New mobile apps enable billers to provide convenient payment options
to their customer base
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU), a leader in global payment
services, today announced the availability of two mobile
applications (“apps”) for use with the Western
Union® Speedpay® service. Western Union
Payments created the apps to assist billers in introducing mobile
payment solutions to their customers.
The Speedpay Mobile Payment App can help companies in financial
services, mortgage, insurance, cable, telecommunications and other
industries meet evolving consumer bill payment preferences. Upon biller
implementation of the Western Union mobile solution, consumers can
access enhanced payment capabilities by downloading the biller-branded
app from the various online locations and app stores where billers make
their apps available.
Consumers can access and manage their payments using a variety of
platforms and devices, including Android, iPhone, and iPad, enabling
them to make payments quickly and conveniently, when and where they
choose. The app functionality also allows the consumer to access
previous payment information for ease of use in subsequent payments.
The second Western Union Payments mobile app offering is specifically
designed for billers in the utility industry. The functionality enables
utility companies to provide their customers with the ability to view
and pay bills, monitor usage, and track and report outages via their
mobile devices. The app functionality was integrated with mobile
applications offered by iFactor,
a company specializing in communications for the utilities industry.
According to the Western
Union® Payments Money Mindset Index, online and mobile
bill payments are increasingly popular, with 39 percent of consumers
saying they will pay more bills online in 2013, and 12 percent intending
to pay more bills by mobile phone. An additional 11 percent of consumers
say they will use more same-day payments, while 25 percent of consumers
report that they will send fewer checks in the mail to pay their bills.1
“Western Union recognizes that consumers are seeking more bill payment
options, and we are committed to providing a comprehensive set of
payment solutions, including mobile apps, SMS, and mobile web, as well
as walk-in, phone and online payment services,” said David Shapiro,
senior vice president, Payments, Western Union. “By working with Western
Union to implement a mobile strategy, billers can meet consumer demand
and execute an efficient entry into the mobile payments space.”
For more information on Western Union Payments, visit http://payments.westernunion.com.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment
services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western
Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union
provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient
ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to
purchase money orders. As of December 31, 2012, the Western Union, Vigo
and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined
network of approximately 510,000 agent locations in 200 countries and
territories. In 2012, The Western Union Company completed 231 million
consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $79 billion of
principal between consumers, and 432 million business payments. For more
information, visit www.westernunion.com.
1. The Western Union® Payments Money Mindset Index, February
2013. Survey conducted by Javelin
Strategy & Research, December 2012, with 3,002 respondents
consisting of a representative proportion of geography, gender, age,
income and ethnicity as compared to the overall U.S. population.
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Source: Western Union