It is not always easy to keep up with bills at home when you are abroad, especially when you are busy on a business trip. However, the bills are there waiting to be paid and you can't travel back. This shouldn't be much of a problem though as there are lots of platforms that are available for paying bills internationally.
Although there are many ways you can pay your bills overseas, not all of them are safe, convenient or cheap. That is why it is good to research and go for the best platform. The most convenient of all platforms is still mobile credit where you won't have to queue in a bank or look for an agent.
Instead of paying with cash, cheque or looking around for a money transfer agent, you can easily pay your bills from your mobile phone and from wherever you are. This is one of the advantages of mobile credit.
Mobile payment is being adopted all over the world, and this makes it easy for anyone to pay their bills in one country while currently in another. However, a lot of people still struggle to pay their bills. This is often due to a lack of information.
But that is enough. You don't have to wait in line to pay bills anymore. Neither does your recipient have to travel to pick up the cash. Unless you choose to for another reason, paying your bills via international mobile credit eliminates stress and is cost effective.
Here is a guide on how to pay your bills overseas. But before then, let's look at the various reasons why you may need to pay bills overseas.
Why do you need to pay bills overseas?
There are various reasons why people pay bills overseas, but the most common are:
House/Apartment
To keep up with your mortgage expenses while you are abroad may require you to find an easy way to transfer money without your activities being disrupted. Or rather it could be that you need to pay your rent back home while on vacation, or even to maintain an apartment overseas for a relative.
Utilities
When it comes to keeping your house in comfort, there are lot of bills to pay. From water, electricity to gas and a lot more. So for the convenience of your family, you will need to pay your utilities bills even while you are away.
Family
The most common reason why people pay bills overseas is because of family. Imagine having your children study abroad when you are the one to take care of their bills, be it school fees, health insurance or rent. Whatever it may be you will surely need to find the most convenient way to pay those bills, which is what mobile credit offers you.
Purchase
There are many items you cannot get within your immediate environment and you have to source for them overseas. This is another reason why you may need to pay overseas bills.
Whether you are concerned about any of these four reasons mentioned above, you may need to pay overseas bills due to one reason or the other. This is why it is good to read along and discover how you can make overseas payment with your international mobile credit.
International bill payment services platform you can use to pay overseas bills
Transferwise
Available in 71 countries and covering more than 1300 currency routes, this UK-based money transfer service was founded in 2011 to bring customers more affordable services.
According to its website, banks can often charge you up to 5% in hidden costs. With Transferwise, secure transactions can be up to 8 times cheaper by charging a flat fee based on the amount instead of a percentage pricing.
To utilise the platform, simply log in to its website and follow easy steps to start paying bills or performing hassle-free transfers.
There are mobile apps on the Google Playstore and Apple App Store so there's really no reason not to be able to pay your bills anywhere.
Remitly
Another way is through Remitly platform. The US-based firm offers attractive rates and even a free first transfer for new customers.
Available as a mobile application in your favourite smartphone, Remitly lets you track your transfers with emails or text updates.
It offers two options to send money, depending on how speedy you want the transfer to be. If you can wait, opt for the "Economy transfer and Remitly promises one of the lowest fees, or if it's urgent, the "Express function is your go-to option.
The best part about this platform is that it has a delivery promise, which means Remitly promises to deliver your transfer on time or you can have your money back.
TNG Wallet
Headquartered in Hong Kong, TNG provides financial services to 1.2 billion unbanked population in Asia. Its flagship e-wallet application, TNG Wallet, provides cash-in, cash-out and remittance services to its users through a network of 900-plus banks and over 200,000 cash pick-up points globally.
Since its launch in November 2015, TNG has become Hong Kong's top e-Wallet ¹, with over 600,000 downloads and usage rate.
With its acquisition of Tranglo last year, its footprint in Southeast Asia has expanded rapidly and paying your bills is as easy as following instructions on its website or its mobile application.
¹ Based on total e-wallet application downloads and installations counts in November 2015 (from TNG website)
Western Union
Of course, western union is arguably the most commonly used and most popular online money transfer platform. Western Union is an American financial services and communications company founded in 1851.
Their services are available all over the world and paying bills with Western Union is fast and convenient. There are many ways to pay your bills via Western Union. It can be online, in person, via the Western Union app or through your mobile phone. So how do you pay your bills overseas using Western Union mobile credit?
Go to the Western Union mobile app on your phone or if you like, go to their website. Choose how you want to make your payment. The available options are online, mobile app, in person (through an agent) or by phone. Then, just follow the instructions.
Western Union is safe, secure and fast. It is one of the most reliable ways to pay your children's fees or electricity bills overseas.
Conclusion
It can be tough to find the most convenient and easiest way to pay your overseas bills. But with this information, you now have four solid platforms where you can pay your bills.
