Insights » The Hidden Costs of Bill Pay Report 2022

The Hidden Costs of Bill Pay Report 2022

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The 2022 Hidden Costs of Bill Pay report uses doxo INSIGHTS data combined with other research to provide a comprehensive look at America’s top concerns while managing and staying on top of bills.

The Hidden Costs of Bill Pay report, like last year’s, draws on a mixture of original doxo data and authoritative sources like the Federal Reserve, the CFPB, and the FTC. See highlights from the report, or download the full pdf below.

The average household spent $986 on the hidden costs of bill pay in 2021:

These figures are 6% higher than they were for last year’s Hidden Costs of Bill Pay Report, which showed that the hidden costs of bill pay had an overall market impact of $119 billion, and an average annual cost per household of $925. Moderate increases across the board contributed to this spike, with the biggest increase coming from biller late fees and penalties. While households paid $15 billion because of biller late fees and penalties last year, this year they paid $20 billion.

$658 in Added Costs of Credit

Staying current on bills and debt payments is a primary factor for strengthening credit. doxo’s analysis shows that staying ahead on payments and improving credit score by 35 points can save the average household $658 per year in interest expense. The average U.S. household carries over $96,000 in revolving debt – between mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, primarily – so boosting credit and qualifying for lower interest rates significantly reduces expenses.

$155 in Late Fees

Missing or paying a bill late often incurs late fees, and 32% of households reported incurring one or more late fees. This totaled $20 billion in household expenses, or $155 per household, as compared to a total of $15 billion, or $119 per household last year.

$119 in Overdraft Fees

Banks charged consumers over $16 billion in overdraft fees this year, or about $119 per household. This is compared to an average of $97 last year, with bill payments as the primary cause of bank overdrafts.

$54 in Identity Fraud

The average household out of pocket costs for identity fraud amounts to $7 billion, or $54 per household a year, as compared to a total of $3 billion, or $26 dollars per household, last year. These are just the direct costs, not including the time and expense consumers spend to restore and repair their identity records once compromised.

The Hidden Costs of Bill Pay

A comprehensive analysis of the four hidden costs of bill pay that affect consumers in 2022.