Paying Telephone Bills by Phone

Posted on October 18, 2006
Filed Under >Bilal Zuberi, Economy & Development, Science and Technology
10 Comments
Total Views: 28520

Bilal Zuberi

If you are like me, you might be quite used to standing in long lines outside the Bank and the post-office to pay phone and electricity/gas bills every month. Now that I am no longer at home for most of the year, my brothers have to deal with the hassle. I have noticed over time that the lines are getting longer as more people have access to telephones, and the bank staff seems to have become less efficient and polite.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing it for yourself, trust me that standing outside in the sun for more than 2 hours in the summer heat is no joke, especially when it is just to pay a lousy phone bill. We managed by eating gola-ganda (flavored ice) or drinking gannay kaa juice (sugar-cane juice, see a related ATP post here and here).

Well, all that is expected to change now. PTCL has announced another method of bill payment. This time PTCL calling cards can be used to pay PTCL phone bills from the convenience of one’s home (or office). These cards are available in market in denominations of Rs. 300, 500, 700, 1,000 and 2,000. According to a report in the Daily Times:

For greater convenience of customers, PTCL has made arrangements for payment of three bills through their own telephone during a billing cycle.

For further information, the customers can contact PTCL calling card help line (0800 80808), which is functional round the clock.

To access this service, a customer needs to dial 1010 and then press 88# to enter UBP flow.

From the menu, the customer is asked to dial 11# to pay for the bill and other options for related services. System recorded instructions guide customer to accomplish his required tasks.

This is not the only innovation introduced by the PTCL in bill payment. It appears that electronic bill payment using ATM cards and Online banking is also available via MCB Bank and Askari Commercial Bank.

I have not used these services as yet but would like to hear if you have and what your experience was like. I routinely pay my bills in the US using online banking and it saves me a ton of time. If there are no glitches in the system, the ability to pay bills from the comfort and convenience of home would be a major step forward. I know it would make my brothers happy customers. Kudos to the administration!

10 responses to “Paying Telephone Bills by Phone”

  1. I am collector of Phonecards and I am specialized in Pakistani cards.Ptcl Speed Test: Check your internet speed test for all other networks.

  2. Zameer Ahmed says:

    Companies are moving towards mobiles apps

  3. HEllo,
    I am collector of Phonecards and I am specialized in Pakistani cards.
    I am looking to buy USED cards from pakistan..
    those FONE BILL pctl cards , i pay 0.50 eur for used cards and 1 eur for empty/used 500-1000-2000Rs cards.

    Also White chipcards wanted from those different companies as Moontel, Indus Tel , Insta call, telemax, ring world, city call, call point, and many others pictured phonecards buying by quantities.. Please offer ..

    Scratch cards mobile and remote, depending on type and quantity.. 100 cards for 1 euro, but rarer cards ,limited editions subject to offer ..

    Drop a mail if you have something available,
    Can pay by Moneybookers, paypal..

    Thanks for your interest ..
    About 1000 phonecards of pakistan I have listed here :

    http://colnect.com/en/phonecards/companies/country  /163-Pakistan

    Jan from Belgium

  4. salman says:

    hello sir,
    kia ap bata sakty han ky yeh cards hamy kitny main mily gai or jab bill sabmit ho ga to kia is par hamy koi commission bi mily ga. ager bata do tu ap ka bohat thanks ho ga.

    M salman
    salman_khan_satrs@yahoo.com

  5. […] when they attempt to do something to make lives easier for the citizens. For example, we have praised PTCL in the past for providing an online service to pay phone/electric/gas utility bills […]

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