Page 2 of How to Evaluate a Billing-as-a-Service (BaaS) Provider

Customer Service Capabilities

BaaS providers typically provide the frontline customer service to the policyholder, answering questions about the timing or amount of the bill, processing individual transactions, or providing support changing bill plans, mechanisms, or due dates. A variety of features are available to handle the ongoing customer service activities related to the billing process.

Enrollment:

Enrollment refers to the ability for the payor to set up a payment account easily with their payment info. This may be done through a portal provided by the BaaS provider, through a pop-up window that is seamlessly integrated into the insurer’s portal, or through mobile SDKs. Look for the ability to brand the enrollment process with the carrier’s look and feel and logo.

Notice delivery:

In addition to sending the invoice, these vendors can often also send other kinds of notices, including welcome letters, endorsement/rider letters, notices of intent to cancel, cancellation/lapse notices, reinstatement letters, and other types of communications as needed.

Policyholder portal:

A policyholder portal allows the payor to easily conduct their transactions online. Single sign-on with the insurer’s existing customer portal provides a seamless transition when branded to match the insurer’s website. Look for the breadth of transaction capabilities provided via the portal.

Customer service transaction types:

Supported transaction types may include the following:

Making one-time payments.
Setting up recurring payments.
Setting reminders.
Making billing inquiries.
Viewing billing and payment history.
Making changes to the payment method (e.g., EFT to credit card).
Securely updating credit card or banking information.
Changing the payment plan (e.g., go from quarterly to monthly).
Linking multiple accounts to provide a single bill.
Selecting or changing the due date of bills.
Signing up for paperless billing.
Sending messages or emails with queries to the insurers or BaaS provider.
Using chatbots, which may be available for routine questions.
Receiving a confirmation or email receipt after each policyholder-initiated change.
Acessing automated escalation workflow for missing payroll files or insufficient funds.

Call center:

Most BaaS providers have a call center available to provide agent-assisted services. These should be evaluated as you would evaluate any call center (e.g., professionalism, time to answer, average queue time, abandon rates, customer feedback, and all the other metrics). Look for features such as IVR, AI voice assistance, and actual human beings. Also verify whether the call center will brand the transactions as an insurer transaction (e.g., answering the phone in the insurer’s name).

Other Omnichannel features:

In addition to a portal and a call center, some BaaS providers provide mobile apps, secure kiosks, pay-by-text, or social pay.

Internationalization:

Look for the languages supported on self-service tools such as a portal or mobile app but also within the call center for agent-assisted support. English and Spanish are typically provided in the US. Look for any other languages you may need based on your own customer base.