paying bills

**happymommy** · 01-15-2007, 10:14 AM

I have a question for you all. How many have online banking and pay their bills that way? I just opened an account and it wont be activated until next week......now I'm getting a bit anxious about this step!

I belong to an credit union and they do not offer online accounts. I really don't like the Big banks.

Well, do you pay online? Are you happy with the service? Also can you make a principal payment on your mortgage through online payments?

As you can guess I'm uneasy about all this.

Thanks for any feedback!

**FrugalMomof3** · 01-15-2007, 10:21 AM

I personally dont use online banking, I pay my bills from the billers website or I go through http://www.mycheckfree.com

It saves alot of time and stamps too! I dont think I've used a stamp in over 2 years!

**justpeachy92** · 01-15-2007, 10:24 AM

I pay every bill I can online through my bank. We don't have a mortgage, we rent so I can't answer that question for you. For what I do pay online I see it as a way of saving money. I don't have to have a stamp to mail a check, I am not driving into town to mail bills from the postoffice, I get to nervous about someone stealing them out of my mailbox and erasing the checks and stealing my money.

**McD** · 01-15-2007, 10:45 AM

The bank I work for ( a community bank based in Iowa/Florida) offers free online banking and bill paying.

I don't use the bill paying, but it works extremely well.

**Amanda W** · 01-15-2007, 10:46 AM

I may most of my bills through the biller's site or through automatic withdrawel, but we have several bills (garbage and water) where that isn't option, so I do use online bill bay from our bank for those. I've never had a problem. It's actually really convenient once you get it set up.

**Emerald_Mommy** · 01-15-2007, 11:04 AM

We pay as many as we can online but not everything. We've never had a problem with it.

**Edelweiss** · 01-15-2007, 11:33 AM

I pay everything, including non-monthly bills (like the occasional doctor bill or a speeding ticket or whatever) online. My bank has most payees on file and they will cut and mail a check for anyone who they don't happen to have on file. I only actually write 4 checks a month, for a service that has to be paid weekly. That's it. Everything else is done online. I don't have a mortgage, but I do have student loans, and when I want to pay extra on the principle I'm able to do that. My lender has a separate address for principle-only payments, so I have that address set up in my online billpay as a separate vendor. I also have the option to include a memo, just like on a regular check, so I sometimes include important info like "October rent minus plumber fee" or whatever.

**Dixie** · 01-15-2007, 11:38 AM

I'm currently using the mycheckfree service,too, but as of January 30th most of my billers will stop using them.

I plan on using my bank's online bill pay service after that.

**suzysaver** · 01-15-2007, 11:43 AM

I pay all my bills online except for my rent, I love the convience of it and not having to worry if I have checks and stamps. I have never had any problems with mine. I don't even have to go to the bank....mine and hubby's checks are directly deposited and I pay the bills from home, the only thing we do is hit the atm for cash.....I really think your going to like it, relax it's really easy and you'll get used to it real fast.

**Scattymum** · 01-15-2007, 12:10 PM

I pay for nearly all my bills online, its great - i do it all on payday and then its done for the month. It gets taken out of my account straight away but does take 3-5 days to reach the biller. I have never had a problem with it and its cheaper as well as i dont have to pay for a stamp to post a payment

**Buckeye5** · 01-15-2007, 12:14 PM

I also, use the bill payment program offered through our local bank. I love it. It does take the out of your account whenever you pay, but takes a bit longer to reach the client. It will tell you if the payee is set up check or electronic, the latter being quicker. I pay my mortgage online though through the bank online program, it is different than bill paying. It hits the same day on my mortgage account.

**danni** · 01-15-2007, 12:22 PM

I pay all the bills I can online and I have been for 4 yrs now. I love it and before I had a computer I paid them all through telephone banking.

**Fritzie** · 01-15-2007, 12:28 PM

I pay as many as I can online with our bank. Its really easy and convienent.
There's an edit button if you make a mistake. I've never had any problems
with it.

**monkeywrangler71** · 01-15-2007, 12:52 PM

I pay everything online. As soon as I get a bill, I enter it online and postdate it for the due date. My bills are all paid when they are due, but I never have to remember to pay them. I also receive electronic bills from any company that gives that option and I get electronic statements from the bank.

I used to make extra payments to our mortgage through online banking all the time, but we have a special mortgage now which is not administered through the regular system at the bank so I don't have access to it online anymore.

**littlemotherhaywood** · 01-15-2007, 01:03 PM

I've been paying bills online for probably over two years now and I really love the convenience. The only problem I had was my own error because we had two accounts with the same company and I paid the wrong one. Otherwise, I think it's great. I used to go through a book of stamps every few weeks and now they last us a few months. I write a check for the rent and my mil's headstone, but that's it. Also, I would forget to send out checks in time and now I don't have to worry about that. I can enter the payment sometimes up to 24 hours before it needs to be paid. Also, I love not having to wait for checks to clear or wondering if it got lost in the mail.