Today is Earth Day, and what better way to celebrate than to take a look at fintechs helping out the environment by promoting eco-friendly habits. Here we feature companies with technology that saves trees by reducing the amount of paper used in the industry.

We’ve rounded up a handful of environmentally friendly fintechs in three categories: digital invoicing, paper-free mortgages, digital receipt printing, and paperless onboarding.

Digital invoicing

By taking the invoicing process digital, small businesses not only save paper, they can also save time and potentially receive payment faster, freeing up working capital they can put back into their operations.

• Paper.id provides SMEs with invoicing tools and payment integration. The company offers tools to help businesses issue their invoices digitally and receive payment via electronic payment methods. Paper.id demoed at FinovateFall 2018
• Charlie-India’s Invoicing Hub is a white label e-invoicing platform for banks and service providers. The tools allow SME bank clients to send, view, process, and pay their invoices within the bank’s online interface. Charlie-India demoed at FinovateEurope 2018.
• Tradeshift offers an e-invoicing service that connects companies with suppliers, customers and partners. Among the applications available on the platform are e-invoicing, electronic purchase orders, and automated document validation. Tradeshift demoed at FinovateEurope 2012.

Paper-free mortgages

Mortgage technology is one of the last frontiers in fintech. Regulation and oversight have made the home-buying process somewhat resistant to disruption. In the past few years, however, we’ve seen a handful of startups working to digitize the mortgage process, removing the need for hundreds of sheets of paper required to close a home loan.

• Namaste Credit is an India-based startup that serves as an online marketplace for mortgage loans. The service connects borrowers with relevant lenders to help them find the loan that best suits their circumstance. Namaste Credit demoed at FinovateFall 2018.
• Tavant Technologies offers VELOX, a suite of digital products ranging from searching for a home to closing on the loan. VELOX completely automates the process, making compliance more efficient and reducing the need for paper. Tavant Technologies demoed at FinovateSpring 2017.
• Roostify seeks to give consumers a better way to find and purchase a home. The company’s digital platform offers everything from digital customer onboarding to transparent, digital fulfillment to help lenders offer their clients a more efficient mortgage borrowing experience. Roostify demoed at FinovateSpring 2018.h

Digital receipt printing

Many retailers ask customers if they want to keep their receipt, but even if the answer is “no” the cashier still prints the receipt and throws it in the trash behind the counter. Digital receipt printing eliminates both the paper– and the awkward line of questioning– all together by sending the customer an email receipt.

• Dream Payments’ cloud-based platform offers a mobile POS device that not only accepts debit and credit cards, but also provides analytics, reports, and gives customers digital receipts. Dream Payments demoed at FinovateSpring 2015.
• CardFlight offers an API that allows merchants to accept online and offline payments within their own app. The company’s encrypted mobile magstripe reader, combined with its API, offer flexibility while keeping payments– and receipts– digital. CardFlight demoed at FinovateSpring 2013.
• ShopKeep’s POS technology takes a merchant’s cash register to an iPad. The register accepts a range of payments, from magstripe, to EMV, to Apple Pay; plus provides inventory management tools and purchase reporting analytics. The company’s mobile checkout flow also offers a paper-free, email receipt option. ShopKeep demoed at FinovateFall 2012.

Paperless onboarding

Considered a must for millennials, paperless onboarding not only speeds up the application process, it also reduces errors, eases compliance, and eliminates the need for in-person bank visits.

• Five Degrees specializes in core banking technology. The company’s Matrix offering helps banks provide SMEs a fully automated, paperless loan onboarding experience. The paperless process lowers cost for both parties while expediting funds. Five Degrees demoed at FinovateAsia 2017.
• Quadient, formerly GMC Software, helps organizations create a better customer experience. The company’s Mobile Advantage solution is an omni-channel tool that offers digital statements and billing, paperless onboarding, and client e-signature. In addition to improving the customer experience, this combination speeds up workflows and reduces error. Quadient demoed at FinovateFall 2017.
• Mitek combines digital onboarding with identity verification tools. The company helps banks authenticate an applicant’s ID document and combines this with additional identifying paperwork. The supplemental documents not only verify the customer’s identity, but also provide additional information that can be used in loan underwriting to create a more complete picture of the applicant’s financial state. Mitek demoed at FinovateFall 2017.