Online bill payment becomes the primary method for Internet households.

• Position: MARKETING NEWS - Brief article

ONLINE BILL PAYMENT HAS GROWN RAPIDLY with the last few years, according to a recent survey by Synergistics Research, Atlanta. For Internet households, it has become the primary method of bill payment.

Currently, 75 percent of Internet households pay their bills online. In addition, the Internet households are paying the largest proportion (41 percent) of their bills online compared to other methods such as checks or cards.

Online bill payment can no longer be considered an "extra" or "value-added" service by financial institution, but rather one that must be offered as a matter of competitive parity, notes William. H. McCracken, CEO of the...