Frequently Asked Questions - Internet Banker

What do I need in order to use CU@HOME?

If you have an account with Fort Financial Credit Union, and you have access to the Internet, you are set up for CU@HOME. Your membership account number and your PIN from our PAL (Phone Answer Line) is all you need.

Contact a credit union representative to enroll, if you do not recall your PIN. There is no monthly charge to use CU@HOME.

If I make a transfer, or withdrawal, how soon are the funds transferred or taken out of my account?

CU@HOME is in real time, which means that as soon as you make a transaction, the results can be seen immediately by viewing the account balance screen.

What is the maximum amount that I can transfer or withdraw at one time?

The maximum amount that can be transferred or withdrawn at one time is $9,999.99.

What is stop payment?

Stop payment in CU@HOME does not relate to the Internet bill payment system. In this case, stop payment allows a user to stop payment on a conventional (written) check that has not yet cleared. Simply enter the check number or range of check numbers that you wish to stop. There is a $20.00 stop payment charge for each stop payment request.

What information do I need to have ready when I contact Fort Financial Credit Union with a problem or question?

In order for us to assist you as efficiently as possible, try to have the following information available when contacting us:

• Date and time of problem.
• Operating system of the computer (ex: Mac or PC, 486 processor, etc)
• Browser type and version
• If an error message occurred, try to write down the exact error message
• The steps you took that resulted in the error

Is there a time limit for a home banking session?

If you are inactive for fifteen minutes or more, the system will automatically log you out.

I can't access the login screen. Why?

An inability to access a login screen could be the result of not having the correct version of a browser. We recommend using either Netscape Navigator 4.0 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. If you do not have at least this version of these browsers, you can go to either of the homepages and download the latest version.

Frequently Asked Questions - Bill Payer

Is there a monthly fee for using the bill payment system?

There is no monthly fee to use or set up the bill payment system.  The bill payment system is absolutely FREE. 

What is the fee for expedited service?

Expedited electronic payments:  $5.00
Expedited overnight check:  $25.00
A convenience charge is also applied to any expedited service. This fee is $5.00.

Can the bill payment system access my overdraft account?

Overdraft protection is granted on bill payer in the same manner as your checking/share draft account is currently set up. However, if there are no funds available in your account, nor in your overdraft options, the bill will not be paid.

Why are funds deducted from my account before the payment has been made?

Deducting the payment from a member's account prior to the payment being made allows for a five-business day processing period. Payments are processed ONLY if sufficient funds are available to make the payment; therefore, it is necessary to ensure that adequate funds are available prior to adding the payment.

What constitutes an eligible payee?

You can pay anyone in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) for both personal and business reasons. You can pay your babysitter, your VISA bill, or even yourself! You cannot pay businesses outside of the United States, or government agencies, such as the IRS.

What is the maximum number of payees I can have?

The number of allowable payees is unlimited.

How do I set up a payee?

You can set up a payee by going to the Add a Payee screen, and filling in the requested fields. All fields are required, including the name, address, phone, and payee account number. All payees will be initially added as a check payee, or a payee that will receive his payments via a conventional, mailed check with a five day processing period. If possible, the bill pay vendor, Metavante, will attempt to convert these payees to ACH (electronic) payees. At this time, the processing time will be changed to three days.

What is an ACH payment?

An ACH (Automated Clearinghouse) payment is a payment that is made electronically. Instead of a conventional paper check being cut and sent, ACH payments are made in an electronic file format, in bulk. Common payments that are converted to ACH include credit card and utility companies.

How will I know that my payee has been converted to an ACH?

By going to the Payee Maintenance screen and clicking on Payee Detail, you will see a field at the bottom that indicates the Payment Method. If the payment is being sent via ACH, it will indicate "Electronic ACH (2 working days)." Otherwise, the field will say "Mailed Check (5 working days)." Payees are not converted to an electronic payee until thirty to sixty days after adding the payee.

Why can’t I change the payee record?

When Metavante converts a payee from a mailed check to an ACH, they may change the payee record address to reflect the appropriate address for an ACH. As a result, the user is not allowed to change the payee address or phone number.

Whoops! I entered in the wrong payee address! How can I change it?

You cannot edit the payee address or account number after you have added it. At that point, you can only edit the payee account number, the recurring status and the account from which the money is being withdrawn. If you have entered the wrong payee information, you must delete the payee, and re-add it with a payee record that reflects the correct information.

I want to make a payment to a payee just once. Why can’t I just add the payment information from the Add a Payee screen, instead of having to go to the Add a Payment screen?

The information regarding payment due date and payment amount is strictly in relation to the recurring payee functionality. Unless you want to setup that payee as a recurring one, you must go to the Add a Payment screen and make a manual payment to that payee.

If my due date falls on December 25^th, when will my payment be made?

The system automatically adjusts for Federal Reserve holidays, and weekends; therefore, the payment will be set to be due on the last business day prior to December 25^th. The system does not include the due date when considering and calculating the processing date. In actuality, the system says that the payment must be received by December 25^th, in which case it would try to have the payment there sometime on or before December 24^th.

What is a recurring payee, and how do I set one up?

A recurring payee is one that will automatically generate payments for the same day of the month, for the same amount. You do not add payments for a recurring payee; the system does it for you. To add a recurring payee, you simply need to add the payee with the required fields, and then click on the appropriate box to indicate the payee will be recurring. You then must choose the due date and amount of the payment.

After I’ve added a recurring payee and go to my Current Payments, there are two payments set up. Why?

Adding a recurring payee is slightly different than adding a manual payee and then adding a manual payment. The recurring payee system is always one month ahead of itself. For example, if you set up a recurring payee on November 4^th to generate recurring payments with a due date of November 30^th, the system will generate payments for November and December. This is because on October 1^st, payments for recurring payees were generated for the month of November. And, on November 1^st, payments for recurring payees were generated for the month of December. In this case, the deadline for generating payments has been passed for both the months of November and December. As an interim means for the payment to go out, the system, if time allows (i.e., if the payment is added at least five business days prior to the due date), will generate payments for November and December.

If I have a recurring payee set up, and I want to go in and make an extra payment for this month, can I?

Provided the payments do not have the same due date, you can simply add a manual payment for that month that will be sent in addition to the already established recurring payment. The payment that was added manually will not become recurring at any time. It will only be made one time as requested by the member.

If I change the amount of one of my recurring payments on the Edit Payment screen, will it change the amount for the rest of the recurring payments generated?

No, the system will only change the amount for that single payment, not for any other payments. To change the payment amount from that point on, you would need to go to the Edit a Payee screen within the Payee Maintenance area, and edit the payment information at the bottom of the screen.

How do I change the amount of a recurring payment permanently?

If the payment amount for a recurring payment needs to be changed, you must go to the Payee Maintenance, click on Edit Payee, and edit the payment amount. All payments added from that date forward will be added with the new payment amount. All payments already pending will need to be edited individually.

How do I cancel a recurring payment?

There are only two ways to stop a recurring payment from being made. The first method is to go to the Edit Payment screen and skip the payment. The second is to go to the Payee Maintenance screen and delete the payee. Please note that by deleting the payee, the system will skip all pending and future payments to this payee. You cannot delete a payment generated by a recurring payee in the same manner that you can if have added the payment yourself. Essentially, if you add the payment, you can delete it. However, if the system adds the payment for you, you cannot delete it. You can only skip the payment or delete the payee record.

If I skip a payment, will the system keep skipping payments?

If the payee is setup to generate recurring payments, the only payments that will be skipped will be the one that you manually skipped. The system will continue generating cyclic payments until you choose to stop it.

How do I change a payee from manual to recurring?

A payee can be changed from manual to recurring by clicking on the Bill Payment button, and then choosing the Payee Maintenance option. After clicking on the Edit Payee button, the option will be presented to make the payee recurring. It is important to note that the system will not automatically add a payment for the current month, nor for the following month. On the first day of next month, a payment will be generated for the following month. For example, if today is July 13, the payment will not be issued for July, or August, because payments for July were generated on June 1, and payments for August were generated on July 1. However, on August 1, the first recurring payment will be generated for September, and show as pending. This process ensures that duplicate payments will not be made.

How do I change a payee from recurring to manual?

A payee can be changed from recurring to manual by deselecting the appropriate box in the Edit Payee screen in the Payee Maintenance area. You must also deselect the amount and date of the payment. By clicking on this box, the check should disappear, indicating that the payee is now a manual one. Please be aware that pending payments already added based on the previous recurring status will not be skipped or deleted.

What is my bill payer ID?

Your bill payer ID is a number assigned to you by Metavante, the third party vendor that has been contracted to make payments on your behalf. Should you ever need to contact Metavante with a question or a problem, it’s important to have this number handy.

Can I contact Metavante?

It is perfectly OK for you to contact Metavante regarding certain issues. Fort Financial Credit Union can also contact Metavante on your behalf. You will need to have your Bill Payer ID number from the Current Payments screen handy. Metavante's phone number is (800) 825-4321

What types of questions can Metavante answer?

Metavante can only answer questions regarding processed payments. They will not be able to answer any questions relating to pending or skipped payments, or payments that are not processed.

Is there a time limit for my Internet banking and bill payment sessions?

If you are inactive for fifteen minutes or more, the system will automatically log you out.

Can I place a stop payment on an Internet bill payment?

If the payment method is a mailed check, you may contact Metavante to request a stop payment for a check payment that has not cleared. However, you cannot stop payment on an electronic (ACH) payment.

Can I get a copy of the bill pay check?

Metavante can provide check copies for a nominal fee. The member or financial institution can contact Metavante to request this service.

Can I get my bill payment history on CD?

Yes. You may request a CD of your bill payment history for a fee of $25.00.