Autopay and electronic payments are not the same, and one does not imply the other.
After a few checks have gotten lost in the mail over the years (which caused some minor aggravation but nothing too terrible), I wanted to get the Post Office out of the picture, at least my picture. In one case, I began paying the bill through the merchant's website using my CC. It's not autopay, but it gets the PO out of the picture. In the other case, I have my bank mail a paper check to the merchant. It's a form of autopay IMHO because I don't have to remember to do anything except once a year to change the amount. The PO is still in the picture, but from what I have heard having the bank mail out the check as part of its bulk mailing program is more efficient and supposedly more reliable than my mailing it from my mailbox. The bank will take responsibility for any late payments, too.
Having straight autopay proved very useful when I was unexpectedly in the hospital for 12 days back in 2015. I had a few bills due in those 12 days but they got paid automatically. I had no real internet access while I was in the hospital, so I would have needed someone to handle the bill paying for me (I live alone but have a steady ladyfriend), either by signing into my bank's or other websites, or get me my checkbook to write out checks. Either would have been difficult and/or cumbersome. Autopay was a godsend.
The only two bills I have on autopay are Netflix and Medicare... Auto paying Netflix was my choice (sort of), Medicare wasn't.
