Some payees accept electronic payments, but others may not have an established relationship with Bill Pay to receive that type of payment. Please review the information below for more information regarding how Bill Pay sends payments.


Payment and Processing

Three different kinds of payments are made to your payees: electronic payments and two different types of check payments.


    Electronic Payments

Whenever possible, payment is issued to your payees electronically. Electronic payments can be delivered the fastest, usually within two (2) business days. Funds for the payment are debited from your account on the payment delivery date.   When the funds are debited from your account, the transaction will display in your account history with the name of the payee followed by ONLINE PMT. Ex: MY PAYEE ONLINE PMT

    Trust Check Payments

The Bill Pay service has payment relationships with some payees who cannot accept electronic payments. In these cases, a Trust Check will be sent. This is a check drawn against the Bill Pay service corporate account.

Your payee will receive the check by the due date you specify and the funds will be debited from your account on the due date. The payee may actually cash the check at a later date.

When the funds are debited from your account, the transaction will display in your account history with the name of the payee followed by ONLINE PMT. Ex: MY PAYEE ONLINE PMT

    Direct Check Payments

When a Direct Check is issued, the check behaves just as it would if you wrote the check right out of your checkbook. The funds will be debited from your account when the payee receives and negotiates the check.

To make sure your payment is delivered to your payee by the Due Date you specified, a Direct Check is sent up to five (5) days before that due date. Please make sure you have available funds in your account at least four (4) days prior to your selected due date as the funds will clear as soon as your payee receives and negotiates the check.

The following information is always printed on every check sent:

  • Your name and address
  • The company or person's name and your account number (if available)
  • The payment amount
  • The pay date
  • Your payment memo (if you provided one). Memos are only included with check payments, not electronic payments.

Note: To determine if a payment will be paid electronically or by check, once the payment is scheduled, locate the payment in the “Scheduled payments” section on the right hand side of the main payments page and click the edit icon. The “Type” field in the pop up box will indicate “Electronic” or “Check.”

 

 

Schedule a Payment

To schedule a payment:

  1. Find the payee you want to pay in your payee list on the main payments page and indicate the amount you want to pay.
  2. Select the day you want your payment to be delivered to your payee by entering the date or clicking on the calendar icon. Choose any date that is not a weekend or a holiday (when you click in the amount field, the first available payment date will automatically appear in the date field).  The soonest date available for selection is determined by the number of business days needed to deliver the payment to your payee. Electronic payments can be delivered in two (2) days. Check payments require a five (5) day lead time.  Use the calendar widget when scheduling payments to assist in understanding when a payment can be delivered. Available dates will be displayed in blue.  Unavailable dates including weekends, holidays, or a date that would not allow for delivery of your payment in time are grayed out and not selectable.
  3. Choose the funding account from which you want to pay if you have more than one. Your default funding account will be used automatically unless you specify otherwise.

Note: For payments made by check, you can choose to include a memo by clicking on the memo link prior to clicking the Pay button.

 

Edit a Scheduled Payment

You can edit any scheduled payment up until the time processing begins for the payment.

To edit a scheduled payment:

  1. Locate the payment in the “Scheduled payments” section on the right hand side of the main payments page and click its corresponding edit  icon.
  2. A pop up will display allowing you to change the payment's
  • Deliver By date (use the calendar widget to help determine available dates)
  • Payment amount
  • Funding account from which you are paying (if you have more than one)
  • Payment category
  • Payment memo
  • Add or edit a personal note to your payment
  1. Click the “Save Changes” button

Note: If the payment you are editing is part of a recurring payment rule, you will be asked if you would like to edit just the single payment, or the entire recurring payment rule.

 

 

Cancel a Scheduled Payment

You can cancel a scheduled payment up until the time processing begins for the payment.

To cancel a payment:

  1. Locate the payment in the “Scheduled payments” section on the right hand side of the main payments page and click its corresponding cancel  icon.
  2. You will be prompted to confirm your request to cancel the payment.
  3. Click the “Yes, Cancel Payment” button.

Note: If the payment you are canceling is part of a recurring payment rule, you will be asked if you would like to cancel just the single payment, or the entire recurring payment rule.

 


 

Payment Memos

When scheduling a payment, you can add a memo by clicking on the “Memo” link below the Pay button prior to clicking the Pay button.

If the payment is sent by check, the memo will be included on the check. Your name and account number will be printed on a check whether you provide a memo or not.

If your payment is sent electronically, any memo you input will not be included in the payment instructions.

Note: If you forget to add a memo to your payment, you can add one to any scheduled payment by editing that payment. Once the payment begins processing, however, you will no longer be able to add a memo.

 


 

Payment Notes

You can add a note to any of your scheduled or completed payments. A note may help you keep track details of your payment. Notes are never sent to or shared with your payee.

To add a note to a scheduled payment:

  1. Locate the payment in the “Scheduled payments” section on the right hand side of the main payments page and click its corresponding edit  icon.
  2. Type a note in the notes section of the pop up window that appears.
  3. Add your note and click the “Save Changes” button. Notes cannot be added to payments that have begun, or completed processing.  
  4. To add a note to a payment that has already been processed:
  5. Locate the payment in the “Recently processed payments” section on the right hand side of the main payments page, or on the “My Payments” history page and click on its corresponding view icon.
  6. Type a note in the note section.
  7. Click the “Save & Close” button.

 


 

Payment Statuses

There are several statuses associated with a payment as it goes through its lifecycle. Below is an explanation of the various statuses:

  • Scheduled: The payment scheduled to be sent has not yet begun processing.
  • In Process: The payment has begun processing.
  • Completed: The payment has been processed. Additional information is provided for processed payments including:
    • Payment delivery method
    • Date the biller received the payment
    • Date the money was withdrawn from your payment account (available for payments made electronically and by trust check)
    • Date the biller posted the payment to your account (if the biller provides this information)
  • Canceled: You canceled the payment for this bill.
  • Failed: The payment was returned either because there was a problem when an attempt was made to withdraw the payment from your payment account or because the information sent with your payment was not sufficient for the biller to credit your account. This status can also occur when the funding account associated with the payment has been closed.

 


 

Non-Sufficient Funds

In the event that funds are not available when an attempt is made to debit your account, various scenarios are possible to remedy the situation based on how the payment was made to your payee and the Bill Pay system's relationship with that payee. Below is a listing of the potential scenarios and outcomes:

  • Payment was made by Direct Check:

                When payment is issued by Direct Check, the check behaves just as it would if you had written the check right out                   of your checkbook.  If funds are not available when the check is presented for payment, you will be responsible                        for any non-sufficient funds (NSF) charges to your account and potentially to your payee. Since the payee will                          not have received valid payment, you will need to issue another payment to them.

  • Payment was made electronically or by Direct Check and the Bill Pay system has a 'reversible' relationship with the payee:

                If the debit to your account is retuned due to non-sufficient funds, an email will be sent to you informing you of                     the occurrence and indicating that a second attempt to debit the funds will be made.   If the second debit request                   is returned due to NSF, the payment will be pulled back from your payee and you will be notified via email of the                     occurrence.

  • Payment was made electronically or by Direct Check and the Bill Pay system does not have a 'reversible' relationship with the payee:

                If the debit to your account is retuned due to NSF, an email will be sent to you informing you of the occurrence                      and indicating that a second attempt to debit the funds will be made. In this instance, your bill has been paid by                       the Bill Pay system and the Bill Pay system needs to collect the funds from you.  If the second debit request is                          returned due to NSF, your Bill Pay account will be frozen and you will not be able to schedule any further                 

                payments. You will be sent an email informing you of the occurrence along with steps required to remedy the issue.

                Note: In this instance, your bill has been paid and reimbursement is owed to the Bill Pay system.