Last year, a handful of retail credit cards began charging users $1 each statement period if they wanted to have a statement snail-mailed rather than emailed to them. They're following in the footsteps of retail banks, brokerage firms and even some utility companies, which have been trying to force customers to give up pricier paper statements for their electronic versions.

In general, there's nothing wrong with going green and opting for online-only statements. Make sure to save each month's statement on your computer so you have a digital "file cabinet" in case you ever need to consult an old bill.

One cautionary note: When you're first making the transition from paper to digital, you may miss the visual trigger you used to get from the bill, which could lead to a late or missed payment. Also, if the statement email the issuing bank sends you fails to reach you, it's still your responsibility to pay on time, says Linda Sherry, spokeswoman for advocacy group Consumer Action.