In a recent blog post, we discussed the benefits of improving the online payment experience. We detailed how a good online payment experience can decrease customer service calls, lower print and mail costs, speed up collections, and improve customer satisfaction. Now that you have a clear understanding of why a good user experience for online payments is to important, the next step is learning how to identify the Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment platform that will drive the best user experience for your customers.

Keeping up with customer expectations is a challenge for most organizations, particularly when it comes to creating a good user experience. Customers expect a simple and consistent experience throughout their entire interaction with your organization–from visiting your website, to engaging with customer support, to making an online payment. And as user experience increasingly becomes a primary differentiator for many organizations, it’s more critical than ever to get every interaction right.

There's no denying that, in a relatively short period of time, the world has changed significantly. These changes have impacted everything from how we do business, to how we conduct everyday activities like shopping for groceries or paying bills, to how we interact with family and friends. In times of uncertainty and crisis, we are all under increased pressure to do the right thing–for ourselves, our organizations, our customers, and our families.

As organizations and individuals learn to settle into a ‘new normal’ that involves working remotely and practicing social distancing, many billers are looking for ways to engage customers and provide them with necessary resources. One important way to assist customers during this time is to provide as many contactless payment options as possible, including the option to pay bills online.

A go-it-alone approach to healthcare payments does not work, especially in a climate where high-deductible health plans are the norm. No matter what industry you’re in, collecting payments for services performed can be challenging. On top of that, holding a growing number of outstanding invoices is detrimental to cash flow. Strong partner ecosytems in healthcare help reduce the risk of unpaid bills. The healthcare space is no stranger to unpaid bills, research shows that 137 million Americans struggle with medical debt. One of the most common reasons patients don’t pay their bills is that they were not offered enough payment options and could not afford to pay their entire bill at once.

The primary challenge most organizations have when it comes to selecting an online payment system is that, on paper, many solutions look alike. They have similar features – omni-channel payment options, paperless billing, email notifications – and functionality. The problem with comparing online payment systems this way, however, is that a feature or function checklist doesn’t paint the full picture of a system’s performance.