7 ways to deal with postal service disruptions

Thanks to digital transformation, you can avoid the inconvenience of waiting for a cheque to arrive by mail or being charged late fees for a bill that was delivered late, or was lost. At the same time, you'll be doing something good for the planet by reducing your use of paper. Here are some tips for peace of mind when mail services are disrupted.

Do your transactions online

Mobile and online services are an easy way to stay on top of all your transactions. And you won’t have to make calls to customer service or trips to your bank.

You can save a lot of time when you have real-time access to your insurance and savings transactions, contributions and claims history, for instance. And if you need to make changes or updates to your policies, it’s a snap making those changes online. Not everyone has a memory for details, but with digital tools you can retrieve the information you need whenever you need it!

Take advantage of the benefits of digital technology and use electronic communication interfaces or e-mail to deal with your tasks quickly and efficiently. Your service providers rely heavily on online tools to provide you with an optimal customer experience.

Switch to online bill payments

Set up electronic billing for your regular bills, like your utility and cell phone payments. This will give you a digital record of the transactions, which you can access at any time.

But remember to check each bill, like you would with a paper copy, to make sure that everything you're being charged is legitimate.

Set up automatic payments

When you pay your regular bills by direct debit, you won't have to worry about each service provider’s billing dates. Not only will all your bills be paid on time, you’ll keep your credit score in good standing!

Send money using e-transfers

Sending cash in the mail is not recommended. Electronic transfer systems like Interac e-transfer make it easy to send or receive a specific amount of money securely and instantly. Nowadays, its very simple to set up this type of payment, and it’s a secure way to transfer money directly from one person to another without going having to go through a bank, as you would in the past.

And if you want to transfer large sums of money, you still have the option of going through your financial institution.

Set up direct deposit

If you sign up for direct deposit for payments you receive regularly, such as your pay, your pension, or government payments, you won’t need to worry about waiting for your cheques and going to the bank to cash them if you don’t use online tools.

Write a blog

Sending handwritten postcards or letters to family and friends when you’re on vacation can be quite charming. But if you create a blog or use social media platforms instead, you can post many more photos and as much detail as you like. Just remember to be careful about what kind of information you post, such as the dates you’re away from home.

Send greetings in the blink of an eye

Do you want to send holiday greetings or wish someone a happy birthday? Digital greeting cards are an eco-friendly, fun and simple way to connect with your loved ones, especially if the important day had slipped your mind until the day itself. Your grandchildren will be impressed by how tech-savvy you are!