Is paying bills online hard to do?
Paying bills online is easier and takes less time than opening the envelope containing your paper bill, reviewing it, writing a check and keeping and filing manual records of your payments. Once you've set up the service, just enter the payment amount, schedule the payment date and you're done.
Do I need any special software or hardware to use Enhanced Online Bill Pay?
No special software is necessary.
If I pay bills online, do I give up control of when payments are made?
Absolutely not. You'll always be in control of your bank account. You decide whom, when and how often to pay. Need to cancel or change a payment? No problem, as long as it's done before the processing date.
Setting Up and Maintaining Payees
Who can I pay using Enhanced Online Bill Pay?
You may pay almost any payee you wish with the following restrictions:
- The merchant must be located in the United States;
- Payments may not be remitted to tax authorities or government and collection agencies;
- Payments may not be remitted to security companies such as Ameritrade for stock purchases or trade taxing authorities and
- Court directed payments are unauthorized (Alimony, child support, or other legal debts).
What if I do not have an account number for one of my Payees?
Sometimes you will want to set up a Payee with whom you do not have an actual account number. It's easy. Simply enter the Payee name, customer service phone number, and ZIP Code for that company to enable a database search. If the database does not find a match, you may enter the rest of the information yourself.
Do I need to contact my Payees so they know I am going to be using Enhanced Online Bill Pay to pay them?
No, that isn't necessary.
How do I delete a Payee?
From the Payee tab, choose View Payees and a list of your Payees will appear. Click the "Delete" button next to the Payee you want to remove. That's it.
What do I do if a Payee's address changes?
From the Payee tab, choose View Payees and a list of your Payees will appear. You will have to delete and re-add that specific payee, or you can contact us to make this change, and we will be happy to update this information for you.
Payment Processing
How do I know if a payment has been sent?
From the Payments tab, choose Payment History. Select your Search and Display options. Your payment history will display.
When will payments be deducted from my account?
Any payment made electronically will be debited from your account on the scheduled Process Day. Any payment made by check will be debited from your account when the Payee cashes the check.
How many days does it take for my payment to reach the Payee?
Most transactions will be processed five (5) Business Days before your selected Scheduled Payment Date. It is understood that, due to circumstances beyond our control, even once they are received, some transactions may take a day or even a few days longer to be credited by your Payee to your account with them.
How can I keep track of the bills I pay?
When you pay bills online, the service automatically creates a record of your payments that you can view at any time. This allows you to check the status of your payment and always have a general account of where you are.
What do I do if my payee never received my payment?
If you have a question regarding a payment, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to research that for you.
What do I do with the part of the invoice or bill that I usually mail back to the Payee with my payment? Doesn't the vendor need that to process my payment?
No. You can simply throw that part away. Enhanced Online Bill Pay will provide all of the necessary information to the Payee with each payment.
What about payments I make every month for the same amount?
Easiest of all: establish a recurring payment. A recurring payment must be made at specified intervals (e.g., weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.) for the same amount each occurrence. Set the payment frequency and the amount you wish to pay and, however you set it, your payments will be made as indicated. All you have to do is deposit the money to cover the payments. Set it and forget it!
How is the payment sent to my Payee?
You will not always know if your payment is sent electronically or by paper check. While many payments will be made electronically, some payees cannot receive electronic payments (such as individuals). Those payees will be sent payments by paper check.
Without a check stub or a canceled check, how can I prove that I made a payment?
In the event that you need to provide proof of payment, there are many different tracking systems in place. For example, your bank statement will reflect debits to your account, showing the payee as the Payee.
How can I stop a scheduled payment?
All online payments can be canceled before they are processed (5 or more business days prior to the requested due date). Once the payment has been processed, additional modifications are not possible.
Rush Payments
Can I make a payment on the next business day?
Yes. By clicking the calendar icon to enter a Process Date, you can select Rush Payments. You can use this feature to send the payment by next business day or second business day delivery for an additional charge. If you choose one of these two options, we will print a payment check for you right away, and send it by UPS to reach your payee on the next business day or the second business day, depending on which option you select. A fee for UPS delivery will be charged for this service, and you will be able to track your payment’s travel from the bill pay site.
Some electronic payments will have an additional electronic rush payment option. This method expediting your payment comes at a lower cost to you, but because it is an electronic service, no tracking is available.
Once your single payment has been set up precisely the way you need it to be sent, click on the Next button to review. Finally, click Submit Payments to finish the process of scheduling your payments. When you click Submit Payments, a confirmation number will be displayed. If no Finished screen with a confirmation number appears, then the process of scheduling the payment has not been completed. Be sure to complete all three steps as marked by the progress bar at the top right: Schedule, Review and Finished.
Transfer Accounts
How do I add a Transfer Account
- Under the Transfers Tab, select ADD TRANSFER ACCOUNT
- Provide a Challenge Response for security purposes and click SUBMIT
- You will be asked if the account is at FCB.
- If yes, you will create a nickname for the account and enter the account number and account type.
- If the account is not at FCB, we will also ask for the routing number.
- Review the information on your new transfer account
- The Finished screen will let you know that the account needs to be activated or approved.
- Select VIEW ACCOUNTS under the TRANSFERS tab.
- You will see a Verify link on the new transfer account in the last section.
- Verify that you are the owner of the new inbound transfer account by providing four trial deposit amounts. There will be detailed instructions on the site during the Add and Verify processes on how to obtain these trial deposit amounts.
- Since the trial deposits are a security protection against fraudulent activity, too many incorrect entries will lock your bill pay account! You would then need to call us and verify your identity to have your bill pay unlocked. A Modify link on the View Accounts screen will start the trial deposit verification process on an already existing transfer account. You’ll see Modify change to a Verify link on this transfer account once the trial deposits are initiated.
- Your Transfer Account is now Added
What do the different terms and verification methods mean?
Awaiting Verification: Occurs on an inbound transfer account. Trial Deposit amounts need to be verified.
Awaiting Activation: Occurs on all transfer accounts. An Activation Code is needed.
Awaiting Approval: Occurs on transfer accounts within your financial institution. The account needs to be approved by the financial institution. Next, go back to View Accounts. In addition to Verifying or Modifying a transfer account, you are also able to Edit or Delete an account. If you would like to delete a transfer account, then click Delete to the right of the account that you no longer wish to use transfers.
Need Assistance?
To sign-up for Enhanced Online Bill Pay click here. If you have additional questions, contact FCB for assistance.
