Customers who choose to process their payments via Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank now have access to over 31,000 outlets for their customers to make payments. The bank's network has more than doubled following an agreement that enables Commercial Bank customers' clients to make bill payments at over 17,000 outlets around the UK that display the payzone sign. This is in addition to the 14,000 UK Post Offices that already accept payments.

Commenting on the bank's extended network, Bryce Glover, Director of Corporate Banking at Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank said: "Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank has over 35 years' experience of processing payments for organisations of all sizes and our extended network highlights our commitment to the bill payments market. Customers want to make paying bills as convenient as they can for clients and therefore providing an extensive network and increased choice is proving very popular.

"In addition, unlike some other bill payment providers, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank is, able to provide organisations with a full banking service, ensuring that all their financial needs are satisfied."

Over 2,000 organisations currently use Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank's Bill Payment services to collect payments from their customers, including 80 per cent of all local authorities, most of the major utility companies and over 750 housing association accounts. In 2006, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank handled over 150 million bill payment transactions.

The agreement will mean more convenience for consumers, with thousands more outlets available to people making plastic card and bar-coded payments. The network also offers extended accessibility as most of the payzone outlets have longer opening hours, including weekends, with some open 24/7. It will also mean greater choice of locations for payers as the payzone network includes newsagents, convenience stores and petrol stations.