What is the difference between a bill paid by “Check” and one paid “Electronically”?
A “Check” payment is a paper draft sent through the US Mail system. You must allow sufficient time for the payee to receive this type of payment just as if you were mailing the payment yourself. An “Electronic” payment is sent out electronically and is the preferred payment method. However, some payees do not accept this type of payment. “Electronic” payments clear within a few days.
Is there a maximum or a minimum amount I can pay?
Yes. The maximum amount for a single payment is $9,999.99. If you need to make a payment to a vendor that is larger than this amount, you must split the payment into two payments. There is no minimum payment amount.
Getting Started
How do I enroll?
First, sign up for PCU Home Banking, our Internet home banking product. If you are already using PCU Home Banking, click on the “Enroll for the Bill Payer” button located on the tool bar at the top of your BillPayer screen. You will be required to read and agree to a disclosure agreement before the enrollment process may continue. Once you have read the disclosure and completed the enrollment process, you can then access BillPayer by clicking the “Bill Payer” button on the left of your PCU Home Banking screen.
How do I get started using Bill Payer?
Once you have enrolled, the first step is to setup your payees. We have a Master Payee List of vendors for you to choose from, or you may create your own if your payee is not in the Master Payee List (database).
Once I enroll, how soon can I start to make payments?
If your payee is on the Master Payee List, you may begin to make payments immediately. If you set up a “New Payee”, you must allow up to 14 days before you can begin making payments to that payee. This allows our payment processor enough time to verify payee information before the first payment is sent. When the status of the payee is “active” on your payee list, you can start making payments.
Which accounts/suffixes can I use with Bill Payer?
Bill Payer can only be used in conjunction with your Campbell Employees FCU Checking Account suffix 9.
Setting up Bill Payer
How do I set up payees (may also be referred to as “Merchants” or “Vendors”)?
First, click on the “Payees” button in the Bill Payer section. Second, click on the “Find Payee” button to search through our Master Payee List and find a payee to add to your Personal Payee List. If you do not find the payee you are looking for in the Master Payee List, type the first letter of the payee and all payees with that first letter will appear. For example, to find Connectiv, type a “C” and then “Search”.
If your Payee is not on the Master Payee List or the address does not match your payee, you will need to add the payee in the “Add Payee” section. When creating a new payee, all fields must be completed. The only exceptions are the “Attn:” field and the “Ext.” in the “Phone” field. If you fail to input information in all of the required fields, your payee will not be set up and you will not be able to make payments to this payee.
Once you have set up a payee in the “Add Payee” section, you will need to wait up to 14 days before scheduling a payment. This allows our payment processor to verify your information. Please note that this fourteen-day delay is only imposed once per new Payee that you create. If you select a payee from the Master Payee List, you may begin setting up payments immediately.
If the merchant has the same name, does it matter that the address is not exactly the same as the billing address I usually send my payment to?
No. If the name of the company is the same and the address is close but not identical, choose the one with the address that most closely matches. If you have any address questions, you can also call the vendor to verify the payee information. Often, vendors accept electronic payments at a different address than the one shown on your bill.
Making Payments
How long will it take for a merchant to receive my payment?
On average, allow two business days for electronic merchants and five business days for those merchants paid by paper check (for those unable to receive electronic payment). Your Personal Payee List will show whether a merchant is receiving payments electronically or by a check in the mail. Please remember that Campbell Employees FCU cannot control the delivery of payments by the post office or the posting schedule of the merchant (when the payment is actually credited to your account). Because merchants may not post the payment the same day that they receive them, we recommend that you include a few “cushion” days in your timing of bill payments. It is your responsibility to select dates to allow enough time for the payment to get to the merchant so that you are not late with your payments.
When are funds deducted from my Campbell Employees FCU checking account?
Funds are debited from your account on the day that we process your payment (typically the Payment Start Date), and NOT on the day that the payment is received or cashed by the payee.
What is the cutoff time for payment processing?
We process and transmit payment requests each business day at approximately 6:00 a.m. Any pending payments on the system will be processed at that time. Payments submitted after 6:00 a.m. will be processed the next business day. They may be reviewed (and modified) in your “Pending Payments” list until they are processed. Once processed, the payment status is available in the “Payment History” screen, and no further changes may be made.
What if there aren’t enough funds available to process my scheduled payment?
If you have funds available by using overdraft protection, the payment will be processed using these funds. If there are not enough funds available, your payment will not be processed, you will be assessed a $25.00 fee, and you will need to reschedule your payment at a later date. Your notification will be mailed via the Postal Service.
Checking Payments/Making Changes
How do I check my payment status?
Click on the “Payment History” button and you will see a status on each of your payments, as follows:
· In Process: The payment has been sent by Campbell Employees FCU to our payment processor and is awaiting further action. At this point a payment has not yet been sent to your payee, but the money has been debited from your account.
· Payment Sent: The payment has been processed by our Bill Payer Processor and has been sent to your payee, either electronically or by check.
· Check Cleared: Your payee has deposited the check and it has cleared on the date shown. Note that on electronic payees, the final status will be “E-Payment Sent.”
What if I need to modify a scheduled payment?
While a payment is still listed under the Pending Payment section, changes can be made to the payment at any time. After the payment has been picked up for processing, and the payment has moved from Pending Payments to Payment History, no changes can be made.
Can I stop a payment?
Once a payment has been sent, it will be processed according to standard procedures. On an exception basis, our payment processor may be able to stop a payment made to a check merchant. If you choose to stop a payment, your account will be assessed the $15.00 stop payment fee that we are charged by our payment processor. Electronic payments cannot be stopped.
I made a payment to a merchant through Bill Payer and it has not been credited to my account. What should I do?
Check your records. Often, a typing error or date error is responsible for a missing payment. Wait at lease four business days for an electronic payment and ten business days for a check payment. Call the merchant at the end of this time to see whether they have received the payment. Once all other means of rectifying the problem have been exhausted, Campbell Employees FCU will take any necessary steps, upon the request of the member on behalf of the member to further pursue the payment issue.
How do I cancel the Bill Payer service?
If you decide that you do not want to use Bill Payer, choose the “Cancel Bill Payer” button on the tool bar in BillPayer, call 800-257-5354 or visit any branch. Please be aware that all Payees and Pending Payments will be canceled. If you decide to re-enroll in Bill Payer, you will have to reestablish all of your Payees.
How do I get a copy of a check?
Call Campbell Employees FCU at 854-486-3250 or 800-257-5354 and speak with a representative to inform them of your request.
How do I modify a vendor that I have selected?
Within the Payee section of the Bill Payer screens, you will see a list of all vendors that you have set up as your payee list. You may click on the payee, which is a hyperlink directly to the modify payee screens or select the radio button to the left of the payee and then select the button at the top of the payee list and select “Modify Payee.” You may only modify the nickname of the payee and the account number. If the address information is incorrect or you inadvertently selected the wrong payee from the Master Payee List, delete the payee and set up the payee again with the correct information. *
*Payees’ addresses and method of payment may automatically be changed so that we can continuously update payees with the most accurate information and streamline the payment process. Where the payee was originally being paid via check, we may automatically convert the address so that we may now make the necessary payments electronically.
Error Messages
Bill Payer will not take my account number. It keeps telling me the account number is not in the correct format.
Select the “HELP” button to see the format that is expected by the payee. If you believe the format is in error, please notify us via email at pcusupport@campbellcu.org so the error can be rectified. A temporary way to work around this is to satisfy the format with a bogus number and then modify the payee within the Payee screen and enter what you believe to be the correct number.
