Nearly one-third of Americans are having trouble paying their expenses due to inflation. As the monetary realities of everyday life become increasingly severe, it is more crucial than ever for businesses that assist with bill payments to offer as many payment alternatives as they can and to make the process as simple as possible.
According to research, 80% of consumers are concerned about the future as a direct effect of inflation, and just under half of customers believe that having trouble paying their expenses is “souring” their view on the future.
Increasing costs
Consumers are most concerned about rising prices for gas, electricity, and other necessities, and ACI’s Gupta noted that “if you’re paying more on your bills and you’re using a credit card or debit card, depending on who is bearing the cost of that, the overall cost for you is going up.”
By considering different payment options, it may be possible to reduce costs by providing more options while still optimizing for the customer.
Gupta asserts that the user experience is crucial for today’s consumers. Three themes, in his opinion, are what are guiding and underpinning this: “The first pillar is continual digital engagement, staying in contact with them as an end customer and making sure they’re involved in that digital payment and digital engagement ecosystem,” he says.
The second aspect, which also relates to the macroeconomic climate, is with the end-user cost of ownership for the payments experience, which we want to reduce by enhancing the solutions on offer. The third, which is related to the first two, is general satisfaction with the entire payment procedure, which should be as simple and straightforward as feasible and virtually undetectable.
