Post office offers bill paying by computer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Wary of losing its lucrative bill and payment delivery business to the Internet, the Postal Service has decided to offer one-stop bill paying via computer. <br><br>Many Americans have

Wednesday, April 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Wary of losing its lucrative bill and payment delivery business to the Internet, the Postal Service has decided to offer one-stop bill paying via computer.

Many Americans have grown comfortable paying bills electronically and now they will be able to do all their business at a single site using a password, Postmaster General William Henderson announced Wednesday.

It doesn't matter if the bill is from the electric or phone company, the local hardware store or the dentist's office.

"Since the earliest days of this country, the Postal Service has been there to connect Americans in every neighborhood and city with each other. Today we are reaching out to make sure that universal service is also available in our country's newest community, the online community," said Henderson.

He predicted that "the generation that has grown up with PCs, will move to transacting business on the Internet."

Henderson said the service is being made available immediately, with new customers getting the first six months of service free. People interested in the service, USPS eBillPay, can get details and sign up at the Postal Service's Internet site.

The post office said it worked with Check Free Corporation andYourAccounts.Com, a division of Output Technology Solutions, to develop the system. Companies can send bills electronically, and individuals will be able to pay all of them electronically.

If someone wants to make a payment to a company that does not have an electronic connection to the service, the post office will simply issue a check, said postal spokesman Mark Saunders.

After the initial six months of free service, there are two plans. The "Pay Everyone" plan, at $6 a month, includes 20 payments and costs 40 cents for each additional payment. The "Pay As You Go" plan costs $2 a month, plus 40 cents for each payment.

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On the Net:
Postal Service Internet site: http://www.usps.gov