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Introduction

Electronic Billing Presentation and Payment (EBPP) is the use of electronic means, such as email or a short message, for rending a bill.

Research

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Advantages

The advantage of EBPP over traditional means is primarily the savings to the operator in terms of the cost to produce, distribute, and collect bills.

Use in Mobile Communications

EBPP may be used in lieu of a standard paper bill as a means to reduce operational costs. Some operators may view EBPP as an alternative to prepay as some operators view prepay service strictly as an alternative to traditional billing, but it usually has most value as an alternative mechanism for billing post-paid customers. However, EBPP can also be used simply as an informational tool to inform the customer of charges levied against the account.

Billing and Charging to Third Parties

EBPP is an efficient mechanism to bill or inform third parties of charges. For example, the father of a son in college may want to know how much the child is spending on mobile phone service prior to the bill becoming to high.

Paying the Bill

Some EBPP systems require software for payment while others require only standard browser software for accesses a web site for secure payment. Alternatively, the billing arrangement can be made in advance for funds to be automatically debited from a customer’s account with a financial institution. However, the more attractive model for most will be to have control over when the bill is actually paid, rather than have it be paid at a predetermined date.

Future of EBPP

EBPP is expected to become an increasingly attractive alternative as mobile operators continue to search for ways to reduce operational costs. However, the extent to which EBPP is proliferated will depend entirely on user acceptance and diligence to actually pay for bills in a timely and (preferably) electronic fashion.

Additional Resources:

Books about: Billing, OSS, and BSS