Paying gas bill has now become a lot easier as subscribers can pay it through mobile phones at BillPay centres.Photo: STAR

The hassle of standing in queues to pay utility bills is about to become a thing of the past for Dhaka dwellers. Bill payment is becoming as simple as sending an SMS to a friend.
Titas gas subscribers are the first to enjoy the facility.
Under an agreement between Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd and Grameenphone Ltd (GP), subscribers can send their bills through mobile phones. They can also pay the bills at over 650 GP authorised 'BillPay' centres across the Titas Gas' zones.
"Titas subscribers can now pay their bills electronically using the BillPay system of GP," said a Titas Gas official.
"GP subscribers may pay their bills from mobile phones. As for others -- including people who do not even have a cellular phone -- can pay their bills at the nearest BillPay centre."
"They can pay their bills from anywhere, anytime even in the holidays, without any kind of hassle or inconvenience," the official said.
The step was taken for the convenience of Titas subscribers and streamlining the bill payment process, Titas sources said.
Earlier in 2006, Power Development Board (PDB) introduced the system in Chittagong as an experiment. There are currently over 215 BillPay centres in Chittagong for around 3 lakh PDB subscribers.
"We have been considering about updating the system. Titas became interested after the electronic bill payment system saw great success in Chittagong," said the Official.
According to GP officials, the BillPay system is as simple and accessible as the popular 'Flexiload' system.
Similar to Flexiload outlets, every neighbourhood will have BillPay centres. They will have 'BillPay' signs outside the outlets. To pay the gas bill, Titas subscribers would have to bring their gas bill invoice at the centre.
After the bill is paid in cash, the money will be sent to the subscriber's Titas account number electronically. The transactions will also have ID numbers so that the customer can easily inquire about the status of the payment by contacting the GP customer service.
"GP subscribers may also pay the bill through mobile phone," said Delwar Hossain Azad, head of Finance, Grameenphone Limited. "They would have to enter their Titas account number and input the amount of money to pay as the bill."
"The ledger of the Titas subscriber will be updated instantly since it is an electronic transaction. The customer will also receive a confirmation message from Titas shortly after the bill is paid," Azad explained.
However, the subscriber would have to enlist his number with the BillPay system before he can use his cellular phone to pay utility bills. After enlisting his number, the subscriber will have a specific account for the BillPay system.
"He (subscriber) has to insert some money in his account through a BillPay centre. Later he can transfer the money to pay utility bills. He can even transfer money from that account to his mobile as talk time," explained Azad.
Subscribers registered with the BillPay system will also receive other facilities such as notifications on the payment deadlines.
According to sources at Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, subscriber using the BillPay system would have to pay an amount of government-fixed service charge to GP. The charge would range from Tk 5 to Tk 25 depending on the amount of bill.
"The major benefit of this system is of course the convenience," said a Titas official.
"The information on the transaction will be electronically sent to both Titas and the customer almost instantaneously. As our ledger will be updated instantly, room for any mix-ups is minimal," he said.
The promise of phones that double as digital wallets is not new. Consumers in many Asian and European countries have bought everything from convenience store trinkets to subway tickets using their mobile handsets for years. But the idea has largely been a gadget enthusiast's fantasy here in the capital city of Bangladesh.
Only recently have local banks and wireless companies begun developing mobile payable products. Now, the next wave of technology is about to wash ashore where people can pay their utility bills through mobile phones.
"This has happened sooner than anyone actually realised," said a top Titas official. "We are confident that our subscribers will embrace technology as eagerly as others have because of less wariness, security and the ease of use.”