Online bill pay

[casper114]

My wife thought she would be nifty by setting up online bill pay with all of our utilities.... For the past four months we have been paying our bills late and not even knowing it! Man I am so pist! What a crock!

 

[jtusa]

Just because it's online doesn't mean it's instant.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: casper114
My wife thought she would be nifty by setting up online bill pay with all of our utilities.... For the past four months we have been paying our bills late and not even knowing it! Man I am so pist! What a crock!

Your wife is a crock?

 

[casper114]

I didn't realize that untill today.... I found out they actually mail a check out for you and that's all it is. Man I am so angry about this!

 

[bonkers325]

Originally posted by: casper114
I didn't realize that untill today.... I found out they actually mail a check out for you and that's all it is. Man I am so angry about this!

so you thought it was completely electronic? :Q

 

[kranky]

What are you angry about? That she didn't read the details of how it worked, and made unfounded assumptions?

 

[moshquerade]

guess you learned the hard way. i still snail mail my bills.

 

[CRXican]

sounds like ghetto bill pay

I pay my credit card via online billpay and it's all electronic

 

[Drakkon]

i do all my bills online except for rent nowadays...everything is isn't...through myCheckFree mostly for electric/gas/water and the rest have their own sites....always on time

 

[Kenazo]

Originally posted by: casper114
I didn't realize that untill today.... I found out they actually mail a check out for you and that's all it is. Man I am so angry about this!

WTF? Your bank is in the stone age if they do that. I always set my auto bill payments to come out 2 days before they're due. My bank let's me post date the payment so it only gets sent out on the day I chose, but I can enter my pmts as soon as I get the bills.

It should all be electronic, if it's not you need a new Bank.

 

[labgeek]

Originally posted by: CRXican
sounds like ghetto bill pay

I pay my credit card via online billpay and it's all electronic

Did you read the OP?

You're paying a CC.
He's paying Utilities.

Some will be electronic, others will have a check cut. I know it told me when I setup each account whether it was an electronic transfer or mailed check. It even went so far as to warn me to have it mailed a few days in advance. Seems like the OP's getting mad at the wrong party...

 

[junkerman123]

my billpay is extremely prompt, takes less than 5 business days no exceptions. i use wachovia.

 

[Tremulant]

Thanks for reminding me.. I had to pay my credit cards.

I've never had a problem with online bill pay though.

 

[casper114]

Originally posted by: kranky
What are you angry about? That she didn't read the details of how it worked, and made unfounded assumptions?

I'm angry because I have never had a late payment before now. Also I don't know how they can offer a service that would pay your bills late. Some of my bills have been 11 days late is what OGE said.

 

[labgeek]

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: casper114
I didn't realize that untill today.... I found out they actually mail a check out for you and that's all it is. Man I am so angry about this!

WTF? Your bank is in the stone age if they do that. I always set my auto bill payments to come out 2 days before they're due. My bank let's me post date the payment so it only gets sent out on the day I chose, but I can enter my pmts as soon as I get the bills.

It should all be electronic, if it's not you need a new Bank.

It's not always up to the bank. And manyt go through a service company to handle it for them. It also depends on the receiving party.

 

[NogginBoink]

I pay my bills at the website of the biller. They then issue an electronic draft against my account. It does mean I have to visit several websites, but I know my bills are being paid that way.

 

[archcommus]

I prefer paying the bills through the company's website as opposed to using your bank's bill pay service.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: archcommus
I prefer paying the bills through the company's website as opposed to using your bank's bill pay service.

Same here....I still mail a few checks out each month (mainly local utilities), though.

 

[casper114]

Originally posted by: archcommus
I prefer paying the bills through the company's website as opposed to using your bank's bill pay service.

I'm going to have to do something... this type of stuff will screw me up if i'm not careful. I may just go back to snail mail.

 

[dullard]

Typically

Online Bill Pay:
[*]mailed checks and long delays.
[*]many places cost you money each month.
[*]useless in my opinion.
[*]Remember, if they advertize it on TV, they are profitting from the users.

Go to the utilities and have them automatically withdraw from your checking/savings account or automatically bill your CC:
[*]Electronic and thus instantaneous payments
[*]Never costs money
[*]Quite useful.

 

[DnetMHZ]

Originally posted by: archcommus
I prefer paying the bills through the company's website as opposed to using your bank's bill pay service.

I pay all my bills online at the individual websites for each. Takes all of 5 minutes.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: NogginBoink
I pay my bills at the website of the biller. They then issue an electronic draft against my account. It does mean I have to visit several websites, but I know my bills are being paid that way.

That's good for credit cards, but do most utilities offer that? You still have to be careful when doing credit card payments online, some add a processing time at least for the first payment. This is why I always pay my bills as soon as I get them... I'm too forgetful otherwise.

 

[casper114]

Originally posted by: dullard
Typically

Online Bill Pay:
[*]mailed checks and long delays.
[*]many places cost you money each month.
[*]useless in my opinion.

Go to the utilities and have them automatically withdraw:
[*]Electronic and thus instantaneous payments
[*]Never costs money
[*]Quite useful.


That's not a bad idea... Do you know how hard it would be to cancel the deduction each month. That's what i'm always afraid of when it comes to automatic withdrawls

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: casper114
That's not a bad idea... Do you know how hard it would be to cancel the deduction each month. That's what i'm always afraid of when it comes to automatic withdrawls

I have had a couple disputes with billing errors (not due to the automatic withdrawl). The companies so far have either (a) written me a check then and there to refund the error or (b) credited me so that the next automatic withdrawl is much less.

For a buffer zone, try to have them bill your CC if you are worried.

 

[tami]

lessons to take from your experience:

1. don't sit down to your computer to pay the bills at the last minute.
2. when you pay the bills early, don't schedule the payment for the last minute.

i always schedule my payment as soon as i get the bill, and i make sure it processes at the first day available after i receive it (usually 2-3 days).