According to a recent survey of 500 online Americans by InsightExpress, the percentage of consumers paying at least one of their bills online has increased from 17% in 2000 to 57% in 2003. The most
common method for paying bills online is through a credit card provider's website (58%), followed by their primary banking institution's site (52%). Among those who also bank online, the most common
activities include accessing bank statements (72%), reviewing account transactions (57%), and transferring funds between accounts (53%). Despite the continuing popularity of paying bills online, not
everyone agrees that the Internet is the best method. Among those not paying bills online, more than three out of four (76%) cite security concerns -- a number which remains unchanged since 2000 -- as
rationale for not paying bills online. Additional barriers include an unwillingness to pay associated fees (62%), the requirement to install or configure software (42%), and lack of recourse for any
errors committed while paying bills online (42%).
