EBPP systems and processes which employ a common
document model /
data model to accommodate the interests and preferences of billers, customers, financial institutions, other EBPP organizations and others in the context of EBPP specifically and electronic commerce more generally. The common
document model /
data model allows the biller to outsource billing activities to the EBPP organization while retaining control over the billing information or how or where bills will be presented. Billers are incentivized to use the
system because they avoid the expense and effort of building a customized
system in house, but get the same advantages of an in house
system while leveraging the expertise of an outside EBPP organization who operates across a range of industries, customers, geographical locations and financial fields. The systems also allow billers enhanced opportunities to build brand and customer relationships not offered in paper-based billing systems. Customers are incentivized to use the system because they can pay all or most all of their bills in one place, the place of their choice with bills presented how they choose, and because they may communicate more effectively with billers if and when things go wrong rather than
wasting inordinate time on the telephone attempting to sort things out with uninformed people as is often the case in
paper based billing systems where the relevant data never seems to catch up with the biller's customer
service personnel. The result is a ubiquitous EBPP presence that makes everyone's life easier and better by reducing bill generation and
payment burdens.