Why can't a company email me the amount of my bill?

[CreekDog]

I don't want to go to their website and log in to see what I owe.

Email it to me.

Not one of them can.

Is this rocket science?

This is why I keep my paper bills.

[hippywife]

1. Probably because

their systems are set up to retrieve data via a search but not do anything else with it. What's the big deal about logging on to their site? :shrug:

[CreekDog]

2. if they can snail mail me a bill, they can email me the same thing

or at least the amount.

i don't want to visit these sites and login (and remember all the different passwords).

they can do this, they just don't.

i told TMobile that I'd do their paperless billing only if they can email me the bill or amount due.

[hippywife]

3. You're right.

They can do it if they spend the money to completely reprogram their system to do something only one person is asking for. The fact that you can log on to their system to obtain the info IS paperless billing.

All of my passwords for the various systems I use are the same. Most of them allow you to change your password from the original system generated one, or even to set you password from the onset.

Most important of all, I don't want my account numbers for billing going through innumerable servers across the country to get to me. That is not a very secure way to do things.

[mzteris]

4. not just one person -

I feel the same way.

[hippywife]

5. You may want to re-read

the last line of my post regarding security. That is about THE most insecure way to send billing info besides via the snail mail. One weak server in the trail of servers the info has to travel and everyone's account numbers are for the taking.

This is probably why they don't do it.

[CreekDog]

7. they could email me the amount due

no security issue in that.

i also simply want to view the amounts due on my phone and then visit my banking site just once.

if i have to visit their site, i have to access that account (their password restrictions make it difficult to have just one password). then get the amount from their site (comcast's for example :banghead: :wtf:0...then go back to my banking site and update the amount there (meanwhile it's logged me off during the delay).

an email would be 100 times simpler.

they can do it, they simply want me to go to their website to advertise to me a product i already get and to get me to pay fees to make a payment online to them.

[hippywife]

8. I dunno.

I still don't see the issue. It's just logging on to a couple of sites, it's not like you have to walk miles from one to the other to make the payment. :shrug:

:rofl:

[CreekDog]

6. Yes I'm the only person in the entire world that wants this

Take off. :rofl:

[hippywife]

9. If I had to guess another reason why they don't do it that way

is because sending out batches of emails to all of their customers would really tie up and slow down their servers, where having the info available through their website would allow those who want it to get it when they need it. Not everyone or even close to a majority of customers are likely to be signed on at the same time.

Just guessing, really. :D

[CreekDog]

12. oh come on

if you think that then i'm sorry but i have doubts about your technical knowledge of the issue. no offense, there's no reason why anybody should have in depth knowledge of why the companies do or don't do this.

but i really find the email overload issue to be laughable because almost all these providers send an email to me to say my statement is ready to look at.

[hippywife]

14. I said I was just guessing

but I know enough to know that transmitting large batches of data, depending on the size of the file and the number of people receiving, it can indeed slow down a server. How do you think people launch attacks against websites? They tie it up by submitting more requests, more than its servers can handle, at the same time to make it perform its normal functions too many times all at once.

[CreekDog]

17. i'm not denying that, but they already practically spam us with email anyway!

:rofl:

you think they can't send 1 more per month? and in my case, it wouldn't be one more, it would be the same number, with 1 piece of additional info!

[Richardo]

10. Centerpoint Energy does that . I get an email every month telling me what my gas bill is.

And my insurance company reminds me what my monthly payment is in the reminder email.

Reliant Energy tells me how much the power bill is.

American Express tells me how much I owe on my Corporate Card.

So it CAN be done. :patriot:

[MicaelS]

11. Many companies do so....

Have you checked their site thoroughly? Might be buried in some fashion. Also, many companies only email you IF you sign up for paperless billing.

Check our MyCheckFree.com https://mycheckfree.com

It's lets you sign up for multiple bills on one site so you get emails for me them when you have a new bill.

[CreekDog]

13. which companies will send you the amount you owe in an email?

yeah, they all are fine with sending me a monthly email saying, "come to our website, log into your account and see how much you owe us..."

that's NOT what this is about...it's about simply having them sent to my email box so i can easily see them on my phone, then after they call come in, quickly program them into my bank's online bill payment.

if i have to go to each website on my phone and then get the amount (in a pdf no less sometimes! :wtf:)
then go back to the bank's website and do this for successive bills --that's just a PITA.

in that case i just keep getting the paper bills and program them in as they arrive.

frankly i don't WANT to go to their websites...i just want the amount and to pay them off. some of the company sites are just a nightmare of navigation and password requirements --just tell me how much i owe! i like having access to all the info of course, but at the most basic level, send me the amount due.

[MicaelS]

15. Well, I know in my case

AT&T, TXU and Charter Cable do so. Check out My Check Free, I've used it before, and it works well. Does not have all companies, or all bills, though. It has a list on it's site.

[CreekDog]

16. i'll check that out, i wish they all offered it

so far none of my providers do this.

[kedrys]

18. Most of mine do

Up here, I can pay all my bills through the secure bank site, and I can elect to receive my bills through the bank's secure email area as well. Then I get a generic email reminder (at my regular email address) with the amount due and the due date. I log onto one site (the bank's), and I'm done.

Of course, up here we have like 6 banks instead of 9000, so there's a reason all the banks let you do this sort of thing.

If for whatever reason that doesn't do it for me, I can elect to receive electronic bills through the Canada Post secure website, with the same notification process.

[REP]

19. I have paperless billing for everything; emailed statement gives amount due; bill is online PDF

Granted, I don't have a lot of bills - PGE, two credit cards, my health insurance (monthly), car/motorcycle insurance (every six months) and cable/DSL/cell phone.

[Old Troop]

20. Probably to protect your information

[WinkyDink]

21. Privacy protection. You want your $$ and C.C. info in an unsecured e-mail?

[CreekDog]

22. privacy protection doesn't make sense as an answer considering...

that a few posters here have said the info is emailed to them.

[HopeHoops]

23. I have several that do just that.

Some don't, but for some of them I get a nice e-mail showing letting me know the full bill is available online along with the amount I owe and the due date. That doesn't mean I'll PAY it on time, but it is nice to get the notices.

[lost-in-nj]

24. my Amex and Visa

let me know what I owe...

maybe check the websites and see if they have a link to sign up for email updates..
that's what I did.

good luck!

lost

[TreasonousBastard]

25. Verizon and Cablevision offer to email me my bills...

saves them postage and dead tree money.

[Gormy Cuss]

26. Maybe it's a violation of CA law?

Either that or my plan to mess with your head is working.}(