18 July 2005 – Rabobank, ABN AMRO, Postbank, ING Bank and TPG Post takeinitative for new standard.
Rabobank, ABN AMRO, Postbank, ING Bank and TPG Post have reached agreement onhow digital bills and invoices can be exchanged, presented and paid via Internet banking. Theservice will make receiving and paying bills and invoices significantly easier for consumers,businesses and banks. This new digital billing and payment method will be launched in the firsthalf of 2006.
It is expected that the standard will also be adopted by other banks. TPG Postand in future also other companies will deliver the digital bills to banks on behalf of the billsenders.
Digital bills will be paid via Internet banking, meeting consumer needs forspeed, convenience and security. Customers will no longer have to manually enter giro slip details.Furthermore, customers will also be able to call up details of direct debit payments within thesecure environment of Internet banking, giving them with a complete overview of all theirbills.
Digital billing will deliver significant benefits to companies, since theadministrative process will become faster and simpler. It will also reduce printing and postagecosts. Banks will be able to cut back on the number of paper giro slips they process, makingpayments even more efficient. Banks are increasingly offering customers value added servicesthrough Internet banking.
In the Netherlands, 63% of households currently use Internet banking on aregular basis. From a recent market survey by InterviewNSS, it emerged that 77% of Dutch Internetusers wish to use the digital bill. A number of major companies, including telecom operator KPN,utility company Eneco Energie, insurer Agis Zorgverzekeringen, publisher Sanoma, and mail ordercompany Neckermann Shopping have already said that they will use the standard.
