I love paperless billing. Companies push it as a green initiative. Some even go so far as to charge to continue paper billing. And it is green. But companies are more concerned with the money “green” that it brings and not so much the “eco” green. But, regardless of why they are doing it, I’m a fan.
I like saving the planet. I prefer email to snail mail. The only way it could be any better is if I could force EVERYONE to send me email so I’d never have to check my postal mailbox again.
But, there is one part about the paper bill that I miss. When I get a paper bill, I open it and everything I need to know is right there in front of me. I don’t need to look up passwords or account numbers or payment amounts. I open the bill, I pay the bill, I throw the bill away. It’s that simple.
With paperless billing, it’s hit or miss. Some companies provide all of the information on the paper bill in the emailed bill. I love these companies, but they are few and far between. Chase is the worst of all. First, they provide NO information about anything other than the last 4 digits of the account number that the bill is for. Secondly, their online site will not show you your account number and they won’t give it to you on the phone. So you have to either go into a branch office or turn paper billing back on.
I’d like three options when it comes to billing (well, really, I only want one, but, I offer the other two for people who like complicated lives): 1. Paper Billing; 2. Paperless billing requiring a click and a login; 3. Clickless, Paperless billing with all the information from the paper bill present in it. If my email account isn’t secure, that’s my own problem. It’s not like the postal service is at all secure.