Next time you spot a bill in the letterbox, it could be worth looking into whether you’re being charged extra to receive this correspondence in the mail and how you might avoid paying the fee if so.
A growing number of service providers now charge a fee to cover the costs of printing and posting your bill. That list recently expanded to include Telstra, which reportedly cited ‘environmental reasons’ as the reason many of its customers would need to pay $2.20 each time they received a bill in the mail after 20 May 2023.
Not all of Telstra’s customers will need to pay the paper billing fee – those who have a valid health care, pension concession or Department of Veteran’s Affairs card are exempt. The charge will also not apply to customers who don’t have an email address or access to an active internet service, as well as those who require special bill formats, such as braille or large print.
There are numerous reasons why other companies may elect to not charge fees, such as those customers who receive income support or are on a hardship program.
The best way to find out if you are eligible for an exemption is to contact each of your providers to ask if you qualify for an exemption from paper bill fees, and how to apply.
If you’re not eligible, then the easiest way to avoid paying a paper billing fee is to switch to online billing and receive your bills by email or via the company’s app or website.
Over the course of a year, these charges for paper billing all add up, especially for people on a low income. By opting out of paper billing or claiming the fee exemption, you could save a considerable amount each year.
Also remember to be wary about fake billing scams via phone calls or emails. Scammers sometimes try to trick consumers by sending emails that look like they are from a legitimate company. The email may ask you to send money for an overdue account.
