How to Pay Bills Online
Determine if your bank offers online bill pay services., Check out bank alternatives., Find out if there is a fee., Register for an online account., Add a payee., Make a payment., Try your bank's mobile app.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine if your bank offers online bill pay services.
Many banks, both large and small, offer online bill pay services.
Call your bank or visit their website to find out what services they offer., If you don't have a checking account, you can still pay your bills online from a central website.
All you have to do is sign up for a prepaid debit card that acts as an alternative to a checking account, such as the American Express Bluebird card.
Once you have an account, you can pay your bills online using the service's website exactly the same way that you would use a bank's website., Some banks offer free online bill payment services to customers who hold a checking account with them, while others charge a small fee.
Make sure to find out if there is a cost associated with using the service before you get started.In many cases, banks will waive their fees if you meet certain criteria.
If, for example, you maintain a certain minimum balance in your checking account, you may be offered the perk of paying your bills online for free. , Before you can begin paying bills online, you will need to register for an online account.
In order to do this, you must have already opened a bank account and you must be able to verify your identity.
You will also be required to create a user name and password, which you will use every time you log in to your account.You may be asked to provide information like your name, date of birth, social security number, and bank account number when creating your account.
This information is needed so that the bank can be sure it is the owner of the bank account who is registering for the online account.
Most banks have customer support numbers that you can call if you are having a problem registering for an account online.
Some banks may offer to help you set up your online account at a branch, especially if you are opening a new account. , Once your online account is set up, you need to add payees to your account.
A payee is simply a vendor who you agree to pay by using your online bank account.
Each bank's website is configured differently, but you should see an option that says something like "pay bills" in the main navigation.
You should then see an option to "add payee" or "manage payees."When adding a payee, you will have to provide the name and address of the company as it appears on your bill.
In some cases, you will only be asked to provide partial information because the bank will be able to recognize it and fill in the rest.
If the bank does not recognize your payee's information, you will need to enter the complete address.
You will also be prompted to enter your account number with the vendor, if you have one.
Make sure you double check the accuracy of your account number.
Some vendors may accept electronic payments from your bank, while others may not.
If your payee does not accept electronic payments, you can still make the payment online, but your bank will send the vendor a paper check on your behalf.
This take a few days longer than electronic payments, so keep this in mind when scheduling your payments. , After you have added a payee to your account, you can begin paying them.
You should see an option that says something like "make a payment" or "pay now." You will then be prompted to enter the amount of your payment and the date you would like to send your payment.When making an online payment, you can typically include a brief memo to the vendor.
This is especially helpful if you do not have an account number with the vendor.
If you do have an account number, you do not need to include it in the memo because you bank will automatically include that information with the payment.
You can make a one-time payment or you can choose to make a recurring payment.
If, for example, you pay the same amount to your mortgage lender or your cable company every month, you can choose to automatically send that amount to the vendor on a specific day of each month. , If you want even more convenience, you can test out your bank's mobile app, which will allow you to pay bills right from your smartphone or other mobile device.
Simply download the app and use the same login information you use on the bank's website to log in.Some apps are more user friendly than others.
If you're shopping for a bank, you may want to read reviews on their mobile apps.
Not all banks have mobile apps, but even if yours doesn't, you can still pay bills on a mobile device by simply visiting their website. -
Step 2: Check out bank alternatives.
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Step 3: Find out if there is a fee.
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Step 4: Register for an online account.
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Step 5: Add a payee.
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Step 6: Make a payment.
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Step 7: Try your bank's mobile app.
Detailed Guide
Many banks, both large and small, offer online bill pay services.
Call your bank or visit their website to find out what services they offer., If you don't have a checking account, you can still pay your bills online from a central website.
All you have to do is sign up for a prepaid debit card that acts as an alternative to a checking account, such as the American Express Bluebird card.
Once you have an account, you can pay your bills online using the service's website exactly the same way that you would use a bank's website., Some banks offer free online bill payment services to customers who hold a checking account with them, while others charge a small fee.
Make sure to find out if there is a cost associated with using the service before you get started.In many cases, banks will waive their fees if you meet certain criteria.
If, for example, you maintain a certain minimum balance in your checking account, you may be offered the perk of paying your bills online for free. , Before you can begin paying bills online, you will need to register for an online account.
In order to do this, you must have already opened a bank account and you must be able to verify your identity.
You will also be required to create a user name and password, which you will use every time you log in to your account.You may be asked to provide information like your name, date of birth, social security number, and bank account number when creating your account.
This information is needed so that the bank can be sure it is the owner of the bank account who is registering for the online account.
Most banks have customer support numbers that you can call if you are having a problem registering for an account online.
Some banks may offer to help you set up your online account at a branch, especially if you are opening a new account. , Once your online account is set up, you need to add payees to your account.
A payee is simply a vendor who you agree to pay by using your online bank account.
Each bank's website is configured differently, but you should see an option that says something like "pay bills" in the main navigation.
You should then see an option to "add payee" or "manage payees."When adding a payee, you will have to provide the name and address of the company as it appears on your bill.
In some cases, you will only be asked to provide partial information because the bank will be able to recognize it and fill in the rest.
If the bank does not recognize your payee's information, you will need to enter the complete address.
You will also be prompted to enter your account number with the vendor, if you have one.
Make sure you double check the accuracy of your account number.
Some vendors may accept electronic payments from your bank, while others may not.
If your payee does not accept electronic payments, you can still make the payment online, but your bank will send the vendor a paper check on your behalf.
This take a few days longer than electronic payments, so keep this in mind when scheduling your payments. , After you have added a payee to your account, you can begin paying them.
You should see an option that says something like "make a payment" or "pay now." You will then be prompted to enter the amount of your payment and the date you would like to send your payment.When making an online payment, you can typically include a brief memo to the vendor.
This is especially helpful if you do not have an account number with the vendor.
If you do have an account number, you do not need to include it in the memo because you bank will automatically include that information with the payment.
You can make a one-time payment or you can choose to make a recurring payment.
If, for example, you pay the same amount to your mortgage lender or your cable company every month, you can choose to automatically send that amount to the vendor on a specific day of each month. , If you want even more convenience, you can test out your bank's mobile app, which will allow you to pay bills right from your smartphone or other mobile device.
Simply download the app and use the same login information you use on the bank's website to log in.Some apps are more user friendly than others.
If you're shopping for a bank, you may want to read reviews on their mobile apps.
Not all banks have mobile apps, but even if yours doesn't, you can still pay bills on a mobile device by simply visiting their website.
About the Author
Ann Stokes
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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