More than half of all bills in America are now paid online;though when it comes to who's doing the paying, major generationgaps exist, according to new data from electronic payments companyACI Worldwide and research firm Aite Group.

The study of 2,429 U.S. consumers during the third quarter of2016 found that 56% of all bills are paid online today and thatmost consumers paying online do so via billers' websites ratherthan via financial institution bill pay or third-party bill paysites. Millennials and Gen Xers pay the largestproportion of their bills online (61% and 60%, respectively), thestudy added.

“While a large segment of older Americans still pay billsthrough the mail, in-person and by check, overall trends areshifting toward online and mobile bill payment,” Aite Group SeniorAnalyst David Albertazzi said. “Banks and billers need to have along-term view and dedicate resources to digital channels thatprovide a frictionless payment process and encourage consumers topay online and through automated channels.”