I only have a couple of credit cards, but I’m trying to use each one somewhat regularly to avoid getting the accounts cancelled for non-use. After I made a purchase on one card that I hadn’t used in a long time, I signed up for online statements and bill payment. But when the first bill arrived, I was a bit confused. You see, the bank sent one email saying the statement was ready, and then another email saying I had an online bill ready. Aren’t these the same thing?

Perhaps they’ve got some goofy legacy systems in place that require this separation. However, it doesn’t make any sense from the customer’s perspective. At a minimum, they should turn off the second email notice, and only send a subsequent email if the bill remains unpaid a few days prior to the due date. Otherwise, people are likely to be confused by the duplicate messaging, which probably leads to additional customer service expenses as they call in for an explanation.