PayMyBills.com Picks SF Interactive as Interactive AOR

PayMyBills.com, the idealab!-funded site that helps people manage their bills, this week chose SF Interactive as its interactive agency of record.

The agreement means SF Interactive, which yesterday announced a $10 million new round of venture financing, will handle online marketing, creative execution, and media buying for PayMyBills.com. Billings are estimated at $3 million.

“We chose SFI based on their successful experience helping translate client communications, distribution and cost-cutting needs into highly effective, state-of-the art online advertising through targeted media planning and creative design execution,” says Whitney Hayes, director of online marketing at PayMyBills.com. “Their client list gives us the assurance that SFI can successfully meet our needs as a rapidly growing online bill management service”.

PayMyBills.com is among a number of players including Yahoo trying to free customers from the drudgery and paperwork involved in paying bills. But, unlike many banks that offer online bill paying, PayMyBills.com also asks customers to have creditors send bills to the company; it scans them in and emails them to users, who can then pay them online. The success of such a venture is highly dependent on gaining the trust of consumers, and marketing and advertising will likely be key in gaining that trust.

For now, SF Interactive will use existing creative and just handle media buying, but in the first quarter the company expects to rev up the creative aspects of the partnership.