Frequently Asked Questions
Ease and Convenience
What is the benefit of paying bills at my financial institution's website, as opposed to one of my biller's websites?
You can pay all your bills in one place, you only have to remember one username and password and you can control your finances by viewing your balance and paying your bills from the same website.
How do I set up a payee (person or company I'm paying)?
It's an easy one-time process - All you need is a mailing address for an individual or a copy of your last paper bill for reference if paying a company. Enter your account number if you have one, and the mailing address and you're set!
How long does it take to set up a payee online at my financial institution's website?
It only takes 5 minutes to login and set up a new payee and you only have to enter payee information once. After a payee is set up, it is fast and easy to make future payments online in just a few clicks.
Can I modify a payment I set-up online at my financial institution's website after I enter it?
Yes, you can make modifications to your payment before the bill is actually paid up until it begins processing.
Can I get a printable version of the history of payments I set up online at my financial institution's website?
Certainly, just click the 'printer friendly' link when viewing your account history.
All of my bills are automatically debited out of my account by the payee, why should I bother to set them up to pay online at my financial institution's website?
Paying bills online at your financial institution's website gives you the control to determine which account the money should be taken from and when. Also, if you set up your payments to be automatically deducted by your biller, many of them will process the payment when your statement is issued as opposed to a 3 - 4 weeks later when your bill is actually due.
Assurance
Is paying bills online more secure than paying bills through the mail?
Paying bills online at your financial institution's website is more secure because you avoid the threat of identity theft due to lost checkbooks, stolen bills, statements, and check payments.
Is paying my bills online on my financial institution's website more or less secure than using my cell phone provider's web site to pay my cell phone bill?
Paying your bills online on your financial institution's website is more secure because when submitting a payment online directly to a biller you are typically required to provide your financial account information to authorize a debit from your account.
How can I prove I paid someone online at my financial institution's website if there is no paper trail?
Your account statement is considered proof of payment.
What if the funds are not available in my account when I set up a payment online?
You can login to your financial institution's website to easily transfer funds from your savings to your checking account to cover payments or schedule the payment when you know you will have the funds available in your checking account.
What if I set up a payment at my financial institution's site and enter the wrong person or vendor?
When setting up new payees on your financial institution's website, you can stop, edit or cancel that payment as long as processing has not yet started.
What if I set up a payment online at my financial institution's website and then forget who I paid?
You can easily access and view pending payments and payment history online at your financial institution's website.
More Benefits
How much money can I save by paying bills online at my financial institution's website?
By paying your bills online, you can save up to $100 a year1 in the cost of checks and stamps you would use to pay your bills via U.S. mail.
How does paying bills online help protect the environment?
In one year, by switching from paper to electronic billing, statements and payments, the average American household would save 6.6 pounds of paper. Plus, if 20% of U.S. households switched to electronic bills, statements and payments, over 1.8 million trees would be saved each year.2
1See www.payitgreen.org for estimate of how paying bills online can save money and resources.
2See www.payitgreen.org