Deciphering wireless bills requires a degree of patience only slightly lower than interpreting the Constitution, so we're very happy to see AT&T making theirs a lot more human-friendly. Starting today, AT&T is explaining your monthly costs with a simple video.
Each video is custom-generated for a given billing cycle, and inserts your own numbers and account information into a narrated overview that breaks down what each line means. Inscrutable things like "one time charges" are elaborated upon, so you know what you're actually being asked to pay for. It might be a little over-animated in terms of eye-candy and bouncing swirls, but the bottom line is that AT&T is trying to make a horrible thing less horrible, and avoid a lot of personal headache in the process.
Right now AT&T plans to shoot video bills to all of its Wireless and U-Verse customers by "early 2013," kicking in for new customers or those who make changes to their account. Still, I think this is a great option for every singe bill—after years of payment, sometimes it's nice to have an idiot-proof reminder of where your money is going. [AT&T]