Online Bill Paying vs Paper Bill Paying
To date, there are literally billions of checks that are written annually to pay for bills. Conversely, companies can save hundreds of millions of dollars by offering online bill paying to their customers. Online bill paying versus paper bill paying – which is better?
If you consult environmentalists, they would argue that a paperless society would save more trees and produce a cleaner environment. If you talk to those who have been victims of identity theft or are unwilling to use a computer to pay bills, they too have a valid argument.
When you consider the costs involved in writing checks and envelopes, buying postage, and the amount of time consumed, those who are in favor of online bill paying may be in the majority.
Obviously, security is a major factor when conducting any business online. However, for those who have been utilizing the computer to shop and pay bills, it is a cost-effective process they have come to appreciate.
But for those who have always paid for bills by writing a check or buying a money order, it isn’t so easy to make the switch. Nor would they want to even if they had the opportunity to do so.
Perhaps online bill paying and paper bill paying both have a place in our society. There are certain bills that most of us would not want to pay online. This is understandable. However, recently there has been a different kind of identity theft which has begun to emerge as a new problem: stealing mail from mailboxes.
In some cities, mail can only be taken to the post office, but in other cities, mail is delivered and picked up. A recent incident in a New York suburb is evidence that identity theft can happen at any time, whether you own a computer or not. On one occasion, a young man was seen taking a piece of mail that was to be picked up by the postal worker.
Luckily, a neighbor happened to witness this event and yelled out to him and he dropped the envelope. It contained payment for a credit card bill. Another individual in the same neighborhood wasn’t so lucky. Both the local police and the postal authorities were notified regarding the incident.
So which of the two forms of payment can one rely upon? While online bill paying has its problems, paper bill paying has many as well. For those who have been victims of identity theft, paper bill paying may seem safer. For those who have never had a problem with online bill paying, this is the method of choice.
It is really a matter of perspective, convenience, and trust.
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October 23rd, 2008 at 2:44 am
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