1LINK now offers the powerful UBPS (Utility Bill Payment Solution) facility for its 29 member banks across all their electronic delivery channels. UBPS service, powered by TPS, allows 1LINK member banks to provide bill presentment and payment service to their customers, enabling them to capitalize on their individual and collective e-Banking infrastructure. With the success and popularity of this service, several utility companies in the electric, gas and telco sector have now interfaced with 1LINK some of which are SSGC, SNGPL, LESCO, KESC, Ufone, Warid. Currently 10 banks have signed up for the 1LINK-UBPS service as more banks are gearing up for certification.
Contrary to the widely practiced offline exchange of file based billing data, 1LINK now enjoys direct connectivity with the telcos, enabling bill payments instantaneously in online mode. This eliminates the need to wait for processing till the end of the day. Another benefit of direct connectivity is the instant top-up of mobile balance without waiting for any paper or digital vouchers. Customers can add airtime to their prepaid mobile phones of any pre-defined denomination by sending a top-up request via any alternate delivery channel. The UBPS facility enables bank’s customers to pay bills through a network of expanding alternate delivery channels, while taking advantage of paying bills of more and more utility companies boarding the 1LINK-UBPS bandwagon. Besides broadening the spectrum of bank’s remote banking services, it creates a firm revenue generating stream with enhanced enterprise-wide operational efficiency.
Having just one interface with 1LINK, which covers major utility companies, frees the banks from the hassle of individually interfacing with all. This centralized solution, where banks perform bill payment settlements only with 1LINK, eliminates trouble some one-on-one settlement with respective utility companies. The UBPS service not only benefits the banks but also the utility companies as the process of bill payments gets accelerated with more revenue, greater geographical coverage and centralized payment platform.
