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Data at Your Fingertips

As a premier authority in the billing and payments industry, ACI prides itself on keeping a pulse on the evolving needs of consumers, as well as the trends impacting the industry.

This interactive tool is designed to let you quickly view the billing and payment preferences of thousands of consumers over several years.

While exploring this site, you can interact with statistics and charts to see how the data changes based on your specific interests. Be sure to click on our Data Guide for more information and navigational assistance.

Monthly Billing 101

To begin, let’s explore the number of bills paid per month, as well as the bills consumers perceive as most important.

Total number of monthly bills per person

Question: How many bills have you personally paid on a monthly basis over the past 12 months?
AVERAGE
9.94 Monthly Bills
  • 2 Monthly Bills 2.2%
  • 3 Monthly Bills 3.2%
  • 4 Monthly Bills 4.6%
  • 5 Monthly Bills 6.0%
  • 6 Monthly Bills 6.8%
  • 7 Monthly Bills 7.1%
  • 8 Monthly Bills 9.5%
  • 9 Monthly Bills 8.5%
  • 10 Monthly Bills 8.5%
  • 11 Monthly Bills 8.5%
  • 12 Monthly Bills 6.7%
  • 13 Monthly Bills 8.0%
  • 14 Monthly Bills 6.0%
  • 15 Monthly Bills 4.5%
  • 16 Monthly Bills 3.2%
  • 17+ Monthly Bills 6.6%
AVERAGE
10.24 Monthly Bills
  • 2 Monthly Bills 1.9%
  • 3 Monthly Bills 3.6%
  • 4 Monthly Bills 4.9%
  • 5 Monthly Bills 5.9%
  • 6 Monthly Bills 7.0%
  • 7 Monthly Bills 6.3%
  • 8 Monthly Bills 7.5%
  • 9 Monthly Bills 8.4%
  • 10 Monthly Bills 8.5%
  • 11 Monthly Bills 7.8%
  • 12 Monthly Bills 7.8%
  • 13 Monthly Bills 6.9%
  • 14 Monthly Bills 5.9%
  • 15 Monthly Bills 5.3%
  • 16 Monthly Bills 3.7%
  • 17+ Monthly Bills 8.6%
Click for more detail
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Share of total bills per industry

Question: Please select all of the bills for which you personally have submitted monthly payments over the past 12 months.*

  • Consumer Finance 18.6%
  • Higher Education 1.4%
  • Insurance 17.1%
  • Property Taxes 3.7%
  • Rent 3.7%
  • Services 7.4%
  • Subscriptions 7.1%
  • Telco & Cable 19.2%
  • Utilities 22.0%
  • Consumer Finance 19.3%
  • Higher Education 1.6%
  • Insurance 17.3%
  • Property Taxes 4.0%
  • Rent 3.8%
  • Services 7.8%
  • Subscriptions 6.4%
  • Telco & Cable 18.6%
  • Utilities 21.3%

*Subscriptions and Higher Education began to be measured in 2020.

Download Snapshot

Top 10 most important bills

Question: If you could only pay one of these bills next month, which would you choose to pay?
  • Rent 26.5%
  • Mortgage 20.1%
  • Electricity 13.0%
  • Credit Cards 9.3%
  • Health Insurance 7.4%
  • Cellphone / Wireless Phone 5.2%
  • Internet (its own bill) 2.5%
  • Property Taxes (its own bill) 1.8%
  • Cable / Internet (one bill) 2.0%
  • Auto Insurance 2.2%
  • Auto Finance 1.9%
  • Natural Gas / Oil 1.4%
  • Water / Sewer 1.4%
  • Homeowner Fees 0.5%
  • Life Insurance 1.0%
  • Higher Education 0.2%
  • Property Insurance (its own bill) 0.3%
  • Retail / Dept Store CC 0.3%
  • Subscriptions 0.3%
  • Charitable Donations 0.3%
  • Personal Loans 0.1%
  • Student Loans 0.4%
  • Cable (its own bill) 0.2%
  • Landline Phones 0.1%
  • Child Care 0.4%
  • Home Security / Improvement 0.1%
  • Garbage 0.3%
  • Other 0.8%
  • Rent 26.7%
  • Mortgage 19.6%
  • Electricity 15.2%
  • Credit Cards 8.6%
  • Health Insurance 6.5%
  • Cellphone / Wireless Phone 5.1%
  • Internet (its own bill) 2.3%
  • Property Taxes (its own bill) 2.2%
  • Cable / Internet (one bill) 1.8%
  • Auto Insurance 1.8%
  • Auto Finance 1.9%
  • Natural Gas / Oil 0.9%
  • Water / Sewer 1.5%
  • Homeowner Fees 0.4%
  • Life Insurance 0.9%
  • Higher Education 0.4%
  • Property Insurance (its own bill) 0.4%
  • Retail / Dept Store CC 0.3%
  • Subscriptions 0.5%
  • Charitable Donations 0.3%
  • Personal Loans 0.4%
  • Student Loans 0.4%
  • Cable (its own bill) 0.2%
  • Landline Phones 0.1%
  • Child Care 0.3%
  • Home Security / Improvement 0.3%
  • Garbage 0.1%
  • Other 1.0%
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Payment Channels

Next we’ll examine trends in payment “channels,” or the different ways a payment can be delivered or received.

Total number of channels used per person

Question: How many payment channels do you typically use to pay your monthly bills?

(Biller’s Website, Biller’s Mobile App, Phone via CSR, Phone via IVR, Mobile Wallet, Mail, In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location, Bank’s Website, Bank’s Mobile App, In Person at a Bank Branch, Third-Party Website, In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider, Virtual Voice Assistant, Text Message)
AVERAGE
2.59 Channels
  • 1 Channel 27.3%
  • 2 Channels 31.0%
  • 3 Channels 20.8%
  • 4 Channels 10.3%
  • 5 Channels 5.0%
  • 6 Channels 2.6%
  • 7+ Channels 3.0%
AVERAGE
2.75 Channels
  • 1 Channel 26.1%
  • 2 Channels 29.5%
  • 3 Channels 19.7%
  • 4 Channels 11.5%
  • 5 Channels 5.5%
  • 6 Channels 2.8%
  • 7+ Channels 4.8%
Click for more detail
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Percentage of consumers who use each channel

Question: Within the last 12 months, which of the following payment channels have you used to pay for each of your monthly bills?*
  • Biller's Website 61.4%
  • Biller's Mobile App 34.9%
  • Phone via CSR 15.9%
  • Phone via IVR 12.4%
  • Mobile Wallet 10.1%
  • Mail 26.0%
  • In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location 24.4%
  • Bank's Website 30.6%
  • Bank's Mobile App 18.4%
  • In Person at a Bank Branch 7.8%
  • Third-Party Website 8.3%
  • In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider 11.0%
  • Virtual Voice Assistant 2.0%
  • Text Message 2.5%
  • Biller's Website 58.5%
  • Biller's Mobile App 34.0%
  • Phone via CSR 19.8%
  • Phone via IVR 16.1%
  • Mobile Wallet 12.0%
  • Mail 25.6%
  • In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location 29.0%
  • Bank's Website 31.9%
  • Bank's Mobile App 17.5%
  • In Person at a Bank Branch 9.8%
  • Third-Party Website 8.6%
  • In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider 15.9%
  • Virtual Voice Assistant 2.6%
  • Text Message 3.0%

*Virtual Voice Assistant began to be measured in 1H 2020, while Text Message began to be measured in 2H 2020.

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Preferred channel for one-time bill payments

Question: What is your preferred channel for making one-time bill payments?*
  • Biller's Website 38.2%
  • Biller's Mobile App 17.0%
  • Phone via CSR 4.4%
  • Phone via IVR 4.0%
  • Mobile Wallet 2.2%
  • Mail 8.1%
  • In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location 3.2%
  • Bank's Website 12.9%
  • Bank's Mobile App 6.2%
  • In Person at a Bank Branch 1.1%
  • Third-Party Website 0.4%
  • In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider 1.8%
  • Virtual Voice Assistant 0.1%
  • Text Message 0.4%
  • Biller's Website 34.7%
  • Biller's Mobile App 18.3%
  • Phone via CSR 6.3%
  • Phone via IVR 4.8%
  • Mobile Wallet 2.3%
  • Mail 7.6%
  • In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location 4.0%
  • Bank's Website 12.6%
  • Bank's Mobile App 5.0%
  • In Person at a Bank Branch 1.3%
  • Third-Party Website 0.3%
  • In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider 2.4%
  • Virtual Voice Assistant 0.1%
  • Text Message 0.3%

*Virtual Voice Assistant began to be measured in 1H 2020, while Text Message began to be measured in 2H 2020.
**Subscriptions and Higher Education began to be measured in 2020.

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Preferred channel group for one-time bill payments

Question: What is your preferred channel for making one-time bill payments?*

  • In Person Payments 6.1%
  • Mail 8.1%
  • Phone Payments 8.4%
  • Website Payments 51.5%
  • Mobile / Smart Devices 26.0%
  • In Person Payments 7.7%
  • Mail 7.6%
  • Phone Payments 11.1%
  • Website Payments 47.6%
  • Mobile / Smart Devices 26.0%

*Prior to 2020, “Mobile/Smart Devices” was referred to as “Mobile Payments” because Virtual Voice Assistant only began to be measured in 1H 2020.
**Subscriptions and Higher Education began to be measured in 2020.

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Preferred channel for setting up recurring bill payments

Question: What is/would be your preferred channel for setting up recurring bill payments?
  • Biller's Website 40.9%
  • Biller's Mobile App 18.5%
  • Phone via CSR 4.8%
  • Phone via IVR 2.3%
  • Mobile Wallet 2.1%
  • Mail 2.0%
  • In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location 1.4%
  • Bank's Website 17.5%
  • Bank's Mobile App 7.1%
  • In Person at a Bank Branch 1.3%
  • Third-Party Website 0.6%
  • In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider 0.8%
  • Virtual Voice Assistant 0.1%
  • Text Message 0.6%
  • Biller's Website 38.5%
  • Biller's Mobile App 19.1%
  • Phone via CSR 5.8%
  • Phone via IVR 2.6%
  • Mobile Wallet 2.0%
  • Mail 2.9%
  • In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location 1.7%
  • Bank's Website 17.3%
  • Bank's Mobile App 6.4%
  • In Person at a Bank Branch 1.8%
  • Third-Party Website 0.6%
  • In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider 0.9%
  • Virtual Voice Assistant 0.1%
  • Text Message 0.3%
Download Snapshot

Payment Methods

Now, we’ll take a look at trends in payment “methods,” or the forms of money or currency that can be used to pay bills.

Total number of methods used per person

Question: How many payment methods do you typically use to pay your monthly bills?

(Credit Card, Debit Card, Checking Account Deduction, Traditional Paper Check, Cash, Savings Account Deduction, Payroll Deduction, Money Order, Prepaid Card)
AVERAGE
2.12 Methods
  • 1 Method 34.4%
  • 2 Methods 35.5%
  • 3 Methods 20.2%
  • 4 Methods 6.4%
  • 5 Methods 2.0%
  • 6 Methods 0.8%
  • 7+ Methods 0.8%
AVERAGE
2.21 Methods
  • 1 Method 33.9%
  • 2 Methods 34.3%
  • 3 Methods 19.7%
  • 4 Methods 6.7%
  • 5 Methods 3.0%
  • 6 Methods 0.9%
  • 7+ Methods 1.6%
Click for more detail
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Percentage of consumers who use each method

Question: Within the last 12 months, which of the following payment methods have you used to pay for each of your monthly bills?
  • Credit Card 39.8%
  • Debit Card 50.6%
  • Checking Account Deduction 65.4%
  • Traditional Paper Check 16.9%
  • Cash 11.8%
  • Savings Account Deduction 8.1%
  • Payroll Deduction 10.9%
  • Money Order 5.0%
  • Prepaid Card 3.6%
  • Credit Card 39.5%
  • Debit Card 54.3%
  • Checking Account Deduction 64.2%
  • Traditional Paper Check 16.1%
  • Cash 13.2%
  • Savings Account Deduction 10.0%
  • Payroll Deduction 12.0%
  • Money Order 6.7%
  • Prepaid Card 4.9%
Download Snapshot

Preferred method for one-time bill payment

Question: What is your preferred method for making one-time bill payments?

Preferred method for one-time bill payment

  • Credit Card 25.5%
  • Debit Card 36.7%
  • Checking Account Deduction 27.1%
  • Traditional Paper Check 4.7%
  • Cash 2.7%
  • Savings Account Deduction 1.1%
  • Payroll Deduction 0.6%
  • Money Order / Cashier's Check 0.7%
  • Prepaid Card 0.9%
  • Credit Card 22.9%
  • Debit Card 40.5%
  • Checking Account Deduction 24.8%
  • Traditional Paper Check 4.4%
  • Cash 3.6%
  • Savings Account Deduction 1.3%
  • Payroll Deduction 0.5%
  • Money Order / Cashier's Check 0.8%
  • Prepaid Card 1.2%

*Subscriptions and Higher Education began to be measured in 2020.

Download Snapshot

Preferred method for recurring bill payment

Question: What is your preferred method for making recurring bill payments?

  • Credit Card 30.0%
  • Debit Card 30.7%
  • Checking Account Deduction 36.3%
  • Savings Account Deduction 1.2%
  • Payroll Deduction 1.0%
  • Prepaid Card 0.8%
  • Credit Card 25.9%
  • Debit Card 32.3%
  • Checking Account Deduction 38.0%
  • Savings Account Deduction 1.6%
  • Payroll Deduction 1.1%
  • Prepaid Card 1.1%

*Subscriptions and Higher Education began to be measured in 2020.

Download Snapshot

Billing Statements and Notifications

Let’s explore trends in how consumers prefer to receive their billing statements and notifications when a bill is due.

Preferred billing statement method

Question: How do you prefer to receive your billing statements?

  • Digital 59.2%
  • Paper 16.1%
  • Both Digital and Paper 24.7%
  • Digital 56.1%
  • Paper 17.4%
  • Both Digital and Paper 26.5%

*Subscriptions and Higher Education began to be measured in 2020.

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Preferred billing notification method

Question: In general, which of the following do you prefer most when it comes to receiving your bill notifications/reminders?

  • Email Alert 48.9%
  • Mobile Text Alert 20.1%
  • Mobile App Notification 8.0%
  • Paper / Mail 19.7%
  • I don't receive bill notifications / reminders 3.4%
  • Email Alert 43.8%
  • Mobile Text Alert 20.9%
  • Mobile App Notification 10.4%
  • Paper / Mail 20.8%
  • I don't receive bill notifications / reminders 4.1%

*Subscriptions and Higher Education began to be measured in 2020.

Download Snapshot

Last-Minute Payment Trends

Let’s now look at trends in how consumers prefer to make urgent payments when necessary.

Reasons for late bill payment

Question: When you pay a bill late, which of the following best represents the most frequent reason?

  • I have not paid a bill late 43.4%
  • I didn't have the money 20.7%
  • I forgot to pay on time 16.5%
  • I take advantage of grace periods 5.5%
  • I prefer to pay all of my bills at once, even if that means some are late 4.7%
  • I had technical difficulties when submitting my payment 4.3%
  • None of the above 4.9%
  • I have not paid a bill late 38.3%
  • I didn't have the money 23.4%
  • I forgot to pay on time 16.2%
  • I take advantage of grace periods 6.9%
  • I prefer to pay all of my bills at once, even if that means some are late 5.5%
  • I had technical difficulties when submitting my payment 4.5%
  • None of the above 5.2%
Download Snapshot

Last-minute payments made over past 12 months

Question: Over the past 12 months, have you had to make an “urgent” or same-day payment?

  • Yes 29.3%
  • No 66.7%
  • Unsure 3.9%
  • Yes 33.3%
  • No 62.6%
  • Unsure 4.1%
Download Snapshot

Preferred channel used for last-minute payments

Question: Assume you had to make an “urgent” or same-day payment tomorrow. Which channel would you prefer to use?*
  • Biller's Website 33.3%
  • Biller's Mobile App 14.5%
  • Phone via CSR 21.4%
  • Phone via IVR 3.6%
  • Mobile Wallet 2.7%
  • Mail 1.0%
  • In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location 8.3%
  • Bank’s Website 4.3%
  • Bank's Mobile App 4.4%
  • In Person at a Bank Branch 3.0%
  • Third-Party Website 0.3%
  • In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider 2.9%
  • Virtual Voice Assistant 0.1%
  • Text Message 0.3%
  • Biller's Website 29.3%
  • Biller's Mobile App 15.3%
  • Phone via CSR 21.3%
  • Phone via IVR 4.5%
  • Mobile Wallet 2.9%
  • Mail 1.7%
  • In Person at the Biller’s Office / Location 8.2%
  • Bank’s Website 5.0%
  • Bank's Mobile App 4.2%
  • In Person at a Bank Branch 3.5%
  • Third-Party Website 0.2%
  • In Person at a Third-Party Payment Provider 3.4%
  • Virtual Voice Assistant 0.1%
  • Text Message 0.5%

*Virtual Voice Assistant began to be measured in 1H 2020, while Text Message began to be measured in 2H 2020.

Download Snapshot

Preferred method used for last-minute payments

Question: Assume you had to make an “urgent” or same-day payment tomorrow. Which method would you prefer to use?
  • Debit Card 38.3%
  • Credit Card 31.3%
  • Checking Account Deduction 20.8%
  • Traditional Paper Check 1.6%
  • Cash 4.1%
  • Savings Account Deduction 2.0%
  • Payroll Deduction 0.3%
  • Money Order / Cashier’s Check 0.6%
  • Prepaid Card 1.0%
  • Debit Card 42.0%
  • Credit Card 27.7%
  • Checking Account Deduction 19.9%
  • Traditional Paper Check 1.5%
  • Cash 4.4%
  • Savings Account Deduction 2.2%
  • Payroll Deduction 0.4%
  • Money Order / Cashier’s Check 0.7%
  • Prepaid Card 1.1%
Download Snapshot

Mobile Wallet Trends

Now we’ll explore trends related to the rise in popularity of mobile wallets for bill payment.

Use of mobile wallet payment methods

Question: Do you currently use mobile wallet payment methods to make any sort of payment?

  • Yes 43.8%
  • No 54.4%
  • Unsure 1.8%
  • Yes 44.0%
  • No 53.6%
  • Unsure 2.3%
Learn more about how the ACI moBills solution helps meet the needs of today’s mobile-savvy consumers, who seek to pay their bills quickly and conveniently.
Download Snapshot

Frequency of mobile wallet payments

Question: How frequently do you use mobile wallet payment methods to make a payment?
  • Daily 12.8%
  • Multiple times per week 29.7%
  • Once per week 10.7%
  • A few times per month 28.9%
  • Once per month 7.7%
  • Every once in a while 10.2%
  • Daily 14.3%
  • Multiple times per week 32.4%
  • Once per week 12.2%
  • A few times per month 25.0%
  • Once per month 6.3%
  • Every once in a while 9.7%
Download Snapshot

Ever paid a bill through a mobile wallet

Question: Have you ever paid a bill through a mobile wallet?

(When we say “a bill,” we are referring to your monthly bills that we have previously asked about.)

  • Yes 88.8%
  • No 10.7%
  • Unsure 0.5%
  • Yes 91.1%
  • No 8.8%
  • Unsure 0.1%
Download Snapshot

Would consider paying a bill through a mobile wallet

Question: Whether or not you currently use a mobile wallet to pay bills, would you consider doing so in the future?

  • Yes 49.7%
  • No 28.2%
  • Unsure 22.1%
  • Yes 51.2%
  • No 27.2%
  • Unsure 21.6%
Download Snapshot

Security

Take a look at the latest trends in payment security.

Confidence financial data is secure when making payments

Question: How confident are you that your financial data is secure when making bill payments?

  • Very confident 29.1%
  • Somewhat confident 57.8%
  • Not confident 9.5%
  • Unsure 3.6%
  • Very confident 33.4%
  • Somewhat confident 54.2%
  • Not confident 9.3%
  • Unsure 3.1%
Download Snapshot

Belief that mobile wallet payments are secure

Question: Do you believe that mobile wallet payments are secure?

  • Yes 45.1%
  • No 20.5%
  • Unsure 34.4%
  • Yes 45.4%
  • No 21.4%
  • Unsure 33.2%
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Belief data is more secure than it was 5 years ago

Question: Do you believe your data is more secure than it was 5 years ago?

  • Yes 43.9%
  • No 32.1%
  • Unsure 23.9%
  • Yes 49.0%
  • No 29.8%
  • Unsure 21.2%
Download Snapshot

Password recollection for digital bill payment

Question: How do you remember your passwords for the online portals or mobile apps where you pay your bills digitally?

  • I use the auto-fill function on my device. 39.9%
  • I write my passwords on paper. 29.9%
  • I use a digital password manager. 20.9%
  • I use the same/similar passwords for all billers so they are easy to remember. 13.7%
  • I keep my passwords in a digital note on my device. 18.1%
  • None of the above. 14.0%
  • I use the auto-fill function on my device. 36.6%
  • I write my passwords on paper. 28.9%
  • I use a digital password manager. 24.2%
  • I use the same/similar passwords for all billers so they are easy to remember. 18.4%
  • I keep my passwords in a digital note on my device. 16.1%
  • None of the above. 12.4%
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Frequency of changing passwords where digital bills are paid

Question: How often do you change the passwords for the online portals or mobile apps where you pay your bills digitally?

  • Weekly 4.1%
  • Monthly 19.4%
  • Annually 25.4%
  • Less often than once a year 15.9%
  • Only when prompted by the biller 29.2%
  • Never 6.0%
  • Weekly 6.0%
  • Monthly 21.5%
  • Annually 23.1%
  • Less often than once a year 15.9%
  • Only when prompted by the biller 26.5%
  • Never 7.0%
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Compromised information in a cyberattack

Question: If you were to experience a cyberattack, which of the following types of information would you be most concerned about compromising?
  • Personal identifiable information such as social security number, log-in/passwords, credit score, etc. 77.4%
  • Personal financial information such as credit card numbers, bank information, etc. 77.9%
  • Personal correspondence via emails, text messages and files 27.1%
  • Camera roll access to pictures/videos 19.4%
  • Other 0.9%
  • Personal identifiable information such as social security number, log-in/passwords, credit score, etc. 78.8%
  • Personal financial information such as credit card numbers, bank information, etc. 76.4%
  • Personal correspondence via emails, text messages and files 26.9%
  • Camera roll access to pictures/videos 20.3%
  • Other 1.0%
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Consumer Bill Pay Experience

Take a look at some of the latest trends in how consumers perceive their bill pay experience.

Perception that bill pay experience is complicated

Question: Do you think the bill payments experience is complicated?

  • Complicated 12.5%
  • Not complicated 87.5%
  • Complicated 13.4%
  • Not complicated 86.6%
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Feelings about bill pay experience

Question: How often do the following statements describe how you feel about your bills and bill payment experience?

I get anxious when I think about my bills
  • Always 16.8%
  • Most of the time 11.6%
  • Sometimes 29.0%
  • Rarely 24.0%
  • Never 18.6%
  • Always 18.5%
  • Most of the time 12.4%
  • Sometimes 28.7%
  • Rarely 22.5%
  • Never 17.9%
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Outbound Payments to Consumers Trends

Take a look at trends in disbursements, or the money consumers are receiving from their billers and other companies where they’ve purchased products or services.

Payments from other companies

Question: Not including income tax refunds or stimulus payments from the government, have you received any payments from companies you have purchased products or services from? This can include refunds or rebates of any kind.

  • Yes 33.4%
  • No 66.6%
  • Yes 37.9%
  • No 62.1%
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Types of payments received

Question: Please select all of the payments that you have received.

  • A rebate from the manufacturer of a product I purchased 42.9%
  • A refund for a cancelled subscription or service 40.8%
  • A refund for an overpaid monthly or annual contract 26.3%
  • A rebate from my utilities provider for a service I purchased 12.7%
  • An auto insurance claim 12.0%
  • A health insurance claim 10.7%
  • A home/rental insurance claim 5.5%
  • Other 13.8%
  • A rebate from the manufacturer of a product I purchased 37.9%
  • A refund for a cancelled subscription or service 40.9%
  • A refund for an overpaid monthly or annual contract 27.4%
  • A rebate from my utilities provider for a service I purchased 13.6%
  • An auto insurance claim 14.7%
  • A health insurance claim 12.2%
  • A home/rental insurance claim 5.7%
  • Other 13.1%
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Most recent payments received

Question: How did you receive your payment? If you received multiple payments, please think of the most recent payment.
  • Direct deposit to my bank account 35.4%
  • Check in the mail 31.1%
  • Credit towards my debit card 11.8%
  • Deposit in a digital wallet (i.e. PayPal, Venmo) 8.1%
  • Physical gift card that was mailed to me 3.6%
  • Electronic gift card or code 5.1%
  • Cash or a code I can use to withdraw cash at an ATM or bank 0.4%
  • Other 4.4%
  • Direct deposit to my bank account 35.5%
  • Check in the mail 29.9%
  • Credit towards my debit card 12.4%
  • Deposit in a digital wallet (i.e. PayPal, Venmo) 7.6%
  • Physical gift card that was mailed to me 5.0%
  • Electronic gift card or code 5.3%
  • Cash or a code I can use to withdraw cash at an ATM or bank 0.5%
  • Other 3.7%
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Issues with receiving payments

Question: Did you experience any issues in receiving your money?

  • Yes 6.2%
  • No 93.8%
  • Yes 11.6%
  • No 88.4%
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Types of issues with receiving payments

Question: Please select any kind of issue(s) that you experienced.
  • Took too long to receive payment 60.7%
  • Was not provided a choice in payment method 27.6%
  • No way to track payment status 32.6%
  • Check got lost in the mail 17.2%
  • Never received payment 23.0%
  • Other 5.2%
  • Took too long to receive payment 58.9%
  • Was not provided a choice in payment method 31.4%
  • No way to track payment status 24.5%
  • Check got lost in the mail 12.0%
  • Never received payment 2.9%
  • Other 4.0%
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Choices in payment methods

Question: Did the company that paid you give you a choice in payment method?

  • Yes 39.1%
  • No 49.8%
  • Don't know 11.1%
  • Yes 40.3%
  • No 52.7%
  • Don't know 7.1%
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Preferences for receiving payments

Question: If you were provided a choice, how would you prefer to receive a payment?
  • Check in the mail 14.2%
  • Direct deposit to my bank account 54.1%
  • Credit towards my debit card 9.6%
  • Deposit in a digital wallet (i.e. PayPal, Venmo) 17.4%
  • Physical gift card that was mailed to me 1.5%
  • Electronic gift card or code 1.9%
  • Cash or a code I can use to withdraw cash at an ATM or bank 0.7%
  • Other 0.5%
  • Check in the mail 11.2%
  • Direct deposit to my bank account 57.0%
  • Credit towards my debit card 10.6%
  • Deposit in a digital wallet (i.e. PayPal, Venmo) 12.4%
  • Physical gift card that was mailed to me 2.2%
  • Electronic gift card or code 3.5%
  • Cash or a code I can use to withdraw cash at an ATM or bank 2.2%
  • Other 0.8%
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Subscription Services

To conclude, let’s review consumers’ spending habits surrounding subscription services.

Total number of subscription services per person

Question: How many subscription services do you currently pay for?
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Sharing services with others

Question: Do you currently share any of your subscription services with other people?

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Splitting the cost of services

Question: Do you ever split the cost of your subscription service with those people with whom you share?

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Source: ACI Worldwide, ACI Speedpay Pulse, 2025
https://pulsereport.aciworldwide.com

ACI Speedpay Pulse Methodology

The ACI Speedpay Pulse is a longitudinal consumer billing and payment trends research study conducted by Brownstein Group in partnership with ACI Worldwide.

Each ACI Speedpay Pulse data set includes responses from a survey of at least 3,000 unique respondents (no repeat participation within a one-year period). Each survey sample is U.S. Census-balanced among adults age 18 and older who are responsible for submitting payments for at least two of their household’s monthly bills. Survey margin of error is less than 1.8 percent for questions answered by the entire sample. Questions with a smaller base will have a higher margin of error. If presented, stat testing is at the 95 percent confidence level.

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Data Guide

You can utilize the filter options available in each chart to view the consumer survey data in a variety of ways. Many charts will provide side-by-side comparison tools so that you can compare one set of data on the left with another set of data on the right. While the filters may vary by chart depending on the data available, here are the different filters you may be able to apply:

  • Age Group: View the data specific to four key generations of respondents aged between 18 and 80. The data accounts for the specific age ranges of each generation as they vary across each Time Period.
    • Gen Z – Respondents aged 18-26 in 2023 (dating back to consumers aged 18-21 in 2018). This age range only reflects a partial segment of Gen Z-aged consumers.
    • Millennials – Respondents aged 27-42 in 2023 (dating back to 22-37 in 2018).
    • Gen X – Respondents aged 43-58 in 2023 (dating back to 38-53 in 2018).
    • Boomers + - Respondents aged 59+ in 2023 (dating back to 54-80 in 2018). This age range reflects the full Baby Boomer generation and a smaller portion of the Silent Generation.
  • Time Period: View the data specific to different timeframes when the data is available.
    • 1H = first half of the year
    • 2H = second half of the year
  • Industry: View data on consumers who have indicated they pay at least one bill relevant to the industry selected. For example, if you select "Utilities," you will see data related to consumers that have paid a bill in this category for the selected time period.

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