Online bill payment.

[blantyre]

Anyone else changing over to online bill payment? Any issues so far?

Last year I vowed that next time postage went up, I would switch to online payment for my household bills. I've been in the process of setting this up over the last couple of weeks as bills come in. So far, so good - three payments executed on time and a couple more in the pipeline. I have to set up the payments, so there doesn't seem to be much risk of a nasty surprise. It also saves paper, checks, and time writing checks. So far the bank seems pleased to have me to the data processing and doesn't charge me anything for the privilege. I am hoping that I can start using the same procedure for my business account where I write (and still mostly mail) a lot of checks. About the only things I mail for non-work purposes now are shaving supplies and Christmas cards.

 

[Thebigspendur]

Your experience will depend on the service you use. I've been using Checkfree for over 10 years now and in all that time there were only 2 issues and that was at the beginning. Very well worth the small monthly fee.

 

[Dustinl]

We have been paying most of our bills including our car payment on line for about two years now. No problems to date. I really love the convenience of not writing checks.


DL

 

[Bobtrumpet]

I've been using on-line bill paying via my credit union for about 2 years. No problems (except remembering to get them entered on time) and no charge for the service.

I do not use the creditors' service of paying on their web site with an electronic check.

I have my electric bill set up on an auto-pay and am planning on doing this with my other utilities. No problems in the several years I have been doing this. I went this way because there were a number of months where I was late because I never received the bill in the mail.

 

[Brodirt]

I have been using Citibank's proprietary online bill payment service for many years. I have never had a glitch and think it is a great convenience.

 

[sapito318]

I have been using my banks online bill pay service for years, and have never had a problem. Simply set up your billing account # and away we go. Really really easy, and very convenient. I have never had to pay a bill with a check since I started using it. I can pay my bills any time of the day and not have to worry about getting to the post office. Great service, highly recommend it especially if your bank already offers it for free.

 

[krissy]

I have also switched over to online with everything that I can. The only one that I can't pay online is the water/sewer/garbage bill, and that I can drop off at any bank in town. The last to convert was our phone company (just last month) for my net connection. Everything else I pay online.

I like the fact that I I'm still using the same box of check blanks that i've had for the last 2+ years. It saves a lot of money in stamps and checks. Not to mention time. click click and i'm done.

 

[Jim]

I have been using my banks online bill pay service for years, and have never had a problem. Simply set up your billing account # and away we go. Really really easy, and very convenient. I have never had to pay a bill with a check since I started using it. I can pay my bills any time of the day and not have to worry about getting to the post office. Great service, highly recommend it especially if your bank already offers it for free.

+1 really has been easy and no problems for many years.

 

[missnu]

I have been paying bills online for over 6 years with no problems. Very convenient.

 

[dpm802]

I've been doing online banking for about 4 years now ... it works great.

I use the "pull" method, where each utility/insurance/memberships/subscriptions have access to my checking account. I find it easier this way, since some bills may vary in amount from month to month. I don't have to do anything, and everybody gets paid on time.

I only have to watch one number, to make sure there are sufficient funds in my checking account. That's never been a problem.

I use Microsoft Money to tie all my accounts together and monitor my budget. I check on everything once a day. It takes less than 5 minutes.

If you choose to do so, you can also opt for paperless billing on some or all of your accounts. I don't like to keep paper-files, and I can find whatever I need online at any time, so it keeps my home office a lot cleaner.

It takes some work to get it all set up, and there is a 2 or 3 month period at the beginning before all the accounts are stable and repeating in rhythm.

Once your finances are set up, though, its a breeze. Saves some money, too ... but the most important factors to me were time-saving and STRESS REDUCTION.

 

[blantyre]

It sounds as though it's generally been a good experience. I am glad I switched.

 

[mretzloff]

Besides ease, online bill payment also eliminates the possibility of someones removing bills from your mailbox and stealing your identity.

 

[kzoo1]

I have a checking account, but no checks! I have never written a paper check against my account.

I pay all my bills online via the electronic check method, no problems.

I highly recommend it, especially if it's free!

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I, too, have been using online billpay with a several different bank accounts for many years. My personal checking through BOA is free, has a good interface, and is very good. If a payment is somehow screwed up (which has only happened to my once, because the company receiving the funds had changed their routing #), BOA will get right on the case and settle the disputed transaction. They'll even pay late fees if it's their fault.

I use Citizens Bank for all my business transactions, and it's good, but not as streamlined and up to the standard that BOA is.

Anyway, I've always had good experiences with online billpay.

 

[Commander Quan]

I hate, hate, hate, writing checks, I have no idea why I just do so I pay all my bills through National Citys online bill pay.

 

[Confuzius]

I've been doing it for years, I do it all through my bank's website (TD Canada Trust).

I can't imagine doing it any other way. (I'm 26 and have never written a checque.)

 

[SepticTank]

I've been doing it for years, I do it all through my bank's website (TD Canada Trust).

I can't imagine doing it any other way. (I'm 26 and have never written a checque.)

Same here - apart from 38 and I've not written a cheque out for 10+ years (apart from this morning when the debit card machine was dead in the garage so I had to write a cheque out longhand for a car!)

 

[Sue]

Absolutely no problems with online banking after about five years. Both my bank and my CU have archive search. I can find any transaction even if it was been several years ago. I love the convenience. I have my recurrent bills set up with auto-debit on the first of the month.
Sue

 

[sfbobus]

I have used several forms over the years with only one
problem, my bank did not make a credit card payment when
scheduled but they made good on the late charge and
contacted the credit card company in my behalf.
It is the best way to pay bills for me.

 

[cricky101]

I write one check a month, and that is for my rent. I walk it down the hall to my landlord. Otherwise, everything is done online.

I have most every bill automatically charged to one credit card (which gives me cash back) and then that's tied to my checking account. So I essentially make one transfer per month from my checking account to the credit card and all of my bills are paid.

It's not a huge amount of cash back from the credit card, but I get a $50 check every few months, which is a nice bonus.

I don't miss mailing bills at all, and haven't had any problems yet.