Does anyone here pay bills electronically?

My bank has been offering it for several years. I do bank online, I just have been leery of paying bills. I like getting my cancelled checks back for recordkeeping but now many of my creditors process my checks electronically so I don't get them back. After spending at least an hour twice a month paying the bills, I am beginning to think about it. Any input is appreciated.

I do it all the time

:thumbsup: except the rent

It does save time for sure. And you can print out a copy of the page showing what companies you paid and how much. I file those away. One thing, though. With some companies, they don't accept electronic payments, so what happens is that the bank writes a check out to the company and sends it, which can cause a delay of up to 5 days. But overall, I think it's a good system.

Takes literally 3 seconds.

It's amazing :)

and it's never been a problem. And, if there is, there's tracking numbers and you can call the bank to hunt them down. You also have valid proof of when you sent items, unlike checks, which creditors can claim weren't mailed.

Do it and you'll never look back.

I pay my telephone, natural gas (ouch), mortgage, and credit card via electronic payments.
It is quite easy.

I write, maybe, one cheque per year, and that's usually to start automatic deposits or withdrawals.

Never had a problem over the several years I've been online banking. Well, only a very few, and they were always handled quickly by a real bank rep over the phone.

However, I don't know if there are significant differences between the US and Canada.

we call'em 'checks' down here :hi:

"Cheques" is one of the few words I've had trouble spelling. I only recently started spelling it correctly (the Canadian way) without having to think about it. Like I just did in my last post.

Now you've probably gone and undone everything. :cry:

:hi:

:woohoo: :applause: :hug: :toast:

:toast:

paying the bills myself, like mailing it in with a money order or check, so i have something, well proof that i mailed off the payment...like a money order stub, or the check carbon copy....but thats just me.

The only thing, i don't pay, is our insurance for our vehicles, Safeco automatically takes it out of our bank account, so i always make sure to leave enough $ in there...but other than that, i'm old fashioned, check/money order and mail it in...i don't trust the online stuff all that much...well, not at all really....as far as identity theft is concerned....

and all provide some sort of printable receipt for record-keeping.

It saves me so much time--I just can't tell you how much. Plus I hated writing checks and posting the letters, etc.

I've never had any problems with any of the online services either.

- my damn connection is so slow and some websites are a pain.

Banks charge something like $7 a month.
You can set up accounts on-line and pay them yourself, or by phone.
Saves stamps.

so it won't cost me anything. I just set up the accounts and every month plug in the amounts to be paid to each creditor.

I started doing it in 1998, I believe, with one credit card that was offering it at the time. I actually left my federal employees credit union (for regular checking) because they didn't offer it. That was in 2000.

I pay everything online that I can.

It's easy, saves time and money on stamps (which are going up again), is easier to track, etc.

I have a check card that works with my checking account. I have made arrangements with each of my utility providers to deduct what I owe each month from my checking account. I furnished them the check card number, or my checking account number, depending on how they wanted to handle it. It works the same for me. I didn't ask my bank to handle this, so I pay no fee for electronic bill pay.

I still receive bills from these utility companies, but I don't have to do anything with them.

I use Quicken for all my finances, including online checking account updates. When the utility companies deduct what I owe, I see the transactions and record them. It's so easy, and everything automatically gets put in its own category, since the program recognizes each company.

I highly recommend this type of setup.

I've been paying bills through my bank for years. It is so convenient.

Never had any problems with it.

Credit card is usually paid on-line with my debit card.

As long as you print out what you do, it's easy to do the reconciliation on your bank account.

It's a small local coop that doesn't have that capability. I love it.

All of my bills would be late otherwise. Now, they just pay themselves. :D

use their automatic programs if they are available, where you set it up with the company and they automatically take it out of your account each month. For me, it's much better than worrying about whether my check is going to get there or whether it's going to sit on someone's desk until they get around to crediting it.

Easy, fast, safe.

Schedule bills to be paid up to a year in advance, pay them in the middle of the night or on Sunday or a holiday, never have to worry if the mail will get there in time, never buy another stamp, set up repeating payments so you never have to think about it. Since I started with electronic bill pay, I've not had one late fee to pay. I could stand losing just about anything other than my ability to pay my bills this way.

Believe me, I use to be in the toilet, credit-wise. Mainly because I was a lazy bill payer who never had stamps or could find the bill, etc. etc. etc.

The I signed up with online bill pay through my last bank (a credit union) and some bills I knew was the same amount each month so I would it up for them to be paid automatically. I had some credit cards to be paid off so I set those up for a decent amount each month.

I've been doing this for 5 years now. My FICO score (used to determine creditworthiness) has gone up over 300 points by basically setting stuff up online. I buy about 10 stamps a year if I'm lucky. And if I need a record of payments I have it all online.

Good bill payment systems will be given to you for free through your bank (my current bank, which I switched banks because of moving) doesn't charge.

I love love love it!

Your bank's website should keep those payment histories -- my bank does. It really does save a tremendous amount of time, checks, stamps and envelopes.

I used to like to mail ail the checks I would have the nice canceled checks if there was ever a problem. Until this one time at band camp, I digress, the checks were all mailed and then the next month the bills show up with late fees and missed payments and what not. I didn't understand, what went wrong i wondered because I KNEW I mailed the checks. Later that week my insurance agent who had his address printed on his envelopes as both mail to and return showed up at my house with the charred corner of his envelope and a part of my check. Seems the mail truck had a little problem on the interstate and burned to the axles. Since then everything possible is paid online, just as someone suggested above, make sure you allow time for those businesses that are not set up for electronic payments to get a check from the bank. Also, be sure to print out your confirmation pages in case a payment goes astray.

Once you start using it, you will love it.

Only drawback is the once in a while bill, like the dentist that I can't pay online.

I don't even know where my checkbook is anymore. Locked away somewhere I suppose. Now I pay them all on line and it's great. No more writing checks, no more finding stamps, no more wondering if it's going to get there on time. I set it up, tell them when I want it paid and they take care of all of it for me.

I went to electronic bill pay after 9/11 when I got dinged with late charges because the postal service was effed up. (All charges were reversed, but it was a PIA and took months to deal with.)

Living on a shoestring, as I do, I do not allow automatic withdrawals or payments.

Seriously?