There are a number of utility services that a consumer avails in a civilized society. The primary utility services include electricity bill, water bill, gas bill, telephone bill, mobile phone bill and many more. There are many modes of bill payment that are prevalent in a number of nations. In India too, different modes of paying bills exist. Most of the utility service providers depend upon multiple methods of bill payment so as to cater to the needs of varied categories of customers. Cash payment is a popular mode of bill payment method that has been in practice in this nation for many decades. Even today electricity bill, telephone bill and many others are payed in cash.
Bills for many services are also payed by the means of cheques. The consumers who are charged a particular sum for utilizing the services of a company usually write bank cheques in favor of the service providing firm. In such case it is also essential that the consumer should have the necessary amount of money in their bank account. Using bank cheque is a common mode of bill payment where the banks play the role of an intermediary acting between the consumer and the service provider.
Cheques are in one form quite advantageous over cash as you need not to be worried about carrying huge sum of amount with you all the time. In case the cheques get lost, the consumers do not have to worry as they are usually of account payee type and thus can not be debited by any other person. But one thing has to be kept into account by the consumers that they should notify the issuing bank by giving the cheque number so that it can be stopped or canceled.
Apart from cash and cheque, Internet is also another popular mode of bill payment. With the development of the Indian telecommunications industry the services offered by many utility service providers have become much more sophisticated. Now the consumers need not to stand on long queues to deposit their outstanding bill amounts. Many service providers have come up with their web sites through which the consumers can pay the requisite bills. In such case a consumer is needed to have a debit card or a credit card. By paying bill through the debit cards money transfer through electronic process takes place. In such case the stipulated amount from the consumers account is debited and that is deposited to the service providers account. The whole process takes place quite quickly and thus both the service providers and the customers get the benefit out of it.
The mode of bill payment through Internet is usually done through the computers. Although in the recent years bills can also be payed with the help of mobile phones. But the mobile phones usually have access to the Internet through the wireless application protocol. The electronic modes of bill payment have definitely make the life of the consumers more easier and have also helped in the operational activities of the utility service providers.
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