- Key insight: Consumers prefer biller channels over banks to pay bills.
- What's at stake: Banks risk losing part of their consumer relationships.
- Forward look: The data highlights for banks how important it is to reinforce with consumers the benefits of debit to pay bills, Ron Shultz, general manager of ACI Speedpay, told American Banker.
Debit cards and biller sites have become popular for bill payment, creating competitive risk for banks.
The 2026 ACI Speedpay Pulse Report shows that the use of debit cards for bill pay has risen meaningfully since the pandemic, roughly 10 basis points, while credit card usage has barely budged over the same stretch.
Notably, consumers' use of debit cards climbed to a high of 52.7% in 2025. That compares to 41.3% for credit cards last year, according to the report. This data suggests debit is being used more because it allows stressed households to spend what they have and avoid interest. Using debit gives consumers real-time visibility into their available balance, "eliminating the lag and uncertainty that comes with credit card billing cycles," according to the report. Also, given the immediacy of debit, users get instant confirmation that a payment has been processed. Moreover, debit provides natural buying controls, according to the report.
The findings are especially instructive given that only 47% of Americans polled said they could cover an emergency expense of $1,000, and slightly more than a quarter of Americans—29%—have more credit card debt than emergency savings, according to Bankrate's annual emergency savings
Here are four major takeaways from the ACI Speedpay report:
Debit use is gaining ground among multiple generations
Generational data underscores how entrenched the preference for debit has become. Nearly 75% of Gen Z bill payers use a debit card—the demographic's most widely used payment method. Millennials follow closely at 64.6%. For Gen X, debit usage stands at 49.7%, slightly behind checking account deduction. A notable 31% of baby boomers used it last year, the highest percentage in the study's history.
The data highlights for banks how important it is to reinforce with consumers the benefits of debit to pay bills, Ron Shultz, general manager of ACI Speedpay, told American Banker. It comes at a time when consumers are more frequently paying bills away from their bank's website. "At least you're using your ABC bank card, and you know the value it's giving you," Shultz said.
Mobile payment preferences
The ACI survey found that between 2019 and 2025, mobile and digital-first options made large strides. Mobile wallet emerged as the fastest-growing bill pay channel with a compound annual growth rate of 17.6%. Biller's mobile app showed the largest absolute gain, rising 16.9 percentage points to 39.3%, a 9.9% compound annual growth rate. Bill pay via a bank's mobile app nearly doubled to 18.8%, with a 10.6% compound annual growth rate.
Meanwhile, mail and in-person payments at the biller's location dropped, each losing roughly 13 to 14 percentage points. "Consumers are not simply going digital, they are going mobile," the survey found.
Consumers prefer billers' sites for paying bills
The report also highlights the ongoing shift to billers' websites and apps and away from banking sites.
Consumers in 2025 were significantly more likely to use the biller's website and/or mobile app than in previous survey years. A notable 64.5% used a biller's website, 39.3% used a biller's mobile app, and 31.4% used a bank's website, the report found.
Consumers used to average three to five bill payments from their bank account, but that's going away, Shultz told American Banker.
When consumers set up an ACH payment at the biller's website, they get real-time satisfaction and relief that they're all done, he said. Whereas it can take days to reach the intended recipient when paying on a bank's site, he added. If a consumer wanted to know his electricity bill is paid to avoid having his service shut off, he wouldn't know that for sure by only looking at his banking site, Shultz said. "You just don't have that visibility because there's not enough connection between the bank and the utility to make that connection."
Bill pay directly on providers' websites is also growing among younger consumers. In 2025, Gen Z showed a sharp jump in use of biller mobile apps, reaching 52.5% and 58.7% on a biller's website. That compares with only 18.1% paying on a bank's website.
Consumers want more management tools and spending controls
The report underscores the types of billing-related services that consumers are seeking. Amid growing financial pressures, many want greater financial management tools. They're also looking for flexible payment timing and scheduling aligned to income cycles. This includes flexible due dates, split payments, and customizable reminders. Consumers also want clear due dates, real-time reminders, and proactive notifications, as well as predictive tools that forecast upcoming charges and recommend actions.
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What's more, with financial stress a growing concern, consumers don't want uncertainty in the form of surprises, late fees, and missed payments. "Billers who deliver visibility, flexibility, and guidance can reduce financial stress, strengthen trust, and become a partner in customers' financial lives," the report said.
