CheckFree FAQs
Q: Why should I use CheckFree Bill Pay?
Q: Is there a fee for CheckFree?
Q: How do I enroll in CheckFree?
Q: I tried to enroll, but after I accepted the Terms and Conditions it told me to contact Customer Support. Why?
Q: How do I add additional pay from accounts to my Bill Pay?
Q: How do I enroll in eBills?
Q: I tried to enroll in eBill for one of my billers but I received a message stating that I couldn’t enroll because I was already receiving an eBill from the company.
Q: Can I pay individuals electronically?
Q: I want to pay an individual, but I don’t want to pay a transfer fee or require them to register for anything.
Q: How will my payments be debited?
Q: I did a search for biller and it said a match was found, but after I entered my account number it asked me for all of the company’s information. If the system found a match, shouldn’t that info be on file?
Q: Who do I call when I have questions regarding my payments?
Q: Why should I use CheckFree Bill Pay?
A: CheckFree Bill Pay is environmentally and pocketbook friendly. Because CheckFree is one of the Nation’s largest bill pay providers, they have agreements to submit electronic payments to thousands of billers. Likewise, CheckFree also has a Bill Presentment feature that will allow you to view, pay and manage eBills for hundreds of billers. Best of all, when a biller requires payment by check; CheckFree produces the check, mails it, and guarantees it - saving you time, check cost, and postage. Here are some other benefits:
- Single sign on through Online Banking. Once you’re logged into Online Banking, the Bill Payment tab takes you directly into your bill pay Payment Center.
- Automatic recurring payments and email reminder/alert capability.
- Unlimited “pay from” accounts.
- CheckFree offers a payment guarantee, protecting you from fraud and late payments.
- Great support hours. CheckFree customer support can be reached from 4am to 10 pm, 7 days a week.
Q: Is there a fee for CheckFree?
A: Personal CheckFree is free. If you choose to use the person to person payment service ZashPay, the fee is $0.50 per transfer.
Q: How do I enroll in CheckFree?
A: Enrollment is very quick and easy. Here’s how:
- Log in to Online Banking.
- Click on the account you want to use as your preferred “Pay From” account.
- Click on the tan “Bill Payment” tab at the top of the screen.
- Verify your e-mail address and enter your phone number if prompted.
- Accept the Terms and Conditions, and that’s it!
Q: I tried to enroll, but after I accepted the Terms and Conditions it told me to contact Customer Support. Why?
A: Usually this is because there is a special character in your name or address in our system. It could be the period after the middle initial, or a number sign in the address. Please call our Customer Service number
(510-748-8000) and we will find and fix the issue.
Q: How do I add additional “pay from” accounts to my Bill Pay?
A: You can add as many of your accounts to CheckFree as you’d like. Just contact customer service at 510-748-8000.
Q: How do I enroll in eBills?
A: Once you add a biller that offers eBill through CheckFree, you will see an eBill icon to the left of the biller in the payment center. Click on the icon to enroll in eBill for the biller. Once you have enrolled in eBill for the biller, you will be able to view, pay, and file the eBill from the CheckFree site. A reminder also appears below the bill that shows the amount due and due date from your bill. The reminder appears as soon as Personal CheckFree receives the bill from your biller.
Q: I tried to enroll in eBill for one of my billers but I received a message stating that I couldn’t enroll because I was already receiving an eBill from the company.
A: If you are already receiving eBills for a company and would prefer to receive that bill through CheckFree, log in to the company’s website and resume paper statements. When you receive your first paper statement, you will then be able to log in to CheckFree and resume eBills, through CheckFree, for that biller.
Q: Can I pay individuals electronically?
A: Yes, you can send person to person payments through ZashPay by clicking the Pay People tab. If the person you are paying is not already registered with ZashPay, the first transfer could take as long as one week while they complete the registration process. Once registered, the individual will be listed in your ZashPay biller dropdown list and future payments will take as little as one business day. There is a ZashPay transfer fee of $0.50 per transfer that can’t be waived by Bank of Alameda. Please note that ZashPay transfers are limited to $1,000 per rolling 7 day period.
Q: I want to pay an individual, but I don’t want to pay a transfer fee or require them to register for anything.
A: No problem. You can send check payments to individuals for free. Just go to the Add Biller tab and choose “Individual”. If you don’t know an individuals address, the system can do a search using their phone number.
Q: How will my payments be debited?
A: In the Payment Center, you indicate what day you would like your payment to be received by the biller. If the payment is made electronically, your account will be debited and the biller will be credited within 2 business days. If a check is issued, it will be treated just like a manual check and your account will be debited when the check clears the bank. You will see copies of CheckFree drafts with your monthly account statement once they clear. To learn about CheckFree’s payment guarantee, click here.
Q: I did a search for biller and it said a match was found, but after I entered my account number it asked me for all of the company’s information. If the system found a match, shouldn’t that info be on file?
A: Yes, the address info should not be required if the system found the biller. However, this additional information screen will come up if your account number or the biller’s zip code does not match the usual sequence for the biller.
Q: Who do I call when I have questions regarding my payments?
A: CheckFree’s support number is 1-800-877-8021. The hours are 4am to 10pm, 7 days a week.