New Electronic Billing System on the Way?

By Greg McNevin

April 30, 2008: An Aussie firm is taking up the challenge of reducing the paper-based mail glut by introducing a new electronic service aimed at cutting out reliance on physical mail such as bank statements, utility bills and invoices.

Normally sent by traditional post at both a huge financial and environmental cost, Profile Marketing has developed a platform called eLetterbox which is being targeted at companies that rely on so-called “essential” paper mail.

In Australia alone, 50 million pieces of mail are routinely prepared and distribution a year at a cost of between $50 and $150 million. This correspondence also consumes 50 million sheets of paper, and 50 million envelopes per week.

Profile says eLetterbox is designed to be secure, trustworthy and reliable. It apparently ‘mirrors’ the existing physical mail process in the virtual world, but how much it differs from say, an email-only billing system as used by some businesses is yet to be seen.

Profile says that eLetterbox is expected to be available to banks, energy utilities and many more firms by the end of 2008.

Comment on this story