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RCU Bill Pay Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)


GETTING STARTED:

Q: How do I sign up for RCU Bill Pay?
A: RCU Bill Pay has an online enrollment that makes signing up easy and efficient. Just log into RCU Online Banking, click on the RCU Bill Pay link and you will be led through a very short, easy enrollment form.

Not an RCU Home Banking Member yet? Sign up here. If you have any questions, please call us at (800) 479-7928.

Q: What does RCU Bill Pay cost?
A: It's free. There is no fee for RCU Bill Pay.

Q: Do I need any special software or hardware to use RCU Bill Pay?
A: To use RCU Bill Pay you will need to have a browser installed on your PC, which is capable of 128-bit U.S. security encryption. This is sometimes referred to as 128-bit strong encryption. If you do not have sufficient browser encryption you will receive an "Insufficient Browser Encryption" error message when you try and log on to RCU Bill Pay. In addition to the error message, you will be provided with links where you can obtain the required browser versions.

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Q: Is RCU Bill Pay complicated to use? What does it look like?
A: RCU Bill Pay is easy to use. You can view a demonstration here.

Q: Will I have a separate password for RCU Bill Pay?
A: No. Once you have logged into RCU's home banking you will be able to access your RCU Bill Pay account.

To access RCU Bill Pay you will log on to RCU Online using your RCU account number and access code. Then click on the "Bill Payment" selection. You will be automatically linked to RCU Bill Pay.

USAGE QUESTIONS- How to, where to etc.

Q: Where can I view my Bill History?
A: The "View Bill History" feature is located on the Payment Center under the "Recent Payments Module" near the bottom of the page. Once in the "View Bill History" section, the columns can be sorted simply by clicking the column headers. For example, you can click on the heading 'Amount' and the data will be sorted by the dollar amount.

Q: How can I keep track of my bills in RCU Bill Pay?
A: RCU Bill Pay provides the following features for keeping track of your bills, and most of the features are available on the Payment Center:

  • Bills List-The Pay Bills section lists all of the bills you've added in RCU Bill Pay. You can scroll through the list alphabetically by clicking the Biller Name column.
  • Bill Reminders-You can set up reminders for your bills and have the bills appear in the Bill Reminders section for a certain number of days prior to a bill's due date. If you're receiving an electronic version of your bill, it automatically appears in the reminders list as soon as we receive it from your biller.
  • E-mail Reminders-You can also receive e-mail reminders for your bills when the following events occur:
    • The bill is due.
    • The bill is past due.
    • The payment has been sent and your account has been debited.
    • The message contains information that is specific to a particular bill.
  • Pending Payments-The Pending Payments section provides a quick summary of the payments that have not been processed yet.
  • Recent Payments-The Recent Payments section lists the bills that have been paid in the past 45 days.
  • Bill History-Bill history shows all of the bills you paid, including electronic bills and the bills that you pay automatically. It also shows any unpaid electronic bills.

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Q: Q How will I know that a payment can be made the same day or next day?
A:The calendar icon calendar will display the 'Available Payment Dates' in Blue. If the date in blue is the same day you are trying to schedule the payment, then this is considered a 'Same Day payment'.

Q: The biller account numbers appear to be hidden, how can I make sure I have the correct account?
A: Go to the "My Accounts", screen where the full account number is displayed. Choose "Update the Name". Type in the name you would like to use for this account and click"'save changes".

Q: The font is appearing too large (or too small) when I access RCU Bill Pay. How can I fix this?
A: This could be occurring due to the browser settings.

For problems with font sizes, follow these steps:

  1. Click on START and click on Internet Explorer
  2. Click Tools on the top menu list
  3. Click Internet Options
  4. Go to lower right portion of Internet Options page and click Accessibility
  5. Click the third check box Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages and then click OK
  6. Click OK on Internet Options page

Q: My available account balance does not change after I have scheduled a payment. Why not?
A: The funds are not withdrawn from your account until the payment due date. Also, if the payment is made by Laser Draft check, the funds will not be withdrawn until the biller cashes the check, and then the check must clear the subscriber's financial institution. Remember the 'available balance' is the balance of all cleared funds from the account. It does not include any pending payments or uncleared checks.

Q: What should I do when my address changes?
A: If you move and/or change your address, please promptly notify Redwood Credit Union (RCU). To change your address visit any branch or mail us your address change. Your change request must be signed and mailed to:

Redwood Credit Union
P.O. Box 6104
Santa Rosa, CA 95406

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Q: How can I remove an e-Bill from the bill reminder section when the bill has either been paid outside of RCU Bill Pay, the bill contains a credit or the bill has a zero balance?
A: The subscriber will have to file the e-Bill in order to remove it from Bill Reminders. To file an e-Bill:

  1. Go to the Recent Payments section.
  2. Click View Bill History.
  3. Find the bill you want to file.
  4. Click View Detail.
  5. Click File Bill.
  6. In Payment Method, select the payment method used for the bill. This is where you can indicate that the bill was paid by check, etc.
  7. In Bill Note, type an optional note about the bill and its resolution. You can type a maximum of 80 characters.
  8. 8.
  9. Click File Bill.

Q: How do I terminate or discontinue the RCU Bill Pay service?
A: In the event you wish to discontinue the service, you must contact Redwood Credit Union within 10 days prior to the actual service discontinuation date. You must request the service discontinuation via the RCU Bill Pay secure messaging system or by written correspondence sent via the mail. Written notice must be signed and sent to: Redwood Credit Union, PO Box 6104, Santa Rosa, CA 95406.

Q: Where do I find the RCU Bill Pay Terms and Conditions?
A: Find the Terms and Conditions here. Find the RCU Online Electronic Funds Transfer Disclosure here.

PAYMENT / BILLER QUESTIONS:

Q: Who can I pay using RCU Bill Pay?
A: You can pay virtually anyone in the United States that you would normally pay by check or automatic debit, even if you do not receive bills from the company or person you want to pay. You can use RCU Bill Pay to make state and federal tax payments and court-ordered payments; however, such payments are discouraged and must be scheduled at your own risk.

Q: Who can't I pay using RCU Bill Pay?
A: You cannot use RCU Bill Pay to pay any company or person with an address outside the United States or its territories. We do not support court-ordered payments or state or federal tax payments and doing so is at your own risk.

Q: How do I set up a biller?
A: Simply click on the "Add A Bill" button. Tell us who you want to pay by going to the Add a Company or Person to Pay page and adding the information we use to send your payments. You can also add an electronic version of your bill from companies that can send electronic bills. To facilitate in this process, it is helpful to have a list ready of the biller names, the address where you send the payment, the biller's telephone number and your account number with the biller.

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Q: How do I delete a biller?
A: Click on the "Manage My Bills" button, select the biller you would like to delete from the drop down list provided. Then click the option to "Delete this biller".

Q: What if I do not have an account number for one of my billers?
A: You do not need an account number. Simply click on the "Add a Bill" button at the top of the page, select "custom add" and follow the online directions. To add a person you will need the person's name, address and phone number.

Q: How many days does it take for my payment to reach the biller?
A: Some companies let you send payments on the same day or the next business day, depending on the time of day when you enter your payment information. For most bills, it can take two to four business days to send the payment.

For this reason, it is recommended that all scheduled payment dates selected by you be no less than five business days before the actual due date (not the late date and/or a date in the grace period-for example, the payment should be entered no later than Monday before 8 p.m., Eastern Time [ET], for a payment to arrive on Friday). Payment instructions entered after the 8:00 p.m. ET cutoff time or on a non-business day will be considered entered in the service on the next business day. If you properly follow the procedures described herein, and the service fails to send a payment according to the payment instructions received, the service will bear responsibility for any late charges. In any other event, including but not limited to choosing a scheduled payment date which is not five business days before the due date or on or past the due date stated on your invoice or bill, the risk of incurring and the responsibility for paying any and all late charges or penalties shall be borne by you.

Q: How do I know which dates I can use for sending my payments?
A: You can click the calendar icon calendar to determine the dates you can select for sending your payments. The calendar shows:

  • The pay dates available in the current month. You can scroll to future months, if necessary.
  • The earliest date you can select for the company or person to receive the payment. The due date for your bill, if you are paying an electronic bill or if you set up reminders for the bill you are paying.
  • Whether the company accepts payments on the same day or the next business day.

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Q: What do I do if one of my billers' address changes?
A: Click on the "Manage My Bills" button, select the biller you would like to modify from the drop down list provided. Then click the option to "Update Biller information". Update the information as needed and click on the "Save Changes" button. Use the RCU Bill Pay system online help for additional assistance, if needed.

Q: Can I schedule a payment in advance? How far in advance?
A: Yes. You can schedule a payment up to one year in advance of the payment due date. A good example of when you might use a payment that far in advance could be to pay annual dues to an organization or association, or to send a "birthday or anniversary" check to someone special.

Q: What about payments I make every month for the same amount? How can I do this easily without repeating the payment request every month?
A: You can establish an Automatic Payment; an Automatic Payment must be made on the same day each month and for the same amount. Click on the "Manage My Bills" button at the top of the page. Select "add an automatic payment" and follow the online prompts. You can also elect to receive an email notice about the automatic payment.

Q: Can I place a stop payment on a RCU Bill Pay payment?
A: Yes, at certain times during the payment scheduling period, but only under the following conditions:

A bill payment is "In Process" starting at the cutoff time on the fourth (4th) business day prior to the scheduled payment date and continuing up to the scheduled payment date. A bill payment is a "Pending Payment," starting from the time you enter payment instructions until the payment is "In Process." A bill payment is considered "Completed" on the business day you selected as the scheduled payment date. You may cancel any pending payment (including recurring bill pay payments) by following the directions provided on the RCU Bill Pay system "Online Help". There is no charge for canceling or editing a pending payment. Please note: we may not have a reasonable opportunity to act on any stop payment or cancellation request given after a payment is "In Process" and it is not possible to stop or cancel a payment which is "Completed. Stop payment requests sent to us via electronic mail or in any other manner will not reach us in time for us to act on your request. Stop payment requests will be accepted only if we have a reasonable opportunity to act on such a stop payment order. The charge for each stop payment order will be the then current charge for such service as defined in RCU's Cost Recovery Schedule. *

* This is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can click here for your free download. Click this link for instructions on configuring Netscape to read PDF files.

Q: How do I cancel a payment?
A: Look for the payment in the Pending Payments section of the Payment Center. Click the Cancel link and confirm that you want to cancel the payment.

Q: How do I edit a "pending payment"?
A: You must 'cancel' your payment and then reschedule the payment. After you cancel the payment it will appear in the Recent Payment module as a Canceled Payment.

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Q: How is the payment sent to my biller?
A: There are three possible methods of submitting the payment to your biller: payments may be made electronically via the Automated Clearing House (ACH), by a check drawn on CheckFree's account, or by a laser draft drawn on your account. The method of payment depends upon the processing method that can be accommodated by the biller (e.g., some billers are unable to accept electronic payments) and as set forth in CheckFree's operating procedures.

Note: You cannot select the payment method, this is determined systematically at the time of payment processing.

Q: If a payment is now listed in the "Recent Payments" section, why has my account not been debited yet?
A: The funds are not withdrawn from your account until the payment due date. However, corporate checks are mailed three days before the due date and most electronic payments are sent out one day before the due date. Also, if the payment is made by Laser Draft check, the funds will not be withdrawn until the biller cashes the check, and then the check must clear the subscriber's financial institution.

Q: How does the payment post to my Checking account and appear on my statement?
A: The payment may be deducted from your share draft account by two methods:

  1. Via an electronic debit through the Automated Clearing House Association (ACH), or
  2. Via a draft drawn on your account and processed through the Federal Reserve System (as if you had written a check drawn on your share draft account.) The payment deduction method is determined systematically based upon CheckFree's operating procedures. All bill payments debited from your account will appear on your monthly statement.

ACH debits will reflect the name of the biller (e.g., XYZ Utility Company) as well as the date and amount. However, laser drafts will be reflected on your statement with simply a date and check number. All payments can be viewed with the biller's name, payment amount and payment date by reviewing your recent payment history under the electronic "Payment List" option provided to you as part of the RCU Bill Pay service.

Q: The funds have been deducted from the account, why has the biller not been paid?
A: Check to see when and how the payment was made. If it has been more than 10 business days from the process date, and the check has not cleared, initiate a case and request the check to be stopped and refunded or reissued.

Q: What do I do with the part of the invoice or bill that I usually mail back to the biller with my payment? Doesn't the vendor need that to process my payment?
A: No. You can simply throw that part away. CheckFree provides all of the necessary information to the biller with each payment.

Q: Do I need to contact each of my billers and let them know that I am going to be using an automated bill pay system to pay them?
A: No.

RCU VISA e-Bill FAQs:

Q: How do I set up an e-Bill for my RCU VISA card?
A: There are two ways to do this:

    For Members who already use Bill Pay to make RCU VISA credit card payments:
  • An E-Bill icon will appear on your Bill Pay next to the Biller information
  • Click on the E-Bill icon. The options for setting up the E-Bill will appear. Simply follow the online instructions and confirm.
    For Members with Bill Pay and no VISA Credit Card bill payment:
  • Chose the option to add Biller with Biller Name and Account Number. The Biller Name and Address is:
    Redwood Credit Union VISA Credit
    PO Box 60097
    City of Industry, CA 91716
    The Biller phone number is: 800-479-7928
  • Then enter your 16 digit VISA Card number
  • The option for E-Bill will then be given.

Q: I am trying to set up my new RCU VISA account in Bill Pay. What is the Biller information for my RCU VISA Credit Card?
A: When you are setting up your new account, the Biller information to enter is:
Redwood Credit Union VISA Credit
PO Box 79265
City of Industry, CA 91716
Phone number: 800-479-7928

Q:What does it cost to use RCU VISA e-bill?
A: It's FREE so sign up today.

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