Glossary

Bill Payment Service Provider (BPSP)

A bill payment service provider, otherwise known as BPSP, is a company or organization that is the conduit between a consumer and a biller. The exchange between a consumer and merchant account begins when the consumer makes a purchase of goods or services. This may be one time or routinely. The merchant, or biller, is the individual, organization or company that requires payment for those products or services. When the transaction takes place and is approved, a bill payment service provider acts as a receiver of that information. The BPSP, which is either a financial or non-financial institution, sends that bill payment data to the merchant account.

What services does a BPSP offer?

Not all bill payment service providers are exactly alike, but many of them provide similar services. What is right for one business may not suit another, but when it comes to reliably collecting revenue from customers, that is at the heart of what bill payment service providers do. Some examples of services include:

• Real-time progress tracking online
• Reduced costs from paperless statements and electronic processing
• Bill payment processing that is reliable and efficient, taking care of each customer and removing the bulk of the work load from the merchant

Bill payment service providers also provide customer service support for any discrepancies or technical problems that may arise. Credit card processing is an ever-changing business, with merchant account holders depending upon it functioning smoothly for the success of their business. Having the right support staff available to send updates, security alerts, conduct routine maintenance and to answer questions is a valuable part of a bill payment service provider. Often, support can be contacted via phone, email, or sometimes even live chat.

Paying bills electronically is the future of commerce. Thus it takes a group effort to conduct business efficiently. No longer is business simple, but with the development of credit card processing and authorization, it takes a solid BPSP to bridge that tech gap between consumers and billers. With the success of creating a swift and secure electronic bill payment system, that gap is disappearing.