FAQ Categories
Business Online Banking Frequently Asked Questions
Personal Online Bill Pay Frequently Asked Questions
Personal Online Banking Frequently Asked Questions
Questions And Answers
Business Online Banking Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enroll my business accounts in Business Online Banking?
Simply complete our Business Online Banking Application and submit it by fax to 219-836-0265. The application can be obtained from the Business Banking section of mybankcitizens.com.
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What is the charge to use Citizens Online Banking?
There is no charge to view account activity including images of checks, to place internal transfers between accounts or to download account information to your personal money management software. Fees vary with additional amenities selected. Contact a member of the Business Resource Center at 1-888-811-6344 for more information.
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Will I be able to distinguish one account from another with Business Online Banking?
You can select a unique product description for each account on the application. For example, if you have two checking accounts, you could assign a nickname such as "Payroll Account" for your Payroll and "Operating Account" for your Operating Expenses.
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Can I download my account information to my own personal money management software?
All account information can be downloaded to Quicken, Microsoft Money, QuickBooks, and CSV.
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How do I download information from my account?
To export transactions into your personal finance application, select the appropriate Transaction Export options located in the Transaction Menu and click the "Export" button. Your files will be saved to disk. Once you have logged on to your personal financial application, you can then import these files from their saved location. Select the appropriate file type from the following list.
- Comma Separated File (.CSV)
- Quicken pre 2005 (.QIF)
- Microsoft Money (.OFX)
- Quicken 2005 & Newer (.QFX)
- Quickbooks 2005 & Newer (.QBO)
- Quickbooks pre 2005 (.IIF)
Then click the "Export" button to complete the process.
The following transactions can be exported:
- Previous Business Day
- Current Statement
- Previous Statement
- Selected Date Range within the Current and Previous Statement cycles
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Will I be able to transfer funds between all of my accounts?
Citizens Business Online Banking is a secure, convenient way to transfer funds from your business savings, business checking, business line of credit and business money market accounts.
Regulation D transaction limits apply. No more than 6 transfers and withdrawals per month, by telephone or Online Banking, pre-authorized, automatic, point-of-sale or check, draft or negotiable order to third parties are allowed. An excess transaction fee will be charged for each item exceeding the 6 allowed transactions.
Transfers completed after 6:00 pm Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday or on a non-business day (Saturday, Sunday or Federal Holiday) will be processed on the following business day.
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Can I set up transfers for future dates or on a recurring basis?
Citizens Business Online Banking provides the flexibility of completing a same day internal transfer (prior to 6:00 pm CST), a future-dated transfer, or recurring monthly transfers.
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Can I use Business Online Banking to pay my Citizens Loan?
Yes. By transferring funds from one of your other Citizens accounts to your loan account, you can avoid making out a check and having to mail your payment.
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How do I add an account to my Business Online Banking?
Simply complete the Business Online Banking Upgrade/Change Request form. This form can be accessed by clicking "Info" for Business Banking near the top right of this screen.
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What happens if I forget my password?
You may contact Client Services at 1-888-226-5237 or our Business Resource Center at 1-888-811-6344 to assist you should this occur.
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Can I see what Business Online Banking is like before I sign up?
Sure! Click "Demo" for Business Banking near the top right side of this screen. You will be taken to our online Demonstration.
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Can I send a request via email?
Our Online Banking system allows you to send the Business Resource Center an email by clicking the Contact Us link in the website. This is not a secure email. Never send us your Business Online Banking ACCESS ID or your PASSWORD or other sensitive Citizens Account information via email. Instead you may contact us at 1-888-811-6344 for assistance.
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How secure is my account information with Business Online Banking?
Online security is as important to Citizens as it is to you. When you bank online it is encrypted through Secure Socket Layer. Our Business Online Banking product provides 128-bit encryption. This technology encodes information sent over the Internet between your computer and Citizens. This ensures the information you send remains confidential.
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Why is it important to use 128-bit encryption instead of 40-bit encryption?
Browsers are roughly 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times more secure with 128-bit encryption than browsers with 40-bit encryption levels. While 40-bit is fine for lower risk transactions, it is no longer considered adequate by most cryptographers and computer scientists for financial transactions. It is estimated that the 128-bit encryption level will be sufficient for preventing security breaches for the next 20 years.
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What type of additional security will be provided for Citizens Business Online Banking?
Various forms of multi-factor authentication are used in the Login process to verify your identity. Our Business Online Banking site also incorporates VeriSign's digital ID certificate and state of the art technology to keep your account information safe and protect all of your Internet transactions.
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Personal Online Bill Pay Frequently Asked Questions
What is online bill pay?
Citizens Bill Pay is an online system providing you the ability to pay your bills via mybankcitizens.com anytime, anywhere in the United States. Payments are sent electronically (via Automated Clearing House, or ACH) when possible, and by paper draft when not. There's no check writing or need to purchase stamps or envelopes.
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How do I access Citizens Bill Pay?
You can access Citizens Bill Pay through Citizens Online Banking. While you are logged on to Online Banking, select your checking account designated for Bill Pay and then click on “Pay Bills”.
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How does it work?
Citizens Bill Pay uses the ACH or MasterCard RPS network to electronically transfer your payments from Citizens to the party you specify on the date you specify. If a company or individual is not set up for electronic transfer, a check is sent via U.S. Mail.
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Is there a charge for Citizens Bill Pay?
Citizens Bill Pay is absolutely FREE. Pay your bills, anywhere anytime, without writing checks or purchasing stamps.
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Are there any bills I cannot pay?
Tax payments and court-directed payments cannot be paid through Citizens Bill Pay. Also, payments can only be made within the United States.
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Is there a limit to the number of payments?
You no longer have to worry about how many bills you pay online. Citizens Bill Pay allows you an unlimited number of transactions.
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How will I set up a payment?
There are two basic steps involved in using the bill payments services:
- Set up your payees.
- Schedule payments.
When you first begin using the service, set up your payee list by adding the payees to whom you want to make payments. Some payees can also send electronic bills (e-bills). You only need to add each payee once. All of your payees are also listed on the Make Payments – Multiple Payments page, where you can quickly schedule multiple payments on one screen.
Electronic payments set-up prior to 3:00 p.m. CST (Monday - Friday) may be scheduled for the next day. When scheduling a payment please allow 3-4 business days lead time. Citizens Bill Pay determines whether a payment is sent electronically or by check, based on whether the payee accepts electronic payments and other guidelines.
After a payment is scheduled, it appears as Scheduled on the Payment Activity – Bill Payments page. After the payment is processed, the status changes to Processed. The payee receives your payment on the payment date you specified and credits your account. Sometimes, however, the payee may take a few days to apply the payment to your account.
After your enrollment is completed, you can receive e-mail payments from other people who use an e-mail payments service. The payments are electronically deposited into the payment account of your choice.
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What is an e-bill?
An e-bill (electronic bill) is a bill that you can view and pay online through Citizens Bill Pay. E-bills contain the same information found in a paper bill, but all you have to do to pay an e-bill is click Pay.
Before you can receive an e-bill, you must add an e-bill-capable payee to your payee list and request e-bills from the payee. After you start to receive e-bills, you can view them on the E-bills page.
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What is an e-mail payment?
With e-mail payments you can electronically send money to and receive money from anyone with an e-mail address and United States bank account.
An e-mail payment allows you to:
- Send money to anyone with an e-mail address.
- Track payments online. No more “check is in the mail” worries.
- Transfer money electronically between your checking and money market accounts.
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What is a capable payee?
After enrolling a payee, Citizens Bill Pay will let you know whether the payee has the ability to send an e-bill.
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Should I use Citizens Bill Pay to pay my Citizens Loan?
A better option would be to complete a transfer through Citizens Online Banking or by using Citizens Telephone Banking. By transferring funds from one of your other Citizens accounts to your loan account, you avoid processing period that Bill Pay can take.
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Do I need to inform my payees?
No. Citizens Bill Pay does not change the way your payments are credited.
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How will I know my payments are made?
Once a payment has been made, Citizens Bill Pay will reflect it in the history of your Citizens checking account. It will also be clearly itemized on your monthly bank statement. Since Citizens only makes the payments you authorize, you control your account at all times. In addition, Citizens Bill Pay will display whether your payment was sent electronically or by paper draft.
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What if I type my account number incorrectly?
Citizens Bill Pay asks you to enter the account number a second time as a validation, therefore decreasing the risk of incorrectly entering the payee account number. You have the ability to modify payee information at any time.
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How do I place a stop payment?
A stop payment cannot be placed on an Citizens Bill Payment. You should contact our Customer Service Center at 1-888-226-5237 if a payment is not received by a payee.
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What about the invoices?
With an online bill payment service, your monthly bills continue to be sent to you. Then, with Citizens Online Bill Pay, you log on, click "Pay Bills", and elect to make single or recurring payments. With a bill presentment service, your bills are sent directly to the service. The service contacts you by e-mail with the specific billing information they receive, and you authorize the service to pay the bills. Citizens only offers bill payment, not bill presentment.
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Can I still use my paper checks?
Yes. Citizens Bill Pay is like having a second checkbook. Payments through Online Bill Pay will be reflected in your account history with a description of all payments made.
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Personal Online Banking Frequently Asked Questions
What accounts will I have access to?
You will automatically have access to all of your accounts in which your name is listed as an account owner at your household address including any new accounts you may open.
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Is there a charge for Online Banking?
There are no fees to access account information through Online Banking.
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How do I enroll in Citizens Online Banking?
You can complete and submit an Online Banking application which is processed at our Customer Service Center. You will be asked to select a User ID consisting of 7 to 12 alpha and numeric characters. After you receive a temporary password and Online Banking packet of information in the mail, you will be asked to choose a new password and set your security data prior to your first entry into online banking.
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How do I choose a secure password?
Passwords are much safer if they incorporate numbers, but just adding a couple of numbers at the end of an otherwise predictable word won't buy as much security as you might think. The best passwords aren't really words at all. They are random mixtures of letters, numbers and characters, and they are more than seven digits long - the longer the better. If you write down your password so you don't have to remember it, then you make it less secure. Good passwords are the first line of defense for information security. Choose your passwords wisely.
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Will I have access to transaction history on my accounts?
Up to 45 days of history can be accessed on all credits, debits, cleared checks, and deposits for checking, money market, and statement savings accounts. Approximately 14 months of history is available on loan accounts.
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Can I download account information?
All account information can be downloaded to your personal finance management software.
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How do I download into a Personal Finance Application?
To Export transactions into a personal application, complete the Transaction Search options on the Transaction Menu screen, then click the "Export" button to complete the export process.
Or, click the "Display" button to display a complete list of transactions. Select the "Export" check box for each item to be exported. If the check box in the title bar is selected, all displayed items are automatically selected for export. If the check box is then deselected, all displayed items will not be exported.
Note: Special printing is available on export item lists.
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Can I transfer funds between accounts?
Citizens Online Banking is a secure, convenient way to transfer funds from your checking, line of credit, money market or savings (not including Early Investors and Christmas Clubs) to your checking, money market, savings (including Early Investors and Christmas Club), or loan accounts. Transfers are not permitted between personal accounts and non-personal (business/organization) accounts.
Regulation D transaction limits apply. No more than 6 transfers and withdrawals per month, by telephone or Online Banking, pre-authorized, automatic, point-of-sale or check, draft or negotiable order to third parties. An excess transaction fee will be charged for each item exceeding the 6 allowed transactions.
Transfers completed after 6:00 pm Central Standard Time Monday through Friday or on a non-business day (Saturday, Sunday or Holiday) will be processed on the next business day.
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Can I make future dated or recurring transfers?
Citizens Online Banking provides the flexibility of completing a same day transfer (prior to 6:00 pm CST M-F), a future-dated transfer, or recurring monthly transfers.
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Can I use Citizens Online Banking to pay my Citizens Loan?
Yes, by transferring funds from one of your other Citizens accounts to your loan account, you can avoid writing a check and having to mail your payment. Loan transfers via Online Banking or Telephone Banking prior to 6:00 PM Central Time Monday through Friday will appear in your account history on the following day. Loan transfers after 6:00 PM Central Time or on a non-business day (Saturday, Sunday, or Holiday) will appear in your account history on the 2nd business day following the transfer date.
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What if I forget my password?
Citizens Online Banking application contains various pieces of information that can be used to verify your identity as well as a security question that is selected and answered by you at the time of application. Our Customer Service Center can be reached at (219) 923-1499 or 1-888- 226-5237 and will assist you should this occur.
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How secure is my information?
Online security is as important to Citizens as it is to you. When you bank online, it is encrypted through Secure Socket Layer. Our Online Banking product provides 128-bit encryption. This technology encodes information sent over the Internet between your computer and Citizens. This ensures the information you send remains confidential.
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Why use 128-bit encryption levels?
Browsers are roughly 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times stronger with 128-bit encryption than browsers with 40-bit encryption levels. While 40-bit is fine for lower risk transactions, it is no longer considered adequate by most cryptographers and computer scientists for financial transactions. It is estimated that the 128-bit encryption level will be strong enough to prevent security breaches for the next 20 years.
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What additional security will be provided?
Citizens added an additional layer of security to online banking known as Multi-Factor Authentication. What this means to you:
- A unique pre-selected image to assure you that you are on the Citizens website
- Additional security questions for use when you are using a public computer to access your account information
Our Online Banking and Bill Pay sites incorporate VeriSign's digital ID certificate and state-of-the-art technology to keep your account information safe and protect all of your internet transactions.
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Are PC, Online, and Internet banking the same?
Online Banking and Internet Banking are the same. PC Banking is software-related and is not accessed through an Internet site.
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How do I Logoff of Citizens Online Banking?
The “Logoff” button allows you to exit Citizens Online Banking and returns you to our Website. When you are visiting any secure site including Citizens Online Banking, it is important that you logoff when you are finished. Your online banking session will remain active if you only close your browser window or click the "X" at the top of your browser without logging off. For your protection, your Citizens Online Banking session will automatically logoff after 15 minutes of inactivity.
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Will my full account number be displayed?
No. For added protection, only the last four digits of your account number are displayed.
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