How can you pay bills online the right way?

Paying bills online is a convenient way to take care of your bills, but be sure to choose the bill pay options that are right for you.

Not long ago, paying bills meant sitting down with a checkbook and a stack of envelopes. Today, most banks and businesses offer online bill payments, which can be faster, more convenient and secure.

To simplify payments even more, you may be able to set up automatic bill payments through your own bank account, making paying the bills an easy, one-stop process. Check out your options to be sure you choose what fits best for you.

Know your options for setting up online bill pay

Before you can use online banking successfully, know that there are often two options for setting up bill payments online:

Pay through your biller

Many service providers let you pay bills through their website. This bill payment process will require you to sign in to each of your biller’s accounts individually to make payments. You will be required to enter your bank account information to each of your accounts for each biller.

The exact process for signing up for an online bill payment program will vary among banks, but the general steps should be similar.

First, enroll for services with your bank online. This will allow you to access your checking account through your bank’s website.   

Then sign up for the bill payment service and add all of the accounts you plan to use the service for. To do this, you’ll need some basic information about the payee, including a name and account number for your service account. Many billers may already be set up in the bill pay system. If a biller is not in the system, you’ll need to provide a few more details such as a mailing address and phone number for the biller.

Once you input this information, it will be saved in the system and will enable you to set up future payments. You can then manage all of your recurring bills from one convenient location using only your online bank account and password. Yes, it is that easy.

Pay through your bank

Another option may be to organize and set up payments to your billers all in one place through your online banking account. It’s easy to do and

• You’re paying from the bank account itself, so you don’t need to provide personal information to a third-party site. Additionally, you’re not inputting information into multiple sites, which reduces the chance of a security breach.
• Your account number and signature are not present on the payment, so you don’t have to worry about your information getting into the wrong hands.
• Payments made through this service are made as bank-guaranteed checks. This means that you won’t overdraft your account or be hit by any fees for insufficient funds. If there’s not enough money in the account, the bill payment will not leave your account.

What other options can you choose?

Some banks may offer additional services, such as automatic or recurring bill payments, ensuring that your funds are withdrawn on a regular schedule and all of your bills are paid on time. Paying your bills doesn’t need to be a headache. Keep things simple with online bill pay.

Continue reading to learn more about U.S. Bank online banking options and how to set up bill pay.