Since the start of online purchases credit cards have been an integral part of the payment process. They offer the ability for near-instant payment to the merchant and some level of purchase protection for the shopper. But what happens if you don’t like the idea of racking up charges on a credit card? Not too long ago the answer would be to forget about buying online altogether.
eBillme offers a new approach to online payments by taking advantage of the online bill payment service available to nearly anyone with a traditional bank account. When you shop at an online merchant who is signed up with eBillme, you simply select that payment option and you will receive an email after making the purchase with instructions to create a one-time online payment to eBillme at your bank. This is not any different than paying your utility bills online. Once eBillme receives payment, they notify the merchant and your items are shipped.
Using eBillme means you avoid having any unwanted credit card bills, have the security of keeping your financial information private, and a variety of extra features including a 90-day price match guarantee and fraud protection.
Practical Uses:
- Avoid finance charges by purchasing your new computer with the cash you’ve saved up over the past year
- Save $10 instantly on your pet purchases using the eBillme payment option
- Cut up your credit cards without having to sacrifice the ability to make online purchases
Insider Tips:
- When using eBillme for the first time, be sure to save the address and payment information in your bank’s online bill payment system – this will save you from having to re-enter when you make future purchases with eBillme
- Go to eBillme.com to find the list of merchants that accept the service and you’ll find a large number of promotional offers for using eBillme
- Make sure your email address is listed correctly at the online merchant or you won’t be able to receive the eBillme payment instructions
What we liked:
- Works with any bank that offers online bill payment
- Maintains the privacy of your financial information (no credit card numbers or sensitive bank account details are exchanged)
- Enables people with limited or poor credit an option to purchase items online
- Eliminates the need to pay another bill at the end of the month (credit card)
- Several online shopping perks including price guarantee, fraud protection, purchase satisfaction guarantee, and shipping protection
What we didn’t like:
- Shopping using eBillme requires extra steps than that of a credit card purchase (namely logging into your bank account)
- Orders placed through eBillme will take longer to ship than credit card purchases – this is because there is typically a 1-3 day lag between the time you make your payment online and when eBillme receives this payment
- Although eBillme has signed up a number of merchants, you won’t be able to use the eBillme option everywhere
Alternatives:
- No similar services are available at this time
Company Info:
- Launched: December 2005
- Privately Held
- Headquarters: Philladelphia, PA
- Founded by: Marwan Forzley, Sheila James
- Web site: http://www.ebillme.com
Costs:
- Free for shoppers
- Retail merchants pay 1-2% of the sales price to eBillme
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