Paperless bills/ID theft

[amber913]

I've been trying to change all my bill over to paperless billing--the kind where they email you to tell you your bill is ready. (And if i'd had any idea how difficult it would be, i never would've done it. Seriously.) I then pay with my debit card. Does anyone have any idea how safe this is? I'm having second thoughts.

[Denvergirlie]

I get paper statements still in the mail on everything(but need them because I expense those out for work expenses, thus need on company letterhead). However, I pay all but one (xcel energy doesn't take online payments without a $5 surcharge) online with my debit card and have for the past 2 years.

I've never had any issues with paying bills online using my debit card.

[Carson]

I think all of my bills are paid electronically. I've never thought to give them my debit card info, it actually comes as a withdrawl from my bank account. Same end result, different way of getting there, I suppose. Most transactions (except my mortgage payment and student loan) I actually have to physically log in and pay.

You can also do it the opposite way, setting up ebilling with your bank where you tell the bank how much to pay certain vendors.

I would say make sure your bank offers fraud protection (a good idea anyway!), make sure the sites you pay bills on are SSL encrypted, and start with one to get a feel for it.

[Drummer's Wife]

We pay everything online and have never worried about security. You can either do the bill pay system through your bank, or go to each indivual company (i.e. electric, gas, internet) and pay through their online processing center.

Heck, now that I have my bank's app on my iphone, I can just click the pay bills button and pay them in the car over the 3G network - still not worried about fraud.

To me, it's not difficult at all. Now, writing a check, including the account #, finding a stamp and getting to the post office to snail mail a bill in is way too complicated for me.

[LilMama23]

We are paperless for everything and pay everything online and have never once worried about identity theft. We don't use our debit card, though; everything comes straight out of our bank account.

[Midget]

I also pay everything online, and never have problems . I love it!