Only 11% of bill payers consider their mobile phone bill as one of the top four bills to always pay. More people would prioritise paying their utility bills (83 %), council tax (77%), mortgage or rent (74%), insurance bill (49%) store or credit card bill (38%), internet charges (19%) or unsecured loans (15%), than the bill for their mobile device.
The research from YouGov, commissioned by credit reference agency Callcredit, encouragingly found that respondents were aware of the consequences of not paying their bills on time. Almost a quarter of all respondents (24%) understand that by paying specific bills on time, they minimise the negative impact on their credit rating.
Owen Roberts, head of Callcredit, commented: “As families continue to feel the pinch of the recession in spite of low inflation, it is encouraging to see that people understand the effects of not paying bills on time.
“However, it may be concerning to those involved in the mobile phone industry that consumers are not prioritising mobile phone payment, although young people place a higher priority on paying these bills than older people. Mobile phone providers spend valuable time and money chasing non-payment of bills and to minimize this it is vital that consumers are credit checked at the acquisition stage and on an ongoing basis.”