e-bill pay FAQs:

• What is CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service?
• How does CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service work?
• How secure is my bill payment and personal information?
• How do I cancel my bill payment service?
• How do I change my personal information?
• I have questions about how to use one of the CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service's features.

Payee FAQs

• What is a payee?
• Who can I pay using my bill payment service?
• What if a payee I want to make a payment to isn't on the list of payees I have to choose from?
• Do I need to contact the payees I decide to pay with CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service?
• Can I add the same payee to my payee list more than once?

e-bill FAQs

• What is an e-bill?
• How does electronic billing work with CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service?
• Is an e-bill the same as a mailed bill statement or invoice?
• How do I receive e-bills?
• How long does it take to receive e-bills from a payee?
• How do I know when I receive a new e-bill?
• Will I still receive a paper copy of the bill through U.S. mail?
• Can I store or view paid e-bills?
• How do I pay e-bills?
• Can I pay e-bills outside of CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service?
• How do I request e-bills from one of my payees?
• What if my request for e-bills is rejected?
• What happens if I delete a payee who sends me e-bills?
• How can I stop receiving e-bills from a payee?
• The amount for an e-bill seems incorrect. What should I do?
• My e-bill is late. What should I do?

Auto-Pay FAQs

• What is Auto-Pay?
• Why can't I use Auto-Pay to pay all payees?
• How do I turn on Auto-Pay?
• What happens if the amount due for an e-bill exceeds the maximum amount automatically paid?
• How do I change the maximum amount automatically paid for an Auto-Pay payment?
• Why was my e-bill paid late?

Payment FAQs

• What do I do if the payee has not received or credited my payment?

• What do I do if I receive a late fee for a payment?

• How can I confirm that a payment has been made?

• How do I cancel a payment?

• What do I do if a payment failed?

• What do I do if the payment amount is incorrect?

• What do I do if the payment date is incorrect?

• What do I do if I have a duplicate payment?

• What do I do if a payment went to the wrong payee?

• Why can't I change a payment I scheduled for the earliest available payment date?

• How do I know what the status of my payment is?

• Are my payments guaranteed?

• Are all of my payments made electronically?

• When is the money for the payment drawn from my bank account?

• Can I make payments from more than one bank account?

• How far in advance of the due date should I schedule my payments?

• What is the earliest payment date I can schedule for a payment?

• Why do you need four days to process a payment?

• What do I do with the part of the mailed bill statement that I used to mail back with my payment?

e-bill pay:

Question:  What is CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service?
Answer:  CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service lets you schedule and make payments as well as receive and pay bills online through CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service.

• You can pay anyone, anytime, anywhere in the United States, from your mortgage lender to your newspaper carrier.

•  You can also set up repeating payments, such as a car payment or rent.

•  You can schedule single payments up to a year in advance.

The only payments you cannot make through your bill payment service are court-ordered payments and state and federal tax payments.

Question:  How does CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service work?
Answer:  There are two basic steps involved in using CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service to make online payments:

1.  Set up your payees.

2.  Schedule payments.

When you first begin using the service, set up your payee list by adding the payees to whom you want to make payments. Some payees can also send electronic bills (e-bills). You only need to add each payee once. All of your payees are also listed on the Quick Pay page, where you can quickly schedule payments.

When you make a payment, you specify the date that you want the payee to receive the payment. We recommend that you schedule your payment date four business days before the actual bill due date to allow time for electronic processing or for mailing if a paper check is sent. CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service determines whether a payment is sent electronically or by check, based on whether the payee accepts electronic payments and other guidelines.

After a payment is scheduled, it appears as Scheduled in Payment History. After the payment is processed, the status changes to Processed. The payee receives your payment on the payment date you specified and credits your account. Sometimes, however, the payee may take a few days to apply the payment to your account.

Question:  How secure is my bill payment and personal information?
Answer:  CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service uses several methods to ensure that your information is secure.

•  User Name and Password: Your user name and password are unique identifiers that only you know. As long as you don't share your user name and password with anyone, no one can sign in to CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service as you.

•  SSL: CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service uses SSL (secure sockets layer) which ensures that your connection and information are secure from outside inspection.

•  Encryption: CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service uses 40-bit or 128-bit encryption (whichever your browser supports) to make your information unreadable as it passes over the Internet.

•  Automatic Sign Out: In addition, CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service automatically signs you out of a session if you are inactive longer than ten minutes. It is best if you sign out immediately after you are finished scheduling and making payments.

Question:  How do I cancel my bill payment service?
Answer:  Go to the My Profile page and click Service Setup at the top of the page. On the My Profile - Service Setup page, click Cancel Your Service at the bottom of the page. Before you cancel your service, keep in mind the following:

• Scheduled payments, including repeating payments, are not paid.

• Processing payments are paid.

• You no longer have access to your payment history and you can no longer send payment inquiries. You should wait until all of your scheduled payments are processed before you cancel your service. If you let your scheduled payments process, then you won't have any outstanding payments that you can't view or inquire about after you cancel your service.

• Your payees are notified to stop sending e-bills. However, it can sometimes take a few

• days for the payee to process the request. Therefore, until you begin receiving paper bills again you should contact the payee directly about your payment amount and payment due date. Because you can't send your payment using CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service after you cancel your service, you should make your payment to the payee by some other means, such as a check.

• If you decide to use CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service again, you will have to re-enroll and set up your payee list.

Question:  How do I change my personal information?
Answer:  It's important to keep your personal information up-to-date so that we can contact you, if necessary. You can review your personal information on the My Profile page. Go to the My Profile page and click Edit in the section that contains the information you want to change.

Question:  I have questions about how to use one of the CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service's features.
Answer:  CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service has several ways that assist you in using its features:

• If you are a first-time user, on the Home page, click Quick Start to help you get started using CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service.

• This product contains help that is available from each page. Click on any page to open help for a specific topic. Also, you can click the Help tab to open the help Contents page.

• If you have general questions, read through the list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Payee FAQs

Question:  What is a payee?
Answer:  A payee is any company, service, or individual you make payments to. Payees can be anyone who bills you, such as your phone company or credit card, or individuals, such as your landlord or newspaper carrier.

Question:  Who can I pay using my bill payment service?
Answer:  You can pay anyone in the United States that you would normally pay by check or automated debit, with the following exceptions:

• State and federal tax payments

• Court-ordered payments

Question:  What if a payee I want to make a payment to isn't on the list of payees I have to choose from?
Answer:  You can make payments to anyone you would normally write a check to. If you do not find the payee in the provided list, you can still add the payee by entering payee information such as your payee account number and the payee's address and phone number. Once you enter the payee information, you can make payments to the payee at any time.

Question:  : Do I need to contact the payees I decide to pay with CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service?
Answer:  No, you do not need to contact your payees if you use this service. We send each of your payments with your payee account number and payee information, so the payees are able to credit your account appropriately.

Question:  Can I add the same payee to my payee list more than once?
Answer:  Yes, you can add the same payee to your payee list more than once. You can add multiple payee accounts for the same payee as long as you have different payee account numbers. For example, if your phone company provides your home phone service and your cellular phone service, you can add the company as a payee twice by entering a different account number each time.

E-bill FAQs

Question:  What is an e-bill?
Answer:  An e-bill (electronic bill) is an electronic version of a paper bill that you can view online through CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service.

Question:  How does electronic billing work with CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service?
Answer:  CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service lets you make payments and receive and pay bills online through CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service. You can make payments to anyone, anytime, anywhere in the United States, from your mortgage lender to your newspaper carrier. The only payments you cannot make through your bill payment service are court-ordered payments and state and federal tax payments.

Electronic billing lets you receive electronic bills (e-bills) online through CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service. Some payees are able to send e-bills to their customers. If you add a payee that is e-bill-capable, you have the opportunity to request e-bills from the payee.

Once your request has been authorized, you'll receive an e-bill from the payee within a month or so, depending on the payee's billing cycle. You can pay the e-bill directly, and you can also continue to make single payments to the payee whenever you need to.

Question:  Is an e-bill the same as a mailed bill statement or invoice?
Answer:  An e-bill is a statement or invoice in an electronic format. E-bills typically contain the same information as your mailed bills.

Question:  How do I receive e-bills?
Answer:  You can receive e-bills from payees that are e-bill-capable. Once you request e-bills from a payee and the request is processed, you should receive a message in Messages stating that your e-bill service has been activated. E-bill service requests are usually processed within two weeks. New e-bills appear on the E-Bills page.

Question:  How long does it take to receive e-bills from a payee?
Answer:  It may take up to two weeks for the payee to process your request for e-bills. Once your request has been accepted, it may take a month or more, depending on the payee's billing cycle, before you begin receiving bills electronically.

Question:  How do I know when I receive a new e-bill?
Answer:  The Unpaid E-bills page lists your new e-bills. A notice also appears on the Welcome page to let you know when new e-bills arrive.

If you are waiting for an e-bill service request to be processed, check Messages periodically for a message stating that your e-bill service has been activated for the payee. When you receive the first e-bill depends on the payee's billing cycle.

Question:  Will I still receive a paper copy of the bill through U.S. mail?
Answer:  It depends on the payee. Some payees stop sending a paper bill and only send an e-bill to your CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service account. Other payees continue to send paper bills through U.S. mail in addition to an e-bill to your CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service account.

Question:  Can I store or view paid e-bills?
Answer:  You can view paid e-bills by going to E-Bills and then clicking Paid E-bills. You can always use your browser's print feature to print the bill if you want to keep long-term records.

You can also view an e-bill for which you have a scheduled or canceled payment. However, you cannot view deleted e-bills.

Question:  How do I pay e-bills?
Answer:  You can pay one or more e-bills from the Unpaid E-bills page. For more information on paying e-bills, go to the help from the E-Bills page. As with all CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service payments, you control the payment amount and payment date.

Question:  Can I pay e-bills outside of CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service?
Answer:  Yes, you can pay an e-bill by some other way (by check, for example). If you pay the e-bill by some other method, you can delete the unpaid e-bill from the Unpaid E-bill page. Once you delete the e-bill, you cannot view the bill or bill statement again through CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service. Unpaid e-bills are never deleted automatically by CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service. You can also print a copy of the e-bill for your long-term records using your browser's print feature.

Question:  How do I request e-bills from one of my payees?
Answer:  If a payee in your payee list can send e-bills, the Sign Up link appears in the E-bills column on the Payee Setup - Payee List page. Click this link to request e-bills. Remember, the payee may take a couple of weeks to process your request.

If you want to find out if a payee not in your list can send e-bills, look for the payee in the provided payee list. If you see the symbol next to a payee's name, you can request e-bills from the payee. For example, if you would like to receive e-bills from your phone company, look for the name of the company in the payee list. If your phone company is listed with the symbol, add the payee, and CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service will ask you if you want to request e-bills.

Tip
We are always updating our list of payees that can send e-bills! If you added a payee that cannot send e-bills and later you notice that the payee can send e-bills, just click the Sign Up link next to the payee name in your payee list.

Question:  What if my request for e-bills is rejected?
Answer:  If your request for e-bills is rejected, you have a couple of options, which are listed below:

• You can try to request e-bills again and make sure to enter your information (especially your account number) completely and accurately.

• You can contact the payee to see if they can help you understand why they cannot send you e-bills. For example, some payees cannot send e-bills to customers in certain areas of the country.

Question:  What happens if I delete a payee who sends me e-bills?
Answer:  When you delete a payee who sends you e-bills, we automatically remove the payee from your payee list and send a message to the payee and ask them to stop sending e-bills. You can no longer pay any unpaid e-bills listed in the Unpaid E-bills page for the deleted payee, so you may want to pay unpaid e-bills before deleting the payee.

It is also possible, due to the payee's billing cycle, that you may receive an e-bill after you have deleted the payee. If you receive an e-bill after you have deleted the payee, you can add the payee again (without requesting e-bills) and make the payment from the Write a Check page, or you can pay the bill through U.S. mail.

Question:  How can I stop receiving e-bills from a payee?
Answer:  To stop receiving e-bills from a payee, go to Payee Setup, and then click Edit next to the payee. Select Click here to discontinue e-bill service. The payee is notified to stop sending e-bills. However, you may receive an e-bill after canceling e-bill service due to the payee's billing cycle. Make a payment to the payee from the Write a Check page to cover the e-bill or make the payment by some other means.

Question:  The amount for an e-bill seems incorrect. What should I do?
Answer:  If you have questions about an e-bill, please contact the payee directly. All information on the e-bill comes directly from the payee, the same as when they mail you a paper bill. Remember that you control the payment amount when you pay the e-bill.

If an e-bill amount is incorrect, make sure to contact the payee to avoid any late charges. Look on your last bill for the payee's customer service phone number.

Question:  My e-bill is late. What should I do?
Answer:  If your normal billing cycle has passed and you still have not received your e-bill, contact your payee. Payees deliver e-bills much like they deliver your paper bills. Depending on billing cycles, the exact day you receive your bill each month may vary. Also remember that it can take over a month before you receive your first e-bill from a payee.

Look on your last bill for the payee's customer service phone number.

Auto-Pay FAQs

Question:  What is Auto-Pay?
Answer:  Auto-Pay is an optional feature available for some versions of this service. If Auto-Pay is available, you have the option to turn it on for most payees that send e-bills. Auto-Pay automatically pays e-bills by scheduling the payment date in time for the payee to receive the payment by the e-bill's due date. Auto-Pay pays the e-bill's minimum amount due.

When you set up Auto-Pay, you can select to automatically pay the e-bill regardless of the payment amount, or you can select to set a limit on the amount automatically paid.

Question:  Why can't I use Auto-Pay to pay all payees?
Answer:  A payee must be able to send e-bills through this service and also have a system capable of receiving automatic payments. CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service offers Auto-Pay for all payees who meet these requirements.

Question:  How do I turn on Auto-Pay?
Answer:  If Auto-Pay is available, you can set up Auto-Pay when you add a payee, or you can add it later by editing payee information from the Payee Setup - Payee List page.

Question:  What happens if the amount due for an e-bill exceeds the maximum amount automatically paid?
Answer:  If the minimum amount due for an e-bill exceeds the maximum amount set for Auto-Pay, CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service does not automatically schedule the payment. You receive a message letting you know that the e-bill's minimum amount due exceeds the maximum amount automatically paid. Make the payment through the Write a Check or Quick Pay page or by some other means. If you think that the amount due is incorrect, contact the payee.

Question:  How do I change the maximum amount automatically paid for an Auto-Pay payment?
Answer:  Go to Payee Setup, and then click Edit next to the payee. In the Auto-Pay section, type a new amount in the Only pay e-bills for less than this amount box. Your changes are effective immediately.

Question:  Why was my e-bill paid late?
Answer:  If a payee sends an e-bill late and the actual due date is before the earliest available payment date (remember CheckFree Electronic Billing and Payment Service needs a few days to process payments), Auto-Pay schedules the payment for the earliest possible payment date. Please contact your payee if an e-bill arrives late and you are charged a late fee.

Payment FAQs

Question:  What do I do if the payee has not received or credited my payment?
Answer:  Sometimes the payee may not credit your account immediately after receiving a payment. If the payment is not credited in a reasonable amount of time, take the following steps to resolve the problem:

1. Wait five day after the scheduled payment date to see if the payee credits the payment to your account.

2. If the payment is not applied to your account, call the payee's customer service department to see if they received the payment and credited your account.

3. When you call, gather the following information from the payee:

   • The name of the person who assisted you with your payment question.

   • The phone number you called to contact the payee.

   • The date you called the payee to inquire about your payment.

   • The amount of any late fees or finance charges assessed.

4. If you have received a late fee but scheduled your payment on time, ask the payee if they will waive any late fees or finance charges.

5. If the payment is not credited to your account or if the payee will not waive late fees, find the payment in Payment History and click Inquire to send us a message about the payment.

Question:  What do I do if I receive a late fee for a payment?
Answer:  If you have received a late fee or finance charge for a late payment that you scheduled on time, follow these steps:

1. Call the payee's customer service department.

2. When you call, gather the following information:

   • The name of the person who assisted you with your payment question.

   • The phone number you called to contact the payee.

   • The date you called the payee to inquire about the late fees.

   • The amount of any late fees or finance charges assessed.

3. Ask the payee to waive any fees or finance charges.

4. If the payee will not waive the fees or charges, find the payment in Payment History and click Inquire to send us a message about the payment.

Question:  How can I confirm that a payment has been made?
Answer:  After the payment date, check Payment History to see if the status of the payment is Processed. If the status is Processed, then the payment has been sent to the payee. You can also check to see if the funds have been withdrawn from your bank account. For example, check your next bank statement for the withdrawal. Or you can call the payee to see if they received and credited the payment. Sometimes it may take the payee a few days to credit your account.

Question:  How do I cancel a payment?
Answer:  You can cancel a payment while its status is Scheduled. After a payment's status is Processed, you can no longer cancel or change the payment. You can cancel payments from the Payment History page.

Question:  What do I do if a payment failed?
Answer:  Failed is a status that appears in Payment History if a payee returns one of your payments to us. The payee may have returned the payment because the information you provided when you added or updated the payee in your payee list wasn't sufficient for the payee to credit your account. You may consider making the payment by other means if it is close to the bill's actual due date.

If you have a failed payment, please take the following steps. These steps ensure that your payment information is attached to your message.

1. Go to Payment History and find the failed payment.

2. Click Inquire.
   The Payment History - Payment Inquiry page opens. Use this page to tell us more about the problem with the payment.

3. Complete all of the boxes.

4. Click Send.
   Your message is sent.

5. Click Close.

6. The Payment History page opens.

7. Check Messages in three to four business days for a reply.

   If you are concerned about meeting the payment's actual due date, send the payment by check in the meantime.

Question:  What do I do if the payment amount is incorrect?
Answer:  If the payment amount is incorrect and the payment status is still Scheduled, edit the payment with the correct amount. If the payment status is Processed, you cannot change the payment amount. If you overpaid the amount, contact the payee to request a refund or a credit toward your next payment.

Question:  What do I do if the payment date is incorrect?
Answer:  If the payment's status is Processed, you cannot change the payment date. Contact the payee if you have been charged late fees. They may waive the fees for you.

Question:  What do I do if I have a duplicate payment?
Answer:  If a payment appears twice for the same amount and payment date and both payments are still Scheduled, cancel one of the payments and allow the other payment to process. If each payment's status is Processed, you cannot cancel either payment. Go to the Paymemt History page and click Inquire next to the payment to send us a message about the problem.

Question:  What do I do if a payment went to the wrong payee?
Answer:  If a payment went to the wrong payee or payee account number and the payment is still Scheduled, cancel the payment and reschedule it with the correct payee or payee account number. If the payment's status is Processed, you cannot cancel the payment or change the payee information. Go to the Payment History page and click Inquire next to the payment to send us a message about the problem. Also, check your payee information to make sure you entered the payee information and your payee account number correctly.

Question:  Why can't I change a payment I scheduled for the earliest available payment date?
Answer:  To make your payment on time, we may need to begin processing a payment as soon as possible, depending on how the payee receives the payment. Every day at 1:00A.M. and 1:00P.M. ET, we look for scheduled payments that need to begin processing. If your payment starts processing and the status has not yet changed from Scheduled to Processed, it should soon. After a payment has started processing, you can no longer make changes to it.

Question:  How do I know what the status of my payment is?
Answer:  Look for the payment in Payment History. The following describes the statuses:

• Scheduled indicates that the payment is scheduled to be made.

• Processed indicates that the payment is being processed. Payments can start processing as early as four days before your scheduled payment date or on your payment date. Normally, the payee receives the payment on the payment date and credits your account. Keep in mind that sometimes the payee may take a few days to credit your account.

• Canceled indicates that you canceled the scheduled payment.

• Failed indicates that the payment was returned to us either because there was a problem when we tried to deduct the payment from your bank account, or because the account information sent with your payment was not enough for us to credit your account.

Question:  Are my payments guaranteed?
Answer:  With the CheckFree Guarantee, you can be assured that your electronic payments are safe and reliable. When your payments are processed through CheckFree, you are protected in the unlikely event of unauthorized transactions or processing delays. For more information, go to http://www.checkfree.com/checkfreeguarantee.

Question:  Are all of my payments made electronically?
Answer:  Many of your payments are made electronically—other payments are made by check. For example, some payees, such as individuals, cannot receive electronic payments, so a check is printed and sent to the payee. Whether a payment is made electronically or by check, the payment is processed to reach the payee on time.

Question:  When is the money for the payment drawn from my bank account?
Answer:  If the payment is sent electronically, the funds for the payment clear your account on the scheduled payment date. Otherwise, funds clear your account when the payee deposits or cashes the check. Keep in mind, however, that you should always have funds available to cover the payment on the scheduled payment date.

Question:  Can I make payments from more than one bank account?
Answer:  Yes, you can make payments from more than one bank account. The account number you select when making a payment is the account your payments are withdrawn from.

Question:  How far in advance of the due date should I schedule my payments?
Answer:  Schedule your payments to be paid at least four business days before the actual payment due date. For example, if you have a bill due on the 15th of the month, schedule the payment date as the 11th of the month or earlier if the time period includes any weekends or holidays. The payment date is the day the payment is scheduled to be paid. Scheduling pay dates sufficiently in advance of the due date on the bill allows enough time for the payee to receive the payment and credit it to your account. Whether the payment is electronic or sent by mail, payees may not always credit your account on the same day that they receive the payment. Allow for extra time in this situation so the payment is not considered late, or contact the payee.

Question:  What is the earliest payment date I can schedule for a payment?
Answer:  You can schedule payment dates four business days from today or later. The earliest possible payment date is indicated on the E-Bills, Quick Pay, and Write a Check pages. If you try to schedule a payment earlier, you are asked to reschedule the payment date at least four business days from the current date.

Question:  Why do you need four days to process a payment?
Answer:  Four business days before a payment's payment date, we look at your payment to determine how it should be processed. For example, we need to know if the payment is going to a payee that can accept electronic payments or if the payment should be sent as a check. After we determine how to process the payment, you can no longer make changes to it; your changes could affect how we would process the payment. The payee then receives the payment on the scheduled payment date.

Question:  What do I do with the part of the mailed bill statement that I used to mail back with my payment?
Answer:  You don't need to do anything with your bill statement—payees do not need that portion of your statement. All of the information you provide when adding payees and scheduling payments is sufficient for the payee. If you like, you can keep the statement for your own records.