Consumers with Internet access at home are paying more bills online than by mail, according to CheckFree Corp.
The Atlanta online bill-payment provider said consumers it surveyed in January paid 39% of their bills online and 34% by mail. In CheckFree's December 2005 survey, respondents paid 35% of their bills online and 38% by mail.
The new survey found a number of factors spurred adoption of online bill payment, such as the variances in the availability of broadband in certain geographic regions and concerns over rising postal rates.
It also found that many consumers would prefer to have bills presented electronically instead of by paper. Eighty-four percent of those who receive bills at bank Web sites said they would choose to end paper bill delivery if they had the option.
Jeff Weikert, the senior vice president of CheckFree's consumer service provider business unit, said the popularity of electronic presentment is growing even among people who have long paid bills online. E-bill volume "is growing faster than our transactions," he said.
CheckFree released the survey report last week.
