Automatic bill payment can be a great way for individuals to automate the payment of their recurring bills, allowing them to pay them more quickly and easily. A biller, generally a financial institution or the company that provides a service, will set up the automatic payment from the customer's account on a schedule. The customer just needs to provide the payment information, such as bank account or credit card number, and the payment schedule.

The primary advantage of automatic bill payments is the ease and convenience they provide. The customer does not need to remember to manually make a payment each month as the payment is automatically made on the scheduled date. The customer will also generally receive an email notification when the payment is due or has been processed. There is also a benefit of avoiding late payments. Customers can set up their payments to be sent a few days before the due date, which allows sufficient time to process the payment and avoid late fees or charges. Finally, customers who pay their bills on time have the potential of improving their credit score.

On the other hand, there are several potential drawbacks to using automatic bill payments. For example, it can be difficult to cancel an automatic payment. Often times, a customer will need to contact the biller to cancel an automatic payment. Additionally, if the customer does not have sufficient funds in their bank account when an automatic payment is due, it may result in a returned payment, potentially incurring fees from both their bank and the biller. Lastly, customers may have difficulty tracking their payment history as the payments are often made without the customer's direct involvement.

In conclusion, automatic bill payments can be a great way to simplify how individuals manage their monthly bills, but customers should be aware of the potential drawbacks when setting up automatic payments.