Did you think Check (FinovateSpring 2010) might miss a step in the days and weeks following its acquisition by Intuit?
Think again.
Check announced this morning that it has signed a new partnership with Direct Energy. This means the customers of Direct Energy, one of the largest retail producers of electricity and natural gas in North America, will have the ability to pay their utility bill via their smartphone and Check’s mobile app.
Check COO, Steve Schultz, said in a statement:
“(Direct Energy) understands how important the mobile experience is to customers’ satisfaction today. Partnering with Check complements Direct Energy’s great efforts to successfully attract and retain customers.”
Direct Energy serves six million customers in the U.S. and Canada. The company operates in 46 states and in 10 Canadian provinces.
Check’s technology makes it easy for consumers to track and pay bills by consolidating and automating the bill pay process. Consumers can rely on Check to let them know what bills are coming due when, and then pay them automatically via the mobile app.
Partnerships with utility companies like Direct Energy are a major component of Check’s overall strategy for growth. Local, state, and regional partnerships with Alltel Wireless, New Jersey Natural Gas, and Arlington Water have helped Check grow the number of consumers who consistently take advantage of the technology. Payments costs are lower, and the amount of time spent tracking and paying bills is greatly reduced.
Founded in 2008 and rebranded as Check early in the summer of 2013, the company was acquired by Intuit in May, a transaction that closed on Monday. More than 10 million consumers use the Check app to pay bill using their mobile device.