OneVu

OneVu

OneVu is an online service that enables consumers to view, track and pay bills online through their internet bank.

History and ownership

OneVu Ltd is wholly owned by VocaLink, which processes automated payments in the UK.

The company was formed in 2003 as Electronic Bill Presentment & Payment Ltd (EBPP) and changed its name and identity to OneVu Ltd in 2004.

OneVu is in effect part of VocaLink’s strategy of continuous enhancement to the UK payments system through online bill payment and paperless billing.

Service principles

OneVu is a consolidated bill management service. It differs from aggregated services that ‘scrape’ data from other websites, by providing secure authentication which is only achievable via contractual relationships with participating organisations. Further; the OneVu service is housed within the secure infrastructure that ultimately pays 90% of UK salaries.

The service integrates with online banks’ websites, largely on a ‘white label’ basis. Consumers use OneVu as part of everyday online banking. They benefit from the same security that is applied to their current or savings accounts.

Bill information is presented in a table and in chronological order. For each bill, the consumer can drill down to a bill summary and then, if available, to an Adobe Reader PDF version of the full bill. This information is served directly and securely from the biller’s website. The consumer does not need to remember or enter additional username or password details.

Using OneVu, it is possible for consumers to manage bills that are paid automatically by Direct Debit and those of a variable nature, such as credit cards. In most cases, consumers may pay bills through the bank’s secure payment service. OneVu automatically inserts bill payment reference information, making the process seamless and error-free.

For consumers who are not customers of currently participating banks, OneVu Ltd operates a stand-alone service called MyBillsOnline that provides bill management without a payment facility.

Current position

OneVu is available on the websites of three banks – Lloyds TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest – and accessible to almost nine million people who bank online. Around 300 million bills are under management.

The service is known as ‘Bill Manager’ on the Lloyds TSB online banking website and ‘Bill management’ on RBS and NatWest.

Around 25 billing organisation brands are part of the OneVu proposition. This list may be seen on the OneVu website and ranges from utilities to loyalty programmes. OneVu Ltd undertakes the task of integration with participating companies’ IT and billing systems, a process that typically takes three to four months.

As may be expected, the service is promoted for its convenience and ease of use, lower cost for billers and the environmental advantages associated with reducing waste paper.

Future developments

CheckFree i-series, the technology behind OneVu, is designed to manage services beyond bills. New features, both transactional and informational, will be added to the service in due course. During 2009, for example, OneVu’s white-labelled bank services will be rebranded ‘MyView’ and feature more visibly on the Internet bank sites. The MyView evolution will also include the UK's first Internet bank mobile phone top-up service.

Further banks and billing organisations are expected to join OneVu in line with their plans for online banking and electronic billing.

Awards

In 2007, the OneVu service was voted winner for faster payments in the ‘payments innovation’ category of The Banker Technology Awards and won the ‘most innovative retail or corporate payments service’ category in the EPCA/ECR (European Payments Consulting Association/European Card Review) Excellence in Payments Innovations Awards, 2007.

OneVu also was recognised as a Business Superbrand, together with Voca (VocaLink’s predecessor) in 2005.