Personal Accounts

Bill Pay FAQ

1. Why did we change bill pay products?

The old Bill Payer service was easy to use, but did not allow the flexibility of recurring, electronic, or scheduled payments. The new Bill Payer has a broader range of services to meet the needs of more Red Canoe Credit Union members.

2. Who can I pay?

You can pay anyone with our Bill Payer service including businesses and private parties. For payees that accept electronic payments, Bill Payer submits your payments electronically. For other payees, Bill Payer generates a paper check and mails it. You do not need to inform a payee that you are using an online bill payment service or make any special arrangements with the payee.

3. How do I enroll?

Just log onto Online Banking and click "Pay Bills". You will be taken to an enrollment page containing your account details. If any information on that page is inaccurate, please give us a call at 1-800-562-5611 to update your information. If your information is correct, click the "Pay Bills Now " button at the bottom of the page and that's it! You can begin setting up payees right away and schedule your first payment in just minutes.

4. Why does the payment date default so far ahead when I try to schedule a payment?

You may be required to give the Bill Payer system 4-business days notice to make your payment. For that reason, Bill Payer will highlight in blue the earliest date on the calendar you can choose.

5. How is the payment sent to my payee? When is the money for my payments taken out of my account?

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). CheckFree will choose one of three payment methods to process your payments. Which method is used will depend on many variables; however, all transactions will be itemized on your monthly statement.

The three payment methods are:

  1. All electronic payment - On the payment date you specify, an electronic credit is sent to your payee, and an electronic debit is sent to your account. Your account will be electronically debited on your scheduled payment date. This method is used when the company or payee you are paying has an electronic agreement set up with CheckFree.
  2. Electronic-to-check payment - A check is drawn on CheckFree's account and mailed to your payee several days prior to the payment date you specify. Your account will be electronically debited on your scheduled payment date.
  3. Laser-printed check - A check, drawn on your account with your account encoding printed on the bottom, is mailed to the payee. Payees receiving laser checks deposit them just like ordinary checks. Your account will be debited as if you had written a personal check, when the payee cashes the check and it is presented for payment.

NOTE : If you are not sure how your payee is going to be paid, plan on the money coming out of your account right away by deducting it from your check register. If your payee received a laser check, the money will not come out of your account until they cash it, however; it would be wise to deduct this amount from your check register right away. Similarly to when you write a personal check.

6. What are E-Bills?

E-bills are an option available to you with our Bill Payer system with a select number of payees that allow you to receive your monthly bills electronically via e-mail. Your bills will no longer be mailed to you in paper form. Bill Payer can be set up to automatically pay the balance on the e-bill as soon as it is received, or you can have complete control over when and how much is paid on them.

7. How am I billed the monthly fee for Bill Payer?

The day of the month you enroll becomes your anniversary date. On your anniversary date each month if you don’t pay at least one bill you will be charge a monthly fee of $5.95. The fee will be deducted from your default payment account automatically.

8. How do I change the account that my monthly fee comes out of?

Once logged into the Bill Payer product you can click on the MY PROFILE tab. Then click on the link that says PAYMENT ACCOUNTS. Once there you will see a list of the payment accounts associated with Bill Payer. From there you can change which one is the default (has check mark next to it). If you see only one payment account listed that is your default and cannot be changed without calling the credit union.

9. Once I schedule a payment, how do I monitor its progress?

From the Bill Payer screen, you should see a box labeled Recent Payments. Use this to see details about all scheduled bills. You can view anything related to the payment of that particular bill, such as: how it was paid, when it was sent, when the money was debited from your account, and more. There will be 1 month of history to see from this screen.

10. I have a question about a bill that was supposed to be paid, who do I call?

Anytime you have questions about a bill, the first place to look is under PAYMENT ACTIVITY. If you do not see a reason why your payment hasn't been processed, your second step is to call the payee to see if they have received your payment. The third step is to call our Bill Payer phone support which is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week for your convenience at 1-888-918-7531.

11. Do you have any tips for managing my balance with this new bill pay service?

Some members have found it handy to open a new checking account just for paying online bills. This has helped some members balance their funds by transferring funds into their checking when they schedule their payments. Other members find it just as simple to deduct their online payments from their register immediately to avoid confusion of their available balance. This method is similar to writing personal checks. Either way, our Member Services Department is here to help make the Bill Payer process easier for you.

13. How do I place a stop payment?

First check your Payment Activity to find out how the payment was made. (draft, online,etc). If the payment was made by draft (paper check?) You can place a stop payment with online banking or contact the credit union at 1-800-562-5611 opt 3. If the payment was made by any other method, you must contact our Bill Payer phone support which is available 24/7 for your convenience at 1-888-918-7531.