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InvoiceCloud Survey Highlights Language Barriers in Online Bill Pay


InvoiceCloud Survey Highlights Language Barriers in Online Bill Pay
  • by: Business Wire
  • |
  • July 30, 2026

InvoiceCloud has released new survey findings revealing that language accessibility remains a significant barrier to online bill payment adoption in the United States. The study highlights how multilingual digital payment experiences can improve customer engagement, increase online payment adoption, and reduce payment friction for consumers and organizations pursuing paperless billing.

Based on responses from 1,000 U.S. consumers, the research shows that offering online billing platforms in customers' preferred languages could encourage more users to adopt digital payment channels while improving payment completion rates.

Quick Intel

  • InvoiceCloud survey finds 46% of consumers would be more likely to pay bills online if platforms supported their preferred language.
  • 41% have struggled to complete or abandoned online bill payments due to language barriers.
  • 52% resorted to phone, in-person payments, or relied on others for assistance.
  • Utilities, insurance, property taxes, and government fees are the most common online payment categories.
  • 13% reported service disruptions or insurance cancellations because language prevented successful payments.
  • Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Korean rank among the top preferred languages after English.

Language Accessibility Drives Digital Bill Payment Adoption

InvoiceCloud's consumer survey found that language options significantly influence how consumers choose to pay essential bills. While 79% of respondents primarily pay bills online or through mobile applications, nearly half indicated they would be even more likely to use digital payment platforms if services were available in their preferred language.

The findings suggest that multilingual billing experiences can help organizations increase digital payment adoption while supporting broader paperless initiatives across utilities, government agencies, and insurance providers.

Language Barriers Continue to Impact Payment Completion

The research reveals that language challenges extend beyond convenience and directly affect payment outcomes.

According to the survey:

  • 41% of respondents experienced difficulty completing or abandoned an online payment because their preferred language was unavailable.
  • 52% had to switch to alternative payment methods such as phone or in-person payments during business hours or seek assistance from friends or family members.

These findings demonstrate how limited language accessibility can create unnecessary payment friction and reduce the effectiveness of digital billing platforms.

Essential Service Providers Face Growing Demand for Multilingual Support

The survey identified utilities, insurance companies, local governments, and municipalities as the sectors where consumers most frequently use online payment platforms.

Among respondents:

  • 78% pay utility bills online.
  • 59% pay insurance premiums digitally.
  • 33% pay property taxes online.
  • 33% use online platforms for municipal or government fees.

Notably, 73% of surveyed consumers said they would pay utility bills online if their preferred language were supported, highlighting the potential for increased digital engagement through multilingual payment experiences.

Language Challenges Can Lead to Service Disruptions

Beyond payment inconvenience, the study found that language barriers can have significant real-world consequences.

Thirteen percent of respondents reported experiencing utility service disconnections or insurance policy cancellations because language difficulties prevented them from completing payments successfully.

The survey also identified Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Korean as the most requested language options after English, reflecting the growing need for inclusive digital payment platforms across diverse communities.

InvoiceCloud Highlights Opportunity for Inclusive Digital Payments

“Paying an essential bill should be simple,” said Kevin O’Brien, CEO, InvoiceCloud. “If something as straightforward as offering the right language helps more people pay online with confidence, that's an opportunity we should all be paying attention to. It's better for consumers, and it's better for the organizations serving them."

The survey findings underscore the importance of multilingual online billing platforms as organizations continue expanding digital payment services. By improving language accessibility, businesses and public-sector organizations can reduce payment barriers, encourage online adoption, and deliver a more inclusive customer experience.

About the Survey

The consumer survey was conducted via Dynata and polled 1,000 general U.S.-based consumers over 18 years of age in June 2026. Respondents were segmented and analyzed across age groups, gender, marital status, having children, and household income. For complete survey methodology, please email invoicecloud@pancomm.com.

About InvoiceCloud

InvoiceCloud provides modern digital payment, customer engagement, and outbound disbursement solutions. The company services more than 3,200 customers across the utility, government and insurance industries and is a leader in the electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) space. InvoiceCloud’s SaaS platform enables continuous enhancements to the customer experience resulting in higher digital payment, AutoPay, and paperless adoption rates. By switching to InvoiceCloud, clients can improve customer engagement and satisfaction while lowering costs, accelerating payments, and reducing staff workloads. To learn more, visit InvoiceCloud.com.

  • Digital PaymentsOnline Bill PayCustomer Experience
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