Online Bill Payment FAQs

Q: How do I register for Online Bill Payment?
A: If you are currently an Online Banking user, login to Online Banking, click the 'Bill Payment' icon, and then click the text link that states 'Click here to sign up for Online Bill Payment'. You will be required fill out the Bill Pay Registration Form, and you will be prompted to accept First Federal's Terms and Conditions. Allow 1 to 3 business days for processing. You will receive an activation e-mail from First Federal when you can begin to utilize Online Bill Payment. For quick reference, you may download the Online Banking Handout.

If you are not currently an Online Banking user, you will first have to register for the service before you can register for Online Bill Payment. Click the 'Register' link located near the top left-hand corner of the site, and complete the Internet Banking Registration form. Once your Online Banking is activated, you will be able to register for Online Bill Payment.

For more information on Online Bill Payment, view the demo.

Q: After Online Bill Payment is enabled, what do I do first?
A: Login to Online Banking and click the 'Bill Payment' icon. Click the 'Payees' link and then the 'Add Payees' button. Use the information from your most current bill to complete the process. New payees will be added to the payee list immediately, and you may add as many payees as you wish.

Q: When is Online Bill Payment available?
A: You can schedule payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Q: When I add a new payee to my Online Bill Payment account, or change the account number, how quickly will the change take place?
A: When you update information in Online Bill Payment, the changes are implemented immediately.

Q: How can I update information, such as the account number, for a payee?
A: To update a payee's account number, login to Online Banking, click the 'Bill Payment' icon, and then click 'Payee List' from your navigation links. Your list of payees will display. Click the name of the payee you want to update. Enter the new account number and click 'Save Changes'. Please note that some account numbers are provided to us directly from your payee to ensure accurate and timely electronic transactions, and you cannot edit those account numbers.

Q: Can I receive an annual summary of my Online Bill Payments sorted by category or payee?
A: Yes. You can search your entire payment history by using the Search records feature.

1. From your navigation links, click 'Reports' and then click 'Search Records'.
2. You may select a specific payee or all payees from the dropdown menu.
3. Select a specific funding account or all accounts from the dropdown menu.
4. Indicate the timeframe for the data to be selected. Select either a standard list of timeframes or enter the 'start' and 'end' date fields.
5. Select your subtotal preference.
6. If desired, select additional items to include in your search, such as non-bill notices, filed items, unpaid bills, and pending payments.
7. Click Search records. A results page that lists the report data you requested will appear.

Q: How many Online Bill Payment accounts can I set-up?
A: You can have up to 99 Online Bill Payment accounts; the accounts must be checking accounts. You cannot pay bills out of savings or other accounts.

Q: Who can be paid using the Online Bill Payment system?
A: You may use Online Bill Payment to pay anyone in the United States and territories who can accept a check: charge accounts, utilities, banks, professionals, and even individuals, such as the person who mows your lawn. However, tax payments (such as federal, state, and local) and court-directed payments (such as alimony and child support) cannot be processed through Online Bill Payment.

Q: Can I pay my bills on the weekend?
A: You can set up payments at anytime; however, payments will only be made on a business day.

Q: When will the payment I authorized be debited from my account?
A: If the payee is being paid with either a paper check or an electronic payment, the amount of the payment will be deducted from your account within two business days of the payment processing date.

Q: How is my account debited?
A: Your account is debited via ACH.

Q: What is ACH?
A: Automated Clearing House is a funds transfer system which provides for the interbank clearing of electronic entries for participating financial institutions.

Q: If I make an error in selecting an electronic payee and it results in a late fee, am I responsible for the charges?
A: If you select an electronic payee with an address that is different from that indicated on the payment coupon, then you are responsible for the late fee. You always have the option to manually enter a different address for a payee. If you select an electronic payee with the address that matches the one indicated on the payment coupon, and the payment is routed incorrectly, then Metavante, our Online Bill Payment processor, will take responsibility for the late fee.

Q: What are e-bills? Are there different types of e-bills?
A: E-bills are any bill that is sent electronically, instead of through the mail. You can receive e-bills in your Bill Inbox. There are two basic types of e-bills:

1. An electronic bill received from one of your billers that we redirect to your Online Bill Payment.
2. An electronic bill that we retrieve from your biller's web site and redirect to your Online Bill Payment.

Q: When registering a payee for bills retrieved from the biller's web site, which user ID and password do I enter?
A: When adding or editing this type of payee, you will be prompted to enter your login information for that biller's web site exactly as if you were accessing your account on their site. If you are not yet registered for online access through the biller's web site, you must do so before continuing with the setup process. Note that you should enter your user ID and password (or other requested information) for the biller's web site, not your Online Banking User ID and Password.

Q: Does First Federal keep the login information for my biller's web sites private and secure?
A: We are committed to safeguarding the privacy and security of your personal information. Your login information is kept confidential, and is used only to retrieve an electronic version of your bill from the biller's web site so that we can present it to you online. For your security, all input fields for setting up your payee-specific login information are encrypted and hidden from view.

Q: How do I place a 'stop payment' on an Online Bill Payment?
A: A payment may be edited or deleted anytime before the 'process date.' Payments that have been remitted electronically cannot be cancelled.