(Image source: ACI Worldwide homepage.)
ACI Worldwide (Naples, Fla.), a global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions, has announced new features within its ACI Speedpay solution. The features are designed to help businesses address growing consumer bill payment needs and over-burdened call centers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sanjay Gupta, EVP, ACI Worldwide.
Part of a rapid response program, the ACI Speedpay solution offers billers both short-term and long-term options for consumers to digitally engage and manage their bill payments. Building off the solution’s existing mobile wallet offering, moBills, the new “Delay My Payment” feature provides an automated process for requesting payment deferrals based on pre-determined criteria. By automating the process in the mobile wallet, billers can easily put assistance tools directly into the hands of the consumer faster without reliance on call center agents and staff, according to an ACI Worldwide statement.
In a survey of more than 40 leading US consumer finance companies conducted by the vendor on April 2, 60 percent stated that incoming call volume has increased between 25-100 percent, while only 6 percent stated no change in incoming call volumes.
“This pandemic has put consumers and billers in an incredibly difficult and stressful situation—with consumers challenged to make payments and billers challenged to address consumer needs in a timely manner,” comments Sanjay Gupta, EVP, ACI Worldwide. “Biller call centers are not equipped to handle the growing volumes of calls—many of which have increased by the thousands overnight—causing added frustration for consumers. The new Delay My Payment pausing feature in moBills gives consumers the ability to simply communicate and apply for payment relief directly from their mobile device.”
ACI describes Speedpay as an integrated suite of PCI-compliant bill presentment and payment services that powers mobile, web, IVR (interactive voice response), eBill, call center and eLockbox (consolidated remittances) payment options with integrated fraud protection and flexible payment restructure plan options. The vendor reports that solution is used by more than 3,700 customers across multiple industries including consumer finance, government, healthcare, higher education, insurance, subscription services and utilities.
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