Why don't Plusnet allow payment via Internet Banking?

[#1]

All other utilities I deal with inlcuding Plusnet's parent BT allow payment via Internet Banking directly to their bank account so why can't Plusnet follow the norm?
Can't see any orther post on this issue and wondered if anyone else finds this frustrating.

[#2]

I doubt their accounts and billing system will have the facility to do that, ( its fairly old)
Regards
Mike

[#3]

Probably down to all the potential time taken trying to match up the payments manually.
I've had a customer make a payment for something before by bank transfer but didnt tell me and didn't put anywhere on the payment a reference number.
The time spent trying to find out who it was and what it was for totally wiped out any profit for the next three sales I made

[#4]

I think PayPal would be the best solution.
It is simple to set up variable recurring payments (as an alternative to bank direct debits) for monthly subscriptions (as I do for Netflix).
For one off payments such as PAYG broadband phone (VoIP) credits, or replacement routers, Plusnet mugs and mousemats, could be done using the PayPal checkout from within the Plusnet Member Centre.

[#5]

Any reaction from Plusnet?
Is this a policy issue or a technical limitation of your billing system?
If the former, then what is the reason for the policy. If the latter is there any plan to upgrade the billing system?
Peter

[#6]

Is there a particular reason you don't want to use DD and would you be happy if PN did allow payment by BACS but charged more for you to do so?

[#7]

It's both really. Our current billing system doesn't have the facility to do this and the overheads of having to assign payments to the correct account is quite high too.

[#8]

Chris: thanks for the update.
pwatson: I think you are confusing BACS with internet banking. BACS is a legacy system used for batching payments via the UK banking clearing system - quite closely associated with the DD system and cheque clearing. These typically take 3 business days. But Internet banking works via FPS (faster payment services) in which payments are received almost instantly. The advantage of making payments directly is that I can make them from any bank account not just one nominated for DDs. So if I know my bank account can't cover the DD then I could pay in some other way. Of course if Plusnet wanted to charge for the privilege of being paid in this manner I would have to review how much they wanted to charge. But anyway this is academic since as you see from Chris's response Plusnet can't and don't want to handle FPS payments.

[#9]

I don't get your problem. If you could go online and make the payment from an account of your choice via FPS surely you could go online and transfer the required amount from the account to the account where the DD is taken from?
If you were able to use FPS you would have to make the payment on your billing date. If you were unable to make the payment on that date (away on holiday, ill, internet connection not available) you'd be put in to failed billing. With DD you are sent notification on the billing date and the payment is taken some days later which gives you greater leeway.
FPS is absolutely great for one of or irregular payments, but not suitable for regular billing!

[#10]

jelv, I think it can work ok for regular payments at a fixed price as well, but it falls down when the price can vary at all, such as additional usage (obviously not on unlimited), chargable calls on home phone, referal discounts added or removed etc...
It then causes more headaches when with policies of what happens with overpayments or underpayments?  For example if you where to underpay the bill by 1p does it go into failed payments.  Makes it sound a bit petty if you do, but where would the cut off be?
Phil

[#11]

if plusnet could handle recurring paypal payments that would be great.  Since its still automated (so in theory no extra costs to plusnet for manual processing) I would hope it can be considered.

[#12]

Not sure it's being looked at, PayPal's charges for business are significant which could be a fair stumbling block. I'll mention it to our finance and billing teams though.

[#13]

At least with a DD you have the DD Guarantee which, in my experience, is far easier to invoke and a lot quicker for any error payments to be returned.

[#14]

The overheads required to produce systems which could receipt payments which are not initiated by us would be very significant. We're currently at the early stages of overhauling our billing engine and this isn't being considered as an option as we need to concentrate our development resources on the key functionality rather than niche payments methods which only a handful of customers would take advantage of and which would significantly complicate our internal processes at a time when we are trying to streamline and automate as much as possible.