Around a third of all UK consumer bills will be presented electronically by the end of 2004, according to a survey conducted by EBPP firm Pitney Bowes docSense.
The survey asked e-commerce experts from a sample of the UK's top 1000 companies to predict the percentage of consumer bills and statements that would be processed electronically by the end of 2004.
All major billing industries are predicted to be processing at least 33% of consumer bills electronically by 2004. The research shows that the telecoms and mobile sector is expected to be the most progressive by processing over half (51%) of bills electronically, followed by mail order (50%) and utilities (39%).
Pitney Bowes docSense says electronic presentment is already a reality in the UK and is set to transform the way that companies deal with consumers.
But the research shows that it is presentment, rather than payment, that represents short-term cost-saving opportunities for UK billers. Ian Dunford, international product manager, Pitney Bowes docSense, says that electronic bill payment is yet to become established: "This survey shows the importance of talking about electronic presentment and electronic payment as separate entities - a fact sometimes masked by continued use of the EBPP acronym."
"Electronic presentment alone can enable billing organisations to save considerable sums in print and distribution. Once electronic presentment is further established, organisations will then look to electronic payment as the next logical step," adds Dunford.