There was a time, not so long ago, when the only way of sending a bill to a customer was to deliver it by post. In today's work world, where mobile devices are almost ubiquitous and in constant use, that's no longer the case.
Done effectively, mobile billing is not only cheaper and more convenient than traditional billing methods, it also mitigates many of the risks associated with those methods. Provided a company has the correct details for its customers, its bills are far more likely to reach them than if the company had to rely on the postal system.
For any company that still has a large base receiving posted bills, the return on investment achieved from converting to digital bills is significantly faster than most IT projects, and can provide substantial ongoing savings.
But, what does effective mobile billing entail? For a start, any mobile billing initiative should fit within the golden triangle of security, ease of use, and value.
Security
When it comes to mobile billing, it's vital to ensure the information sent out is secure, even if the device it ultimately arrives on is not.
Because of the proliferation of mobile users globally, security threats directed at mobiles specifically are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Hackers are targeting mobile payment systems as well as mobile browsers themselves.
A report from mobile security company Zimperium found there were more mobile security breaches in the first half of 2017 than in the whole of 2016.
Companies that send confidential documents to mobile devices therefore need to take as many steps as necessary to protect the customer's data. In SA, the Protection of Personal Information Act will soon make this a legal necessity.
It's vital to ensure the information sent out is secure.
It's also important to remember the biller has no control over the device the information will be received on. So, to be safe, it is better that the biller assumes the device is unsecured and takes the necessary steps to encrypt or encode access to the files.
To really protect the personal data inside a document, it should be encrypted and password protected with a medium to strong password.
Additionally, if confidential documents or data are made accessible via a proprietary application, the application must not automatically log in the user or store the login details. If it's not possible to add a security layer into the app process, then each individual document needs to be protected.
Ease of use
Think about it for a moment. What do customers really want to do when they receive bills on their mobiles? They want to see the important bits - like amount due, the due date and how to make a payment.
This information should be prominently included on the bill in a way that is easy to see, no matter what size mobile screen the customer is using.
Being able to pay directly from the bill is especially important. Not only does it make things more convenient for customers, it also means the company doesn't have to wait as long for the money it is owed to come into the business account.
Meeting both requirements, ease of use and security, can be a delicate balance. While it's obviously important to keep customer information as safe as possible, the company also needs to ensure it doesn't make it difficult for customers to access the billing information.
Get those factors right and moving customers from paper to mobile becomes an easy sell; customers will happily convert when they experience the convenience of an electronic bill over a paper or static one.
Value
Finally, it's important for the company's mobile billing initiatives to add value to the relationship customers have with the company.
In this instance, value refers to the ability of customers to interact with the information. A simple text message with the bare minimum amount of information won't add much value and may actually leave some customers concerned about the authenticity of the message.
Far better, then, to partner with a mobile billing provider that allows the company to communicate with its customers across multiple channels, so it can, for example, enable recipients to change to a larger screen when they want to dig into the detail or interact with the data.
Here's how that might look: the customer receives a PDF on a mobile device to check the basics, such as the amount owed, the payment due date, and where the money needs to be paid. From there, the customer is able to open an interactive, content rich version on whichever device the customer is most comfortable using (be that a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone) should it want to dive deeper into the billing information.
It's clear, then, that any company looking to implement an effective mobile billing solution needs to ensure it is secure, easy to use, and adds real value to the customer experience.
Failing to do so means missing out on the benefits it provides to both customers and the company itself, meeting customers where they want to be interacted with, and improving payment rates and fulfilments.
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