FreeCharge has forayed into online utility bill payments with the launch of electricity bill payment option on its website. With the availability of this facility, users can now pay their electricity bills from the confines of their home or office without the need to visit the payment centers of electricity companies. They can make payment with a range of payment options such as credit / debit card, net banking or ATM / Cash card. More utility e-payment facilities would be available to the consumer in the coming months.
According to FreeCharge, they have made a conscious effort to encourage the adoption of electronic payments, while incentivizing it for consumers. According to a recent report, over the next five years the share of e-bill payments in total bill payment is expected to rise from 0.5% in 2014 to 2.7% in 2019. Utility bill payments has been synonymous to standing in queue for payments, wasting time and extra money. It is one of the most stressful tasks occupying a large portion of our lives. This space was lacking a technological innovation. FreeCharge, identified the gap and helped consumers to better manage their mundane tasks of bill payments by making these transactions quick and painless.
This service started by FreeCharge will also send bill pay reminders helping consumers prevent late payments and the possibility of incurring late fees.
FreeCharge has associated with 8 major electricity boards, covering most of the major Metro markets. The company is planning to expand this number to 30 in the next four weeks. Consumers across districts can pay their electricity bill with just the customer account number. For the first time users, the site fetches their due bills instantly, allowing them to pay and automatically registers the new users with the biller. Thus, whenever the next bill is generated, a reminder is prompted. FreeCharge will provide an instant confirmation of bill payment and follow up with the biller to make sure everything is smooth at the backend.
FreeCharge is PCI DSS compliant and the user’s money is as safe as it would be in a bank, as claimed by the company.
