The Need
A significant increase in the number of utility services subscribers has drastically increased the number of transactions, making deposit and collection of utility bills tedious, inefficient and costly. In addition faulty reconciliation of bills from different collection points has been hampering the growth and quality of service of these companies. To make this process efficient and cost effective, the need for an automated Utility Bill Payment Service was felt.
The Challenge
The bill payment process and customer service standard could only be solved with a centralized platform that facilitates bill payment any-time any-where, whereby removing reconciliation anomalies and overheads.
1LINK was a perfect platform to present an advanced payment service as it had the connectivity to all major banks and electronic transactions from ADCs were already being routed through it. Responding to the customer needs, TPS yet again came up with a model of service (Utility Bill Payment System) which the 1LINK member banks readily adapted.
The Solution
Utility Bill Payment Service (UBPS) is an Electronic Bills Presentment and Payment (EBPP) system, intended to facilitate 1LINK member banks to offer bill presentment and payment service through their electronic delivery channels.
Member banks that choose to present UBPS to its customers will have the advantage of offering the service through its ATM network or any other delivery channel that the bank prefers. This provides an added benefit to the bank as new utility companies are being interfaced with 1LINK, the member bank’s customer can easily pay a greater variety of bills. Now the bank does not have to interface with different utility companies to offer bill payment, rather just have one interface with 1LINK which can cover all utility companies.
The Success
Utility Bill Payment System (UBPS) on 1LINK switch was successfully launched on 31st July 2007 for the gas sector of Pakistan, powered by TPS technologies; which have taken 1LINK to new heights towards modernizing e-Payment systems and e-Commerce objectives of the e-Banking marketplace.
Currently eight banks are LIVE with 1LINK-UBPS service and more banks are gearing up for certification.
“Utility Bills Payment System(UBPS) is a one window facility, whereby customers of 1LINK participating member banks would be able to pay their Utility bills through various electronic delivery channels like ATMs, Internet, IVR and call centers etc., round the clock on 24 x 7 basis anywhere in Pakistan.”
Khayyam Mahmood Butt
Chief Executive, 1LINK
