Atlantic Bank and B.E.L. launch online payments

With more and more Belizeans using the internet, it was just a matter of time before we would be able to pay our bills in real time, online. The first bank to offer this service is Atlantic Bank, and the first utility company to accept electronic payments is Belize Electricity Limited. The joint project took months of planning, but the final result is touted as easy and secure with payments instantly deducted from a customer?s bank account and posted to their B.E.L. accounts.

Pedro Lozano, Marketing Manager, Atlantic Bank
?It took us about three months to four months to be able to say that it is fully certified, now it?s ready to go to the market. Because please note that we would never allow and B.E.L. would never allow for a payment to be done with an unknown question mark behind it, saying will it go to my customer?s account. Other utility companies have also shown interest in making this a reality for them. We?ve been doing some testing both with Belize Water Services and Belize Telecommunications Limited. The second utility to go online–and I am hoping that it is done very shortly, very soon–is Belize Water Services. It will be basically the same way; it?s going to be a real time online payment that we are doing.?

Karla Heusner
?So maybe by this time next year, you can do all your utility payments.?

Pedro Lozano, Marketing Manager, Atlantic Bank
?I am pretty sure and I?m hoping that it?s before the mid-year that we have everything up and running with all utility companies.?

Lozano says a number of cable companies have also expressed interest in the online service and Atlantic Bank is currently testing the use of credit cards to give their clients more payment options. Details of the new system are available at all Atlantic Bank branches and on their website www.atlabank.com.