Belgrade Goes First with Bills by Text

Residents of the Serbian capital have been able to pay their electricity bills via text message since May 23. For now the system is available only to Dina card holders who use the Telekom mobile network, but the plan is to offer the same service to all Belgraders by the end of the year.

In order to use the service, users first need to register for mobile payments in their banks, where they will be provided with their protective PIN number.

The banks that offer mobile payment services are AIK bank, Banca Intesa, Cacanska Bank, Jubmes Bank, KBC Bank, OTP Bank, Piraeus Bank, Postanska stedionica, Privredna banka Beograd, ProCredit Bank and Universal Bank.Once they register, customers simply send a text message containing “EDB – space – ED number” to 8008. The ED number is the identification number that Belgraders can find on their bill.

Users will receive a message with their current debit that they need to forward to the number 8008.

They will be asked to enter their PIN and confirm the transaction. The service cost 5.9 dinars [€0.05] for every transaction.

The system will soon be available to users of all payment cards and within a year it will include other payments, such as Infostan for communal services and BusPlus for public transport.

Telekom Serbia and Power Distribution Belgrade, EDB, expect other Serbian cities to also introduce this service.

“The service is available only in the capital for now, but EDB experts will gladly share their experience and technology with their colleagues from other cities so this service can be available throughout the country,” says Stevan Milicevic, EDB director.

Vladimir Lucic, from Telekom, said that the system is completely safe and that he believes the country’s other mobile companies, Telenor and VIP, will also offer their clients this service. The three companies already allow Belgraders to pay for parking via text message.