Is the Bill Pay service free?
Bill Pay is free, provided the member has any two (2) of the following three (3) products and services with the Credit Union:
- Direct deposit
- Debit card
- eStatements
Otherwise, the member will be charged a monthly user fee of $5 by the Credit Union.
Additionally, Bill Pay will charge the member an inactivity fee any time Bill Pay is unused by the member for longer than one month. Any member who wants to discontinue use of Bill Pay must contact the branch and initiate a termination of service request to avoid inactivity charges.
How do I enroll in SHFCU Mobile Bill Pay?
You must have a Self-Help Federal Credit Union checking account and you must be enrolled in Bill Pay through SHFCU online banking. No additional enrollment is required. If necessary, go to the SHFCU online banking site to self-enroll in Bill Pay.
When can I expect a payment to arrive?
The bill pay site will automatically display an estimated date of payment for each payment.
Is it possible to request a STOP PAY on electronic payments?
No, not after the electronic payment has been sent by Bill Pay.
Can I use accounts other than my Credit Union checking account to pay bills through Bill Pay?
No. Only the member’s Credit Union checking account is acceptable as the funding source for Bill Pay transactions.
No other Credit Union account may be used. Accounts from other financial institutions are not acceptable funding sources for our Bill Pay service.
What is a payee?
A payee is any recipient of a payment.
Why do some payees get paid by CHECK, and some get paid by ELECTRONIC payment?
The method of payment will depend upon the fund transfer agreement between Bill Pay and the payee. Where possible, Bill Pay will assign the electronic fund transfer method to a payment. Where electronic fund transfer is not possible, Bill Pay will mail a check to the address on file for the designated payee.
The payee says they haven’t received my payment! What’s going on?
There are numerous reasons for this to occur. Here are some of the most common:
- Inaccurate account information on record by the payee. If this is the case, Bill Pay will refund the payment to the member’s account. To prevent further incorrect payments, Bill Pay will delete the payee information that’s on file in the Bill Pay system. If this removal happens, then the member will need to restore the payee record with new, accurate information. The member will then need to initiate a new payment arrangement for the refunded payment and any future payments.
- Delay in receipt/deposit of the payment by the payee. The posted payment date is a good estimate of when the payment will be received or posted, but it is only an estimate. This scenario is less likely to happen with electronic payments than with checks, but it can happen with either method.
- Payments by check lost in the mail. If the member suspects that the check has been lost, then the member may submit a STOP PAYMENT request to Bill Pay. A minimum of five (5) business days must pass from the payment processing date before Bill Pay will initiate a stop payment action. A successful stop payment will result in a refund of the amount of the requested payment. A fee may be charged to the member by Bill Pay for stop payments. Credit Union Operations staff may assist with a stop payment request, but it is preferable for the member to initiate the request. Additionally, checks that have not been deposited within 30 days of being mailed will trigger a payment reminder notice by Bill Pay to the member. A second reminder will be sent at 60 days, if the check remains undeposited. Should an undeposited check extend to 90 days, Bill Pay will automatically void the check and refund the money to the member’s account at no charge.
What are these other features of Bill Pay like donations, gift checks and rush payments?
These are optional services of Bill Pay service, available at an additional cost to the member. Any charges for the use of these services will be drawn from the member’s account separately from the payee amount. Payee funds will be withdrawn from the member’s account when those funds are received and/or otherwise deposited.
I just signed up for Bill Pay. Why is there a three-day wait for approval?
Self-Help Credit Union reserves this 3-day period to process new Bill Pay enrollments, even though the full 72 hours may not be needed. Self-Help Credit Union will strive for same-day processing, but cannot guarantee turnaround that quickly in every case. A member may ask for RUSH processing by contacting the branch. Branch staff may then email Operations with the RUSH request.
Help! I got my challenge questions wrong and now I’m locked out of Bill Pay! What should I do?
Answers to challenge questions are case, space and punctuation sensitive. As a security measure, repeated wrong answers will result in blocked access to Bill Pay. Contact Self-Help Credit Union to request the release of a block.
Staff will release a block only after verifying the identity of the person seeking to gain Bill Pay access.
Why did I get turned down for Bill Pay?
Typically, the absence of a checking account by the member is the reason for initial denial of a Bill Pay enrollment request. The member is required to be in good standing and have, or open, a checking account in order to be eligible for Bill Pay. Self-Help Federal Credit Union will attempt to notify the home branch of the member when a Bill Pay enrollment denial notice has been issued to a member.