The Sad State of Online Credit Card Statements
The only reason to use online credit card statements I can think of is for electronic filing. It should take less time to download the statement than to scan and OCR in a batch feed scanner.
- Amex Canada. Its ok once you find where to log in on the web site. Your eye is not drawn to the login place. When you download the PDF it is exactly like the printed statement you receive in the mail.
- Citi Mastercard. Hard to find the login page. Its confusing becuase they also have login for banking, which appears different. Download statement detail doesn’t do what you think. No way to download a statement the looks like the one you receive in the mail. There is a printable version that will sufice. The information is all on it. Good enough to file.
- ScotiaBank Visa. If you are very careful on epost you can generate a nice pdf you can file. Click on the Account Details view, then look for a print link. The one your eye is drawn to will give you a fubared print of your browser page some numbers chopped off - you might not notice till its too late, like when you actually retreive a statement a month or two down the road. Look for the small print link on the statement itself. Press that will you have a nice printable version you can file. You also need to be sure you click on account details before you print. Oh. Did I mention the account details doesn’t have the balance due on it. The default view is the completely useless account summary, which makes you think you are looking at your bill but really you are just looking at the top of it (although it does have your balance on it). You could easily be tricked, file the wrong thing, and then you are done.
Despite the likelihood of you making a human error and hosing your file, receiving a bill from epost seems to be the most efficient way to file bills electronicaly. I may cancel my mastercard in favour of one that is supported on epost.
Amex - well there is no choice in the matter. The only reason I carry it is for the odd Costco purchase.