Help Center

BillPay FAQs

Q: How does bill payment work?
A: To help you understand the process, we have provided a diagram.

Q: How do I register for electronic bill payment?
A: Bill Payment registration is easy!

The first time you attempt to access the bill payment section of Internet Banking, you will be prompted to begin online registration. You are first requested to read and accept the authorization disclosure. Failure to accept the disclosure terms prevents the registration process from proceeding.

Once the disclosure is agreed to, you complete the online registration form. The registration form is then forwarded to us for review. We are responsible for checking the information on the form. The registration information is then transmitted to M&I Data Services for their approval process. After the application is approved by M&I, they send an acceptance "welcome letter" to you via email. You should receive the welcome letter within 1-3 business days. Once you have received the welcome letter you simply click on the Bill Payment icon to access this service.

Q: Can I use electronic bill payment with all my accounts?
A: No, only checking accounts can be used for bill payment purposes.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of bill payment accounts I can set up?
A: Yes, you are limited to one bill payment account.

Q: When is bill payment available?
A: You can schedule payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Q: After I make a bill payment, how long does it take for the money to be debited from my account?
A: The money will be debited electronically from your account within 1-3 business days starting on the business days following the payment date.

Q: How long does it take for a payment to reach the payee?
A: A payment that generates an ACH payment will credit the payee's account within 1-3 business days; whereas, a paper check will take up to 10 days.

Q: How do I place a stop payment on a bill payment?
A: A payment may be edited or deleted anytime before the "process date." Payments that have been remitted electronically cannot be stopped.

Q: What if I do not have sufficient funds on the day M&I Data Services, our bill payment providers, debits my account?
A: Following is a summary of M&I Data Service's Insufficient Funds procedure:

• A block will automatically be placed on all accounts that have an ACH debit returned to bill payment services. No additional bill payments will be processed until the account is properly funded and the return(s) cleared. If a payment request is received while the account is blocked, a letter will be sent notifying you that the payment(s) will not be processed. A copy will also be sent to CharterBank.
• Upon the first return, M&I Data Services will automatically re-send all ACH returns under $100.00. Exceptions: debits for payments in which the credit portion was sent electronically will be resent regardless of the dollar amount without CharterBank verification.
• M&I Data Services will contact CharterBank to verify all returns exceeding $100.00. If funds are available, they will re-send the return(s). If funds are unavailable and if the payment was made by check, a stop payment will be placed.