Bill Pay - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Have Bill Pay questions? The answers are probably here.
What is Bill Pay?
Bill Pay is our internet bill payment service. You can initiate and track payments to any vendor or individual within the United States from any internet-connected computer.*
How much does it cost?
Nothing. The service is free! (Keep in mind though, incidental fees like overdrafts or stop payments may still apply.)
Who can I pay?
Anyone you like, as long as they have a mailing address.
How do I qualify?
Bill Pay is available to any Northwest Community Credit Union member who has On-Line Banking and a Northwest Community checking account.
How does a bill get paid?
Four parties are involved when you pay a bill online: you, us (Northwest Community Credit Union), on-line banking (Liberty/Cavion), and our Bill Pay partner (Metavante).
- You:
Log into On-line banking and specify a date, amount, and a payee. - On-line Banking:
On-line banking collects the information you enter and submits it to us. - Northwest Community Credit Union:
At the close of the business day, on the date you specify, the order goes in to pay the bills you've specified.
- Bill Pay Service:
Your bill is paid using one of two methods. If your payee accepts electronic funds, your bill is paid electronically with Automated Clearing House (ACH). If your payee only accepts paper checks, a paper check will be printed and mailed to your payee. Remember to factor in the time it takes for the check to arrive at your payee's address.
How can you tell which payment method will be used?
Payees whose names and addresses you can find on Bill Pay's "pick list" will be paid via the ACH method. All others are paid via check.
How long will it take for a merchant to receive my payment?
On average, allow two business days for electronic merchants and up to seven business days for those merchants who are paid by paper check.
How long will it take for the funds to come out of my account?
Funds are debited from your account on the day we process your payment (typically the payment "Start Date"), and NOT on the day that the payment is received or cashed by the payee. This means you won't have as much "float time" before a payment is deducted from your checking account. If the payment is made to a payee who can be paid directly via the Federal Automated Clearing House (ACH), the funds come out of your account in just a few hours and are sent to your payee. If your payment is mailed as a paper check, the funds come out of your account as soon as the check is printed and mailed - generally about two days.
Which accounts can I use with Bill Pay?
Bill Pay only works with your Northwest Community checking account. However, if you want to transfer money between NWCU accounts (pay your NWCU VISA bill, for example) you can do so for free when you log into On-line banking.
How soon can I start to make payments?
If you've just signed up for Bill Pay, please allow five days before you schedule your very first payment to a payee. This allows our payment processor enough time to verify the payee's information.
Can I stop a payment?
Yes. Ideally, you would go on-line yourself and change or cancel an upcoming payment before the scheduled date comes to pass. Electronic payments cannot be stopped once the scheduled date has passed. If you choose to stop a payment, your checking account will be assessed a $25 stop payment fee (since our payment processor charges us to do this). For further assistance, send us a note or call 1-800-452-9515.
What should I do if I made a payment to a merchant through Bill Pay and it has not been posted to my account?
- Check your records.
Often, a typing error or date error is responsible for a missing payment. - Give it some time.
Wait at least four business days for an electronic payment and seven business days for a check payment.
- Call the merchant.
If you’ve waited a reasonable amount of time and you still don’t see the payment, call the merchant to see whether they have received the payment.
- Submit a payment inquiry.
As a last resort you can request that we submit a payment inquiry to our payment processor. (This inquiry may result in a fee based on research time if it is determined that you are at fault for the missing payment, so be cautious.) Call us at 1-800-452-9515 for assistance.
How do I cancel Bill Pay service if I don't want to use it anymore?
You may log into On-Line banking and stop your scheduled payments. Or, you can just delete your payees if you'd like—this will cancel all scheduled payments. There is no fee, so you're welcome to leave your account set-up as-is should you decide to use Bill Pay in the future. If you prefer, you may call us at 1-800-452-9515 and say, "I don't want to use Bill Pay anymore." We're happy to help.
Where can I go for more on-line help?
When you log into On-line banking, you will find an extensive Bill Pay Help area. Just click “Bill Pay” and select “Help” and you will find answers to most Bill Pay questions.
Couldn't find the answer here? Ask us.
We would like to make sure that Bill Pay is running smoothly for you. If you need to talk to someone just contact us. Our phone branch is available 8 AM to 7 PM weekdays and 10 AM to 1 PM on most Saturdays. You may also contact your local branch or send us a note.
* Our Bill Pay Service does not work for tax payments, government agencies, court-ordered
payments or payments to Northwest Community Credit Union. Please check with
your payee to see which forms of payment they accept. If you need to make a payment
to one NWCU account from another, use on-line banking
or contact us for more options.