When it comes to credit cards, many Americans are doggedly attached to their paper statements.
A new survey from CreditCards.com found that 93 million credit card holders are still receiving their statements on paper instead of online, and 43 million of them actually prefer it that way.
“I guess old habits are hard to break,’’ says Matt Schulz , senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com.
Nearly 50% of those who are receiving paper financial statements say they would be willing to pay to get those mailings if they had to.
For those who are still receiving paper financial statements, 80% said they like having those pieces of paper for their records, while 74% like the tangible reminder that it’s time to make a payment. “As convenient as an electronic statement can be,’’ Schulz says, “they can also be kind of easy to miss in your email.’’
While 67% of those getting mailed statements are just used to finding out what they owe the old-fashioned way, 50% say they pay their bills by checks and the mailed statements supply them with the payment envelopes. More than a quarter of those getting paper statements say that they didn’t have consistent access to the Internet.
Even if you prefer paper statements, it’s a good idea to also check your accounts online, Schulz says.
“That’s the best way to find out as quickly as possible if there’s any sort of fraudulent activity going on,’’ Schulz says. He recommends that consumers go online once a week to review not only their credit card accounts but their bank accounts as well.
