71% of Austrians prefer paper invoices compared to online messages. This percentage is even higher among elderly people, persons with a lower educational level and rural citizens. This was proven by a 500-person survery commissioned by the Austrian postal service.
People with an income of up to 1000 euros per month 77% prefer paper to computer messages. “One can distinguish a social barrier “, explains the head of the Austrian postal service Georg Pölzl. He challenges consumer protection organisations to recognise that non IT-literate people lose their overview over invoices.
Pölzl, former boss of T-Mobile Austria, reminds former colleagues that the telecom sector is legally obliged to offer the choice between paper and online invoicing. They are not allowed to charge extra for paper invoices.
The fact that online invoices are more environmental friendly – as telecom companies like to state – is also questionable. Studies show that many customers actually print the online invoice and this is far less green than professionally printed products.
Article originally published as part of a campaign promoting the right to choose between paper and e-invoices. More information related to the Austrian campaign at http://money.oe24.at/Post.
