MCI WorldCom's Online Customer Services Expand to E-Commerce
Through CheckFree E-Bill
New Agreement Lets MCI WorldCom Customers Receive and Pay Bills Online
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- MCI WorldCom (Nasdaq: WCOM - news), a leader in providing innovative online services for its customers since 1995,
today announced an agreement with CheckFree, the nation's leading provider of electronic billing and payment, that will allow MCI WorldCom to expand its residential
online portfolio in the world of e-commerce.
By giving MCI WorldCom residential customers the option to receive and pay their bills using the Internet, CheckFree and MCI WorldCom are the first to deliver what
other companies have been promising for years -- online bill payment and delivery by a nationwide telecommunications provider. MCI WorldCom now offers customers
one more option to use the Internet to view and pay their bills, in addition to its existing online credit card or direct debit payment options.
To register for electronic bill delivery and payment, MCI WorldCom customers can enroll in MCI WorldCom's online account manager at www.mci.com/service and
choose to change their payment option, or go to the CheckFree E-Bill Web site at mybills.com; both sites will require the customer's MCI WorldCom
account number and an e-mail address. After registering, MCI WorldCom customers will receive a final paper bill by mail, then all future bills will be presented
electronically. The electronic version of their monthly bill will include color graphics, logos and full- billing detail.
Using CheckFree E-Bill(SM) -- backed by the industry's most comprehensive point-to-point security -- MCI WorldCom residential customers can simply click to approve
the bill for payment, and the amount of the bill is deducted electronically from their designated bank account. Once MCI WorldCom customers are registered with
CheckFree and MCI WorldCom's Online Account Manager, they will also be able to view past bills on their computer or print them for future reference.
''The Internet allows us to make everyday tasks easier for our customers,'' said Joyce Dorris, director of brand marketing for MCI WorldCom. ''This E-Bill offering with
CheckFree gives our customers added convenience they want while giving MCI WorldCom added cost savings by driving more business online.''
Bill summary will be available via Quicken and through online banks and other financial services sites that support CheckFree E-Bill. These sites include:
* First Union at firstunion.com
* Intuit's Quicken 98/99 software
* Charles Schwab at mybills.com
* Morgan Stanley Dean Witter at dwdean.com
* Prudential Securities at mybills.com
Customers can then link back to MCI WorldCom's Online Account Manager to view their account details and service their account online.
''Enabling electronic billing and payment for MCI WorldCom customers is an important step forward for the industry,'' said Pete Kight, chairman and chief executive
officer of CheckFree. ''And as more financial services companies are coming online with bill presentment, including leading institutions like Bank One, an even broader
range of consumers can electronically receive and pay their core bills. Being able to receive and pay these core bills -- telecommunications, utilities, mortgage and credit
card -- will accelerate acceptance of the convenience and utility of electronic billing dramatically. MCI WorldCom's obvious significance to the telecommunications
industry, and its commitment to providing its customers with convenience and quality, makes this a strategic win for CheckFree.''
REAL CONTROL, REAL PERSONAL
In addition to the convenience of paying bills without the hassle of checks and stamps, MCI WorldCom's Online Account Manager has been enhanced to give customers
complete control over their accounts. Secure account information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers can see their current and past MCI
WorldCom statements, review and update account information, add products and services, and more, all from the comfort of their own computer.
MCI WorldCom customers can also use Online Account Manager to send an e-mail to customer service representatives online, handling all questions a customer may
have right on the Web.
COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE OFFERING
MCI WorldCom offers the perfect complement to online bill presentation and payment -- online savings. MCI One Net Savings is a long-distance calling plan that allows
residential customers to use the Internet to receive added convenience and savings for long-distance calling. By signing up online at www.mci.com/netsavings, MCI One
Net Savings customers receive a 24-hour flat rate of nine cents per minute for state-to-state long-distance calls, in addition to MCI Five-Cent Sundays.
ABOUT CHECKFREE
Founded in 1981, CheckFree, the operating subsidiary of CheckFree Holdings Corp. (www.checkfree.com), is the leading provider of electronic commerce services,
software and related products for more than 2.6 million consumers, 1,000 businesses and 850 financial institutions. CheckFree designs, develops and markets services
that enable its customers to make electronic payments and collections, automate paper-based recurring financial transactions and conduct secure transactions on the
Internet.
CheckFree introduced the nation's first live, market-release product for electronic bill presentment and payment in March 1997, after completing a successful two-year
pilot program. CheckFree E-Bill is the only fully integrated, end-to-end system for electronic presentment and payment of richly formatted bills over the Internet.
CheckFree E-Bill uses existing payment systems and allows consumers to access and pay their bills through the branded home-banking services of financial institutions.
ABOUT MCI WORLDCOM
MCI WorldCom is a global communications company with revenue of more than $30 billion and established operations in over 65 countries encompassing the Americas,
Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. MCI WorldCom is a premier provider of facilities-based and fully integrated local, long distance, international and Internet services.
MCI WorldCom's global networks, including its state-of-the-art pan-European network and transoceanic cable systems, provide end-to-end high-capacity connectivity to
more than 38,000 buildings worldwide. For more information on MCI WorldCom, visit the World Wide Web at mciworldcom.com or wcom.com.
SOURCE: MCI WorldCom |
