

Thanks for the inputs, guys. Now I'm learning and, if I must say, getting a second serving of Business 101. :D

Hands down, online and phone payments are the most convenient of all payment schemes, although they have yet to saturate the market they are currently serving.

Thanks a lot for showing me the way...and for practically telling me it's still a long way to go as far as my business plans are concerned.

PEACE :)

[VINCEsanity]

through banks para mas comfortable.

[tidus1203]

therough my credit card ALL MY UTILITY BILLS para isang bayaran na lang. AT the same time I earn points. So three birds in one stone.

[floreno]

^ Yup Credit Card peymants is the best for me....Not in such a way inuutang mo yung pambayad....bayaran mo yung Credit Card ng Cash agad. You earn points and Good Credit History.

Utility Bills- ----->Credit Card--------> Savings Account Bank

[shiftbackspace]

like ching, i prefer to pay my bills via the bank's online facility. in my case, www.bpiexpressonline.com. it is very convenient and saves a lot of time. kesa naman pipila ka nang pagkatagal tagal.

[Dunedain]

I used to mail checks. Nowadays, it's either online banking or Paypal.

[mac_bolan00]

my payroll ATM. it's the most practical. currently, i can pay my aig credit card bills and meralco using my RCBC atm card. my PLDT uses prepaid so no problem there. it's the maynilad that has to be paid OTC.

[woofers]

Debit from bank and credit card accounts

[wandawoman]

bpi expressonline works for me....

[xxtoyxx]

ok sakin yung BPI express phone, naka enroll yung kuryente, tubig at cellphone bills ko dito

yung sa landline di ko inenroll, kasi kelangan ng sis ko yung resibo. walang resibo pag express phone banking, bibigyan ka lang ng trace number

[GOwin]

online banking works for me. (if that fails, there's always the phone)

I haven't paid over-the-counter or directly for years now.

[NOKiE]

Do you guys have the option of logging in directly to utility company websites to process bills rather than schedule outgoing payments from your bank websites?

[Dunedain]

Do you guys have the option of logging in directly to utility company websites to process bills rather than schedule outgoing payments from your bank websites?

Yes. Only problem is logging in/out from several utility sites (power, water, cable TV & ISP, etc). In Paypal, all can be dealt with at one stroke, plus you get to see entire payment history. Helps in bookeeping expenses.