Missing the point

[unixronin]

Citizens Bank wants customers to use less paper.  So they have a new rewards program that they call GreenSense.

Now, GreenSense basically does three things:

1. You get credited 10¢ for every paperless transaction, like debit card payments or scheduled automatic debits, up to $120 per year.
2. You're automatically signed up for paperless statements, and they waive the $3.95 monthly fee for online bill payment (which is also what you need in order to do direct OFX downloads to online-banking software¹, rather than the unreliable "web connect").

[So far, so good.]

3. As a side-effect, they issue you a new GreenSense debit card made from recycled plastic.

Now ... Most of that is a good program.  Issuing a distinctive new card is all very nice, I suppose, in a traditional banking sort of way (wait, where's my toaster?), and making the cards from recycled plastic is a good thing ... but issuing me a new card made from recycled plastic uses more resouces than just letting me keep my existing card.  Why don't they just replace my card with a Green Sense card next time I need a new card?  For that matter, why don't they just start making ALL of their debit cards from recycled plastic?

[1]  Note that Quicken does NOT support OFX.  It supports QFX, which is an Intuit proprietary implementation of OFX only available to banks that have paid "the Intuit tax".  But MoneyDance does, and it doesn't phone home or install malware on your machine, and it runs on Mac, PC and Linux.  (As a matter of fact, it's the only personal banking software that runs on all three.)  'Nuff said?

Comments

facepalm

[mrakg.livejournal.com]

I hear you. My credit union changed its name [changed from a Federal to a Community Credit Union, and thus had one word in the name change] recently, and issued all new debit cards....with the SAME expiration dates.

My new card was good for all of two months, and a friend's new card was good for less than a month before his new one arrived.

The cards were visually identical, save for one LETTER in the smaller text of the logo.

Re: facepalm

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Doh! You'd think they could at least have reset the expirations...

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

it's hard being green!

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[ithildae.livejournal.com]

We need to be green by tomorrow! Can we overnight the packet to everyone?