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Does anyone actually *like* paper billing?

mikeymikec

mikeymikec

Lifer
I mean, apart from my wife apparently and say people over the age of 60 🙂

My wife actually wants paper bills (e.g. utility bills) because she prefers it to electronic copies. She's au fait enough with computers for file management not to be the problem either... hopefully I'll get a complete answer from her on this topic at some point soon 🙂

I can see a certain amount of point in paper billing, some organisations want paper bills as proof of identity for example and I don't know whether they would accept a file that I've printed (would they notice?).

Otherwise it's just space consuming and time-consuming to file and find bills if needed at some point in the future.
 
My wife prefers them too plus she still writes paper checks. We keep the bill pile in the same spot so that its a physical reminder to pay.
 
Yes...! Stupid spam filter sometimes jacks some of my bills so the paper is a good backup and when it piles up the wife goes nuts...:biggrin:
 
I like to control when I send a payment -- scheduled payments that might or might not happen when they are supposed to is annoying.

I like to not have to log in to 10 different payment websites a month, each with a completely different user interface.

My rent switched to online statements recently, and they don't send an email confirmation of the amount that was withdrawn from my checking account. So now I need to go into my bank's phone or web system to make sure they didn't add a couple of 0s on to the rent amount.
 
My roommate. The power company charges an ebilling fee of $5 every 15 bills or something and that's unacceptable to him, so he pays by check.
 
l0cke said:
My roommate. The power company charges an ebilling fee of $5 every 15 bills or something and that's unacceptable to him, so he pays by check.
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Weird.

Meanwhile, you've got other companies doing the opposite, and charging a fee if you don't go paperless.
 
My parents do because they like to reconcile the bills every few months to their books. They shred the bills afterwards.

I get email billings for everything and set up mailbox filters to store them accordingly. I don't reconcile anything unless I notice an unusual charge through online banking. Same idea, I guess.
 
I kinda like my Amex bill being still in paper form since we put so much on it so its easier to flip through. It also has a lot of info on the front page like current cash back.
 
Printing the bills provides jobs. So do printing the checks, mailing the bills and checks, processing the check payments, and recycling all that paper. Please support jobs by asking for paper bills and paying them by mailing checks.
 
I am somewhat of a budget / math person so I like to keep the paper bills to compare over time and pulling them out of my otherwise-empty drawer makes it much simpler. Also, I pay bills online manually (not scheduled) so having the paper bill mailed to me lets me know when it's actually due (fluctuates by 2-3 days every month). I like having control rather than on an automatic payment where I cannot be sure our joint account has sufficient funds.

Up until a few weeks ago, I still had bills from 2004 for reference.
 
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I hate paper anything, I don't get why that is still the default way of getting a bill. The option should be that you get it as an email. Not an email link so you have to go login to some system, but the bill itself right in an email. That's how it should be. Before people cry "security!" what stops someone from stealing the bills from your mailbox? Paperless is good but I hate how it's executed. I still go paperless though as it still beats having to deal with all this paper mail coming in.

It's also absurd that some places charge extra for paperless. It should be costing them less money. Can tell they do it just because they know they can make money off it.

Also preauthorized payment is a Godsend. I can't imagine doing it any other way. To me the bill is simply a convinient way of seeing a breakdown of why I was charged nn amount. For example I know how much I pay for electricity when I look in my bank but if I want to know if I used more power during a certain period or other more fine details I can then go look at the bill.
 
I want a physical paper trail to correct mistakes that inevitably happen. I will always use paper billing and mail for stuff when it comes to money. I want that paper trail. Same reason I'll never do auto bill pay or allow any entity to withdraw money from my accounts. I keep the paper for 7 years.
 
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spidey07 said:
I want a physical paper trail to correct mistakes that inevitably happen. I will always use paper billing and mail for stuff when it comes to money. I want that paper trail. Same reason I'll never do auto bill pay or allow any entity to withdraw money from my accounts.
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So print out your online statement? Or better yet, just save it to a PDF on your computer. Most financial institutions have a link to download your statement PDF directly.
 
mikeymikec said:
I mean, apart from my wife apparently and say people over the age of 60 🙂

My wife actually wants paper bills (e.g. utility bills) because she prefers it to electronic copies. She's au fait enough with computers for file management not to be the problem either... hopefully I'll get a complete answer from her on this topic at some point soon 🙂

I can see a certain amount of point in paper billing, some organisations want paper bills as proof of identity for example and I don't know whether they would accept a file that I've printed (would they notice?).

Otherwise it's just space consuming and time-consuming to file and find bills if needed at some point in the future.
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Absolutely REQUIRE it. Must have physical control of things, or they do not exist. What's more, since I pay only in physical money there has to be some form of physical bill to accompany it or all manner of issues would arise.
 
Mixolydian said:
So print out your online statement? Or better yet, just save it to a PDF on your computer. Most financial institutions have a link to download your statement PDF directly.
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The paper is easier to manage and network connectivity isn't required. Much more secure. Plus the laws that protect you from being mailed a bill vs. an electronic message.
 
spidey07 said:
The paper is easier to manage and network connectivity isn't required. Much more secure. Plus the laws that protect you from being mailed a bill vs. an electronic message.
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Ditto. Got screwed too many times with electronics statements and billing, so i use it only for non essential accounts. Examples: the co. 'Upgrades' system and all my statements are gone, along with my payment setup and account. Or the system 'can't retrieve statement now, please try again later'.
 
PrinceofWands said:
Absolutely REQUIRE it. Must have physical control of things, or they do not exist. What's more, since I pay only in physical money there has to be some form of physical bill to accompany it or all manner of issues would arise.
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Bingo!

The only ones I pay with a check is the ones that send a bill. 🙂

If they don't want to be paid feel free not to mail me a bill.

There is one exception that is my ins. payment. They are the only ones I never had a problem with.

Every other one I let auto-draft or charge a card I have had a problem with.
When I have to call once about over charging or double charging I cancel.
I do not like spending 30-45 minutes on hold waiting on a phone drone who can't correct the problem. Then be put on hold to be transfered to the next drone until I get to the right one. And then repeat next month!


I also do not use a card at a register any more. I go to the CU and get cash.
When I have spent that I go back for more.


.
 
I hate paper, but I also hate autobill. I like getting an E-statement, and I then pay that individual bill. I can appreciate PoW's routine, but I'm not currently willing to go all over to pay everything in cash. I do for some things though.
 
I prefer paperless, but not automatic payments. I do the one time payment.

And though I pay all bills online, I didn't go paperless with any of them until they offered an incentive. $20 from AT&T, $10 from the electric co., etc.

I have only run into one bill that charges for online payments. After being able to renew online for 10 years, last year the state of Michigan started charging a $2 fee per vehicle to renew plates online. Only the government would charge you a fee for something that saves them from having to process things manually. And it's not a CC fee, because you can renew by mail with a credit card with no charge. So that's what I do. Annoying.
 
spidey07 said:
The paper is easier to manage and network connectivity isn't required. Much more secure. Plus the laws that protect you from being mailed a bill vs. an electronic message.
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what if your house burns?

I don't mind paperless billing but I wouldn't trust autodraw, because if they make an error then you have to get your money back.
I save a PDF of all the payment statements and the like as digging them up from the websites is not always convenient.
 
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