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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