Advanced Billpayer Features

• Payments made by check through Billpayer will be deducted from your account only after the payment has been received by your payee and the check has cleared your account at the bank — just as though you had written the check yourself!
• You will have the ability to pay bills from multiple checking accounts.
• Payments are processed twice a day, Monday through Friday, at 2 a.m. Central, and again at noon Central (excluding holidays).
• Billpayer checks will have a distinctive number sequence, allowing you to easily spot them among your transactions online and on your statement. Billpayer checks are imaged for viewing online and printed on your monthly statement.
• Memo line notes, up to 40 characters in length, will be printed on any paper check payment. (Memos will not display on electronic payments.)

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Getting Started with Billpayer!

Getting enrolled:
If you haven't already enrolled for ebankCBT and Billpayer, you’ll need to enroll for ebankCBT and Billpayer. Click the ebankCBT link if you don't already have ebankCBT access, or the Billpayer link if you do. Print and complete the application and take it into any Citizens Bank & Trust branch in person. (We require proper identification to prevent someone from attempting identity theft from your accounts.) The access and transfer functions of ebankCBT are free. Billpayer is free as long as you make at least one payment a month. If not, there is a $5.95 fee for each month if it not used.

To use ebankCBT and Billpayer, all you need is internet access and a browser with 128-bit encryption, like recent versions of Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer. If you’re not sure your browser has 128-bit encryption, don’t worry. Our web site can test it for you and point you to where you can download the newest Netscape or Microsoft browser for free. (Our system generally supports any browser with 128-bit encryption including Opera, Mozilla and others.)

Getting Started!
If you are new to ebankCBT: After you turn in your application and we’ve had a couple days to process them, you should receive email from Ebank Help that informs you of your ebankCBT ID number and what you need to know for your ebankCBT and Billpayer Password. We send notification to the e-mail address you provide on the application. If you do not receive the notice within two business days, please remember to check your spam folder or e-mail blocker. We will send notification to the address you provide, but cannot prevent e-mail blockers or spam filters from intercepting it. Note that you’ll have a separate password for Billpayer access.

To access your ebankCBT accounts, follow the instructions in Getting Started with ebankCBT, which tells you how to log in, check your balance, and transfer funds, among other things. Once you have a handle on viewing your accounts, it’s time to start using Billpayer. You begin by logging in using the initial password provided in your welcome e-mail from Ebank Help. Once you've accepted the agreement and changed your password, you'll begin the process to set up your payees and start paying your bills online. The FAQs below provide both general and task specific information on using Billpayer.

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General Information FAQs

When and how are the payments processed?
Payments submitted, recurring or one time, before 2:00 AM Central Monday-Friday will be processed at 2:00 AM Central. Payments submitted between 2:00 AM and Noon Central will be processed at Noon Central.  Payments received after Noon Central on Monday-Thursday will be processed the next business day.  Payments received after Noon Central on Friday will be processed Monday, unless it is a holiday, in which case they will process Tuesday.  All payments scheduled to go on a weekend will be processed on the processing day before the weekend.  All payments scheduled to go on a holiday will be processed the business day before that date.  Payments entered on the weekend, recurring or one time, will be processed on the next business day. (Monday, unless it is a holiday, then Tuesday.)

What happens if I have a scheduled payment that falls over a weekend or holiday?
If a SCHEDULED payment falls on a holiday or weekend, it will be paid on the Friday BEFORE the weekend, or the last working day BEFORE the holiday.

May I use Online Bill Payment if I live outside the U.S.?
Yes, as long as you maintain an account with us. However, you cannot pay bills to payees located outside the United States.

May I get a copy of a cancelled check?
Paper checks issued through Billpayer will automatically be imaged and appear with your monthly statement. If you need one in addition to an image of your check included with your monthly statement, request one at your regular branch.

How long is history retained in the View Payment History section?
Payment history for active and deleted payees is retained and viewable indefinitely.

How far in advance should I set up a payment to ensure it is paid on time?
For an ELECTRONIC PAYMENT, allow at least three (3) business days from when the payment is due.

For a CHECK, we guarantee that the check will be in the mail on the same day the payment is processed, if it is entered before Noon Central. (This is the same as if you wrote a check out of your checkbook, and put it in the mail* on the same day). Allow 5 to 7 business days for a check payment.

*Please note that we have no control over the U.S. Postal Service.

Are there minimum and maximum payment amounts?
Electronic payments are validated against the available account balance prior to processing and check payments settle against your account like any other check; therefore, there is no dollar limitation on payments made through Billpayer. You are limited only by the amount of funds in your account.

May I have multiple payments to the same payee on the same day?
At this time, there is nothing that checks for or prevents multiple payments for the same amounts going to the same vendor on the same day.

May I stop a payment?
Only check payments may be stopped. After the check is printed and mailed, payment history will show the check number for that payment. The stop payment would be added in the same manner as for a regular check written out of your checkbook. ELECTRONIC payments cannot be stopped. Your only option is to delete payment before it is processed. (Refer to the "When and how are the payments processed?" item above, and the "How late in the day may I enter, edit, or delete a payment?" item below.)

Whom can I pay through Billpayer?
You can pay ANYONE in the United States from the next-door neighbor, to the utility company, to the bank, and even a child in college across the country.

What do the status fields indicate on the Payment History Page?

Processed - The payment has been processed and sent.
Rejected NSF-The payment that you have tried sending has rejected due to Non-sufficient funds.
Communication Failure-There was an error due to communication problems.
Vendor Refund – Electronic payment rejected by vendor.

How many payees may I set up?
There is no limit to the number of payees you may set up.

How do I know if a payee is electronic or check?
Once you have set up the payee, then you can look at the PAYEE LIST screen and you will see a field that will tell you if the payee is electronic or check.

What payment frequencies are available?
You can set up payments in any of the following frequencies:

• Weekly
• Bi-weekly
• Monthly
• Semi-monthly
• Quarterly
• Annually
• Semi-annually

When may I edit the dollar amount on a scheduled recurring payment?
     You may edit the dollar amount the business day following the scheduled payment date.

May I postdate recurring payments?
If a monthly recurring payment is set up to be paid on the 15th and the current date is November 12th, a payment will be scheduled for the month of November and set up to occur the 15th of every month until the end date is reached. However, if the payment is set up to be paid on the 15th and the current date is November 16th, the first payment will occur on December 15th.

May I postdate a single payment?
Yes. Just set the payment date for a valid future date.

Will the memo field I fill out when setting up a payment be passed on to the payee?
Yes, your memo will appear on paper check bill payments. The memo field is 40 characters long and any amount over 40 characters will be cut off. Memo field information will not appear on electronic payments.

Are there any merchants that I cannot pay through the Billpayer service?
No. Any merchant in the electronic payment-enabled database will be paid electronically. If a merchant is not in the electronic payment database, you may send the payment as a check. Make sure that you enter your merchant account number exactly the way it appears on your bill. If you choose a merchant on the electronic database that requires an address match, choose the correct remittance address listed on your bill.

When will the money be taken out of my account?
For an ELECTRONIC PAYMENT, funds are debited the same day that the payment is sent, providing it is sent by Noon Central.  Electronic payments submitted after Noon Central are debited the next day during bill pay processing. CHECK payment funds are debited from the account when the check clears your account at the bank.

What if I do not have enough money in my account?
CHECK payments are handled in the same manner as a check written out of your checkbook against an insufficient balance.

ELECTRONIC payments are verified for funds availability during processing. If the funds are available, the account that you selected for the payment will be debited and the information sent for processing. If the funds are not available, the payment will not be processed and you will receive a message to inform you that the payment could not be sent due to insufficient funds. Each day the payment will be resubmitted for processing until either you delete the payment or the funds are in the account.

How late in the day may I enter, edit, or delete a payment?
You may add, edit, or delete a payment up to 2:00 AM Central on the day the payment is scheduled to be sent. If a same day payment is submitted between 2:00 AM Central and Noon Central it may be edited up until Noon Central.

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Specific Billpayer Task FAQs

Billpayer - Add New Payee
For payments to be paid by check, simply enter the information in the fields. For payments to be paid electronically, click on the Search Electronic Payee List next to the Payee Type, to perform a payee search. An electronic payee cannot be added without performing a search. If the requested payee is not a result of a search, it must be added as a check payee.

Billpayer - Service Charges
We will set up the service charges for you. Review your Online Access Agreement or contact Ebank Help at the bank to verify what the charges are for bill pay.

Billpayer - Delete Payee
By going to the View Payee List you may click on the red X next to the payee you wish to delete.  Please note: If you have any payments tied to the payee and you try to delete them you may get a red message that says:

Unable to delete payee: Suzy Que.
An outstanding payment(s) exists.

Please select Delete Payee if you wish to delete this payee and all payments tied to it.You may still delete the payee by scrolling to the bottom of the screen and clicking on delete payee.

Billpayer - Delete Payment
You may delete a payment scheduled for the current day or any days forward provided it is done by 2:00 AM Central on the scheduled payment date.  If it is after 2:00 AM Central and your payment was sent electronically, it is too late to stop it. If your payment went out as a check, a stop payment can be placed on that check online or through your regular branch. Once the payment is printed and mailed, the payment history will show the check number for that payment.

Billpayer - Edit Payee
Once a payee is set up you may edit only the "Payee Alias" field and the "Account Number" field. If you need to change the address on a payee it will be necessary to either delete the payee and re-enter the information correctly as a new payee or keep the existing payee information and add the same payee back in with the new information.

Billpayer - Electronic Payee Search
By clicking on the Search Electronic Payee List you may search the database for electronic payees. Enter the name of the payee you want to add. You can also search by the first letter of the Company's name. Click Select if the search result is successful.

Billpayer - Set Up One-Time Payment
Setting up a one-time payment is just like setting up any other payment. Once the information is entered and you select one time payment, put in a payment date, and click on submit, a green success message will appear at the top of the screen. You will then be forwarded to the "View Payees" screen.

Billpayer - Pay Bills
This option on the drop down menu will be selected when you want to actually make the payments you have set up. You can set up as many payees as you want and schedule as many payments as you want up to the year 2027. When paying bills you will be given the option of which account you want to pay the bill from, amount field, a memo line, and an opportunity to request an alert when the bill is paid. This is also the area where you will decide on frequency, payment date, payment description and variable payment option.

Billpayer - Payment History
Payment history for active and deleted payees is retained and viewable indefinitely. When searching for payments associated with a deleted payee in the payment history area, it will be necessary to do a range of dates for the payment vs. being able to search by payee name.

Billpayer - Quick Edit
The Quick Edit feature is used when you would like to edit the memo, amount field, account from which to pay. If you have selected payments that are variable, this quick edit feature makes it easy to update multiple payments in one session.

Billpayer - Set Up Recurring Payment
When setting up a recurring payment, you will be given more choices. You will be able to save your memo for future payments. You will decide on frequency, start/stop date, and whether it will be a variable payment. If you choose to always send your payment on the last day of the month, you will want to select the box next to the start date that says "Force payment on last day of month." If you do not choose this box, the months that do not have 31 days will be skipped and no payment will be sent. If you choose the variable payment option, it will be necessary each month to go back into this payee and enter a payment amount. If you do not enter an amount, no payment will be processed.

Billpayer - View Payee List
This is a list of all the payees that are established for your Billpayer account. They will be listed in alphabetical order by Payee Alias.

Billpayer - View Payment History
You may view your payment history indefinitely. You may search by payee name, date range or amount range. Keep in mind that if you have deleted a payee the only way to search for that payment would be with the range or amount fields.

Billpayer - View Scheduled Payments
You may view all scheduled payments that you have set up, recurring or one time. This is also the page where you may quick edit the amount if using a variable payment option.

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Download Billpayer User Guide

A simple Billpayer User Guide is available in Adobe Acrobat Reader format with illustrated, step-by-step instructions for common Billpayer tasks. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you may download it free of charge by clicking the Get Acrobat Reader icon below.

Getting Help

Call Ebank Help toll-free at 1-800-634-6203. Or . Please do not include sensitive personal information like account numbers, passwords or Social Security Numbers in your e-mail. All we need is your name and phone number and a brief description of the issue we need to address.