F.A.Q.
Answers to frequently asked questions about IPayX services and solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Electronic Billing, Payment, and Customer Service Systems
What is Electronic Billing & Payment (EBP)?
Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBP) is an online solution that provides bill payers with the ability to view actual bill replicas and pay them via the Internet. Predecessors to EBP permitted payment (i.e., payment by phone) but could not deliver (or present) bills.
Why do you use the term eServices?
IPayX eServices is the trade name under which all of our solutions are discussed as opposed to EBP which we feel is limiting. Many of the features of our solutions are focused on enhancing the support our clients can provide their customer, and have little to do with billing or payment.
What are the benefits of electronic billing systems?
They help accelerate cash flow, generate operational savings and reduce the cost of customer service while greatly improving its quality. For more detailed information, please review the Benefits page.
How much does an EBP system cost?
IPayX offers Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, also known as an Application Solution Provider (ASP). With IPayX, there are no upfront installation costs and only nominal monthly charges for eServices solutions.
In contrast, EBP software packages offered by other companies must be purchased, installed and then operated via in-house systems. Software packages typically cost in excess of $100,000. In 2002 the Gartner Group estimated average first-year costs for installing an EBP system at $500,000.
How long does it take to install a system?
The time required to implement an electronic bill payment system depends on the type of solution purchased. A software package requires implementation of both hardware and software. A SaaS-based package simply plugs into an already functioning system and takes an average of about three months or less for full implementation. The Gartner Group estimates an average of six months for implementing software packages.
What about security?
IPayX security features are among the best in the industry. Our systems are protected by state-of-the-art encryption that defends against unauthorized access, interception and hacking. To learn more about our security measures, visit the HIPAA Compliance and PCI Certification page.
How much will I have to change my current statement?
Unlike other providers, you don’t have to change anything with IPayX.
Can I get an electronic bill that looks just like my paper bill?
They can if you select IPayX. Our proprietary Data Nugget technology provides system users with an exact e-replica of their bill down to the graphics, POSTNET, OCR and bar code fonts.
Are electronic payments preauthorized?
Credit card transactions are preauthorized in real-time and immediately provide an approval or denied status. While eCheck payments are just like paper checks and may be returned for insufficient funds, they do return much faster than paper checks and if there is a problem you generally know about it in 2-3 days.
About Document Management Services
What is eArchive Document ServiceSM?
It is the service name we use for our on-line document storage database, and is a component in all of our solutions
What are the advantages of storing all billing documents online?
Your customer service agents can use eArchive Document ServiceSM to view exact billing documents for all customers, not just those choosing electronic delivery.
What are the advantages of housing other documents in eArchive Document ServiceSM?
Customers can use the Web site to resolve issues themselves by accessing billing documents such as past due reminders, inserts, bills and statements. When Customer Service Agents are needed, they can immediately access all billing information connected to that customer.
Can documents be emailed from eArchive Document Service to customers without having eDelivery Courier ServiceSM installed?
Yes, on an ad hoc basis. However, eDelivery Courier ServiceSM is required for scheduled deliveries of documents from eArchive.
Can eArchive Document ServiceSM be interfaced with existing Customer Relationship Management systems?
Yes, and in the rare cases when it cannot, we can develop one for you.
Is the eArchive Document ServiceSM secure against hackers?
Absolutely, IPayX also encrypts stored critical data as well as emailed files and billing documents.
Can existing customer intranet systems be used for controlling access to the IPayX eServices site?
If you need to utilize an existing system for authentication of users we will implement a “trusted gateway.” Your company is then responsible for insuring that any individuals signing on to the system are who they say they are. This is sometimes referred to as “single sign-on processing.”
Does IPayX develop a separate, company-branded customer portal?
Yes, we can place a portal off your existing company website with a separate URL that is the gateway to your customer information. All necessary security tools are supplied to control access to the Web site by individuals within your company.
How reliable are your systems?
Our goal is 100% availability! That is why we have multiple data centers and redundancy within each. Our contracts include service level agreements based on our availability. In one massive blackout that struck the East Coast and Midwest, our emergency backup clicked into action and our services stayed on the air without any interruption at all.
About Electronic Document Delivery
What is eDelivery Courier ServiceSM?
It is the IPayX trade name for the delivery system we developed and utilize in our eServices EBP solutions
What makes eDelivery Courier ServiceSM better?
While there are a number of companies that say they provide electronic document delivery, IPayX actually delivers the billing document directly to your customer’s mail box as a secured e-mail attachment; much like a courier brings a message by hand – only in this case it’s an electronic courier.
If I can e-mail bills from the electronic archive why do I need eDelivery Courier ServiceSM?
You can e-mail documents from eArchive Document ServiceSM on an ad hoc basis, but initiating that email is a manual process. With electronic document delivery, emails are sent automatically based on mailing rules established by the recipient. That saves time and money.
How does my customer service agent know if a caller has registered for electronic delivery?
Document icons are color coded. When your Customer Service Agents retrieve documents using the systems search capability, they can see immediately if the individual they are talking to has enrolled for electronic delivery.
How soon after I send the customer information to you are the bills sent out electronically?
Billing documents are sent out in the morning the day after they are received.
What insures a customer won't get both a paper and electronic bill?
You send to us (or include in the print stream) the information that is to be sent electronically. A customer may get one paper bill after they enroll as one may have already been in the mail, but after that they will receive only an electronic bill.
About Electronic Payment Services
What are the benefits of using IPayX eServices for payments?
Whether the payments are generated through a customer service agent over the phone, at POS, by a customer through the Internet or your voice response system, through the customer’s on-line banking bill payment solution or you own bank lock box, IPayX eService payment features can brings them to you all in one file.
Can my customers pay on the web without getting electronic delivery?
Yes. You can use the “PayNow” feature that places an icon on your current Web site and takes them directly to a payment screen.
Do you handle debit cards? Credit cards?
Yes, debit cards are authorized and treated as credit cards. We accept all major cards and will consider unique requirements.
Do I need a new merchant account?
You can use a merchant account already established, provided it is certified for Internet use. Point-of-Sale and Internet merchant accounts are different and require separate agreements.
What about the security of credit card data?
IPayX has been certified as meeting the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) at the highest level. To find out more about our certification go the Security page.
How fast do I get my money after a payment is made?
We send all transactions out a few hours after the end of the day on which the payment is made. Once they have been transmitted the normal financial system clearing times apply, generally 24 – 48 hours.
Can I show customers entire payment history, or just ones made online?
All payments received, regardless of their source, can be added to eLockbox and viewed online.
Does the system provide customers with receipts?
Yes, every time customers make critical changes to their account, such as delivery address, or payment rule changes, an e-mail is sent automatically verifying the change. These e-mail receipts, as well as other e-mail notification cover letters, are a standard part of the IPayX system and can be tailored to your requirements.
Can I interface IPayX eService Payments to my CRM system?
Yes, we will work with you or your system provider to develop an interface to your CRM system. In some cases this has work has already been done and we can offer the interface as an optional feature.
About IPayX eService Solutions
Does an IPayX solution take a long time to install?
No, but the length of time is dependent on your requirements. Our standard solutions with minimal additional customization beyond that which is standard can be implemented in as little as 12 weeks. If your requirements result in the need for additional customization the implementation period may be extended.
What do I give up to get a packaged solution?
Nothing, in fact there is a significant discount for a product that includes all the features available in the IPayX solutions. And of course custom options can be provided for an additional fee.
We have been evaluating CRM systems. Can I use eInvoice Delivery ServiceSM in place of a CRM system and save the money?
While it has many of the characteristics of a CRM system, such as contact tracking, billing and payment access via the Internet, and support for continuing communication, it was not designed to take the place of a CRM system. It can, however, provide some CRM capability for many smaller and intermediate sized businesses that find it difficult to justify a fully configured CRM system
How many statements a month do I have to send out before I can justify an IPayX electronic billing and payment system?
In many cases it depends on the dollar amount of the bills you send and the customer service component of your business. We have provided a Benefits Analysis tool on the system that you can download to evaluate the impact an IPayX electronic bill delivery and payment system will have on your business. Or, simply contact us and we can personally help evaluate whether an electronic bill delivery and payment system is right for you.
About the IPayX Approach to Electronic Billing
Why offer EBP as a service instead of installing a software product?
Offering EBP as a service enables us to offer a superior solution at lower cost. By focusing on building and maintaining a controlled environment we can insure the reliability, security and availability of the system.
As my volume grows, does your solution become more expensive?
More importantly, as your volume grows your savings grow, too! You may pay more each month as the volume rises, but the money you save is significantly greater as well. Additionally, our inexpensive setup fee means you don’t have to wait years to recoup major expenses before realizing positive ROI on your investment.
I'm in the Health Care industry and HIPAA is critical to us. Are you compliant with HIPAA regulations?
Reviews of our servers, as well as our internal procedures for handling and storing information, have determined us to be HIPAA compliant.
How do I know your systems will be reliable?
To insure continued reliability we maintain multiple data centers. We also have failover servers within each data center and between data centers. We have disaster backup provisions for power failures, as well as for natural disasters such as tornado or flood, and we maintain full data backups at our data centers. These unparalleled precautions have enabled us to continuously perform without any service interruption.
What other services does IPayX provide?
Through strategic partnerships, we offer scanning and encoding services to help customers load paper documents into eArchive. We also provide voice response and touch tone phone systems that complement and further extend your ability to collect funds at 'net’ speed.