| Delivery to one address only: yours! |
More than 50% of Austrians have more than one e-mail address. As a result, not all invoices might go to the same e-mail address. Sometimes, e-mail addresses are even deleted. This might make people lose track of their outstanding invoices. Paper invoices, on the other hand, always come to the same destination, which is the letterbox right at your doorstep. |
| Paper is always better than pixels |
According to a survey, 59% of Austrians prefer paper invoices. The percentage is even higher for elderly and low-income people. |
| You will have something in your hands. |
Tangible things are perceived as more valuable. A study by Österreichische Post showed that e-invoices are perceived as less important than paper invoices. And paper invoices are always withing reach whenever you need them. |
| Your data are safe here! |
Phishing e-mails that target your access data, hackers, viruses: in the online world, there are many security threats to your documents. They might be read by third parties without your noticing. Letters, on the other hand, are protected by the secrecy of correspondence, which protects them from attacks by third parties. |
| No internet, no problem |
Only 82% of Austrian households have internet access. Many thousands of Austrias have to leave their homes to read their e-mail. But virtually everybody has a mailing address. |
| No IT skills required. |
Starting your computer, finding the correct website, entering passwords, answering e-mails, opening downloads - this is not second nature for everbody. Especially elderly people sometimes struggle with electronic media. And yet, no technical skills are required to open a letter. |
| You won't miss a thing. |
Most people receive significantly more e-mail than items in the mail. The daily e-mail volume can range between 20 and 50 e-mails per day. And people are not always keen on going through their inbox every day. This might result in important invoices getting overlooked in the avalanche of unimportant e-mails received. |
| Paper reminds you of outstanding payments. |
Whenever you have an outstanding payment, it makes sense for you to see it. An invoice that you can put on your table will be a reliable reminder of that. Once your computer screen goes dark, e-invoices can easily be forgotten. |
| Mistakes are easier to spot. |
Everybody wants to make sure invoices are correct. However, as a general rule, e-invoices are checked less frequently than paper invoices. Even in the tech-savvy age group of 12 to 24 year olds, just 9% check their e-invoices for accuracy. Invoice issuers are very well aware of this "online blindness" and might charge incorrect amounts to the detriment of consumers. |
| You save money. |
Roughly 40% of people end up printing out e-invoices anyway. But then, not even 25% of households have their own printer. Also, the device, paper, and ink cost money. |
| No negative effect on the environment! |
Many companies claim that e-invoices save paper and are more eco-friendly than paper invoices. But there is no need for you to worry: Österreichische Post has CO2 neutral delivery** for all items. Also, make people print their invoices at home anyway. And don't forget that more than 70% of all paper in Europe gets recycled. |
| Paper is always at hand. |
Paper invoices are easy to file and are easy to access. You do not have to start your computer or browse your inbox. This is why most people print important invoices anyway to have something permanent. |
