She logs on to the StatusFactory Web site to see a list of pending bills. She can even authorize automatic payments for regular bills, such as her car payment. She chooses how much to pay and when to pay it. Her bills are filed to an archive system, which she can access anytime or print reports from. At the end of the year, she has the option of purchasing a CD-ROM with the year's images and activities.
None plans to scan paper bills into electronic images forever.
The three are working with major companies, trying to work out deals to put e-bills on the sites when they become available. GTE is working with CheckFree, an online bill-paying system that doesn't process incoming bills like the other three. CheckFree's system is similar to what is offered by portals such as Yahoo and some of the larger banks and credit unions. The banks and portals are working on a system that would process incoming bills, though they prefer to stay away from the paper-scanning options. Consumers seem to like the look and feel of an electronic bill, said Jeff Rudluff, GTE's director of Web commerce.