Barclaycard is launching a new SMS alerting service to enable its cardholders to receive text messages reminding them of when their monthly credit card payment is due.
Users signed up to the free service will receive a text payment reminder five working days before their monthly credit card payment has to be made.
Customers can register for the service by contacting Barclaycard's customer services department with the number of the mobile phone they wish the message to be sent to.
Research released by mobile payment technology provider Upaid last year found that around a third of adults would like to be reminded of credit card bill payments by sms text message. Of these, 62% said they would like to be able to reply to that text message to authorise payment of the bill.
A separate study by Lloyds TSB found that nearly a fifth of adults (18%) avoid checking their bank statements, but 17% of these believe an SMS text alerting service would help them keep on top of their finances.
Lloyds TSB launched its mobile phone text alert service in December 2004 which allows its Web banking customers to receive account information - including their current balance and a list of the last six transactions - over their mobile handsets.
HSBC's direct banking subsidiary First direct and Nationwide also provide text alerting services, while MasterCard has released an SMS-based anti-fraud system that enables banks to report suspicious card transactions to customers via sms.