Tips for using Bill Pay
Now that you’ve got Bill Pay, here are some good tips for using it.
Double-check your payee’s information.
It is very important that your payee information be accurate. Inaccurate payee information will mean it takes longer to activate your Bill Pay and could mean that payments arrive late or not at all. Look for typos or transposed numbers and be as careful as you are when writing a regular check.
Set up payment to occur at least five days before the due date.
When you pick a date for your bill to be paid, that date is not the day your payee will receive payment. It is only the date that your payment begins processing. Some payees may not be able to accept payments electronically so it might be necessary for a paper check to be mailed to them. It could take a few days for the payment to get into the hands of your payee, so allow extra time – at least 5 days in advance is recommended.
Make sure there are funds to cover the payment.
If the funds aren’t available on the day the payment is scheduled, no payment will occur. The system will automatically try again the next day, to transfer the payment you specified. If the funds are available then the payment happens, but if the funds are not available when your payee deposits the check, you are subject to a fee, just as you are when a check “bounces.” You can protect yourself against bounced checks by having Automatic Overdraft Protection.
Get overdraft protection.
Signing up for Automatic Overdraft Protection solves many problems before they happen. If you have Overdraft Protection, our system will automatically transfer funds from any account you have specified to cover the item, as long as the amount is available in any one of those accounts.
Add payees well in advance of your bill’s due date.
Once you use the "Add Payee" option, please allow five days before you schedule your very first payment to a payee. This allows our payment processor enough time to verify the payee's information. We wouldn't want to send a payment somewhere if you've mistyped the address.
Contact us if you need help.
We're here to make sure Bill Pay runs smoothly for you. If you can't find an answer to your question on our frequently asked questions page or Bill Pay's on-line help, send us a message or call us at 1-800-452-9515.