Chile Forum

Here in the states we pay all our bills online...either sending the payments from our bank accounts online; or directly on the power company, gas company, ects website. Does this exsist in Chile?

hey zer0nz, which bank is that with? I use the Servipag website which then goes to the bank and it is long, tedious and involves entering the same information about 10 times on different screens.... if there is a better way I would love to know!

zer0nz wrote:If your lucky to have a bank account you add all your accounts to the list, and once a month you hit "get me the amount outstanding" and then hit the "pay now" button, two clicks, everything paid, Gas, power, Water, Tv, Internet, Mobile, Tolls, you name it... best service in the world

sensational! there is something similiar in Aus with Billpay, but not quite that efficient or easy.

Mind you if you don't have a local bank account don't try and use an international credit card to pay bills online...

I tried this with VTR, which led to a confusing situation in which I had a receipt but it didn't charge to my credit card, and I ended up having to go into the branch to pay anyway, so it was much more hassle than it was worth.

Someone else had told me not to bother trying before I did, but it seemed so easy... indeed it was not.

rachelmarama wrote:hey zer0nz, which bank is that with? I use the Servipag website which then goes to the bank and it is long, tedious and involves entering the same information about 10 times on different screens.... if there is a better way I would love to know!

Rachel, (hello btw!), I have found for national things like VTR, ADT etc Servipag/bank account it easy. But for regional things (water, electricity), it is not as automatic, have to enter the details each time (did not have to do that in stgo)... so perhaps it is more the awesome providers we have in regional chile than servipag that is the issue...

Steph

zer0nz wrote:if you don't have a account, and are lucky to work for a company that provides the service of a junior, you give him all your bills with either cash or cheques once a month and he will go and pay them manually.....

Or you can do that yourself. Go to an office of Servipag (there is always one close to you) with your bills and enough cash. Very easy.

The simple secret is going to ServiPag at the right times and right days to avoid the lines. If you work, you are SOL.

Go right after lunch break ends, avoid monthly and weekly pay days, understand the Chilean logic (or lack of) on when to pay ones bills and go against it, etc.

I try to pay my bills ahead, this way when I'm out of the country things just roll along. This unfortunately means visiting the offices of each utility individually.

The trouble with paying bills automatically is getting the money back after you have been overcharged, which happens a lot more than it should.
I have to dedicate one morning each week for queuing - in the bank, in Servipag, In the Post Office etc etc. The trick as mentioned previously is avoiding peak hours/days.
It's a pain....

MikieO wrote:I try to pay my bills ahead, this way when I'm out of the country things just roll along. This unfortunately means visiting the offices of each utility individually.

We are heading home for a holiday shortly and will be gone most of the month. HUsbands bank account is in the process of being set up and all of the bills that come to our house (utilities/internet etc) are in the owners name, so we can't use the handy feature where you press the magic button and the bills are paid from your account automatically. Normally I just pop down to Servipag and join the queue but of course that won't be possible this month.

Is it possible (i.e. has anyone ever done it themselves) to go to Servipag and take an old bill for the utility/service and just pay the next months bill?