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Frequently Asked QuestionsBank Anytime/Bill Pay Banking Online/FAQs

Bill Pay Banking Online Questions
Bill Payment Questions
Security Questions
Personal Financial Software Questions
Hardware Questions
Browser Questions
 
Bill Pay Banking Online Questions
When I try to logon to Bill Pay Banking Online, I get an error message stating that I need 128-bit encryption. How do I upgrade my computer?
Bill Pay Banking Online offers the highest level of security available by incorporating 128-bit encryption. It’s important that your browser meets the 128-bit encryption requirement for you to be able to use the Bill Pay Banking Online service. Below are the steps you will need to take in order to upgrade your browser.

1. Web Browser Version Check
Check the current version of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator/Communicator and make sure that your browser meets the following version requirements:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer: Version 5 or higher
  • Netscape Communicator: Version 6.2.3 or higher
If you need to update your browser, please use the following two links:

Microsoft Internet Explorer
Netscape Navigator/Communicator


2. 128-Bit Encryption Setting
To determine the current encryption level of your browser please read the following instructions:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer:
    Launch browser, Go to the Help section and choose About Internet Explorer. A small window will appear on screen and you’ll see a cipher strength setting. If the current setting is at 128-bit you will not need to update your browser. If the setting is lower than 128-bit, you’ll need to download a Microsoft Internet Explorer High Encryption Pack using the following link:

    http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/
    downloads/recommended/128bit/default.asp

  • Netscape Communicator:
    Launch browser, go to the Help menu and select About Navigator (or Communicator). Look for the section that reads "Contains encryption software from RSA Data Security, Inc". If the next paragraph says "This version supports U.S. security", that means you have 128-bit security. If it says you have International security, that means you have 40-bit security. If the setting is lower than 128-bit, you’ll need to download a Netscape High Encryption Pack using the following link:

    http://home.netscape.com/download/prodinfonfs_1.html
 

What types of accounts can I see on Bill Pay Banking Online?
At this time you are able to see all deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit), loan accounts and lines of credit (except Ready Cash overdraft protection).

How long will my activity be available on Bill Pay Banking Online?
You can retrieve information for the past 30-45 days depending on the date your statement cuts.

Why do my deposit accounts show current updates as of today, while my loan accounts may show previous day's date information?
The deposit account information is current as of today. The loan information will only refresh when there has been an update to the account such as payment information.

Why don’t all my deposits show in the Deposit section of the statement?
The deposit section of the statement is intended to show only deposits you make at a teller window. All other deposits will appear in the ATM or Miscellaneous Debits and Credits section of your statement.

What are the differences among the Balances shown in Bill Pay Banking Online?
The Available Balance is the amount of money that is available to you to spend. It reflects your transactions that have cleared the bank, including transactions made today. Also, if you have overdraft protection on your checking account, the amount you have available on the line of credit is added to your available balance. This balance is updated each time you log into Bill Pay Banking Online.
The Current Balance is the balance your bank shows on your account, including all transactions that have cleared your bank through last night’s processing .

On the Funds Transfer screen there is a message that "Funds transfers entered after 17:00 CST will be processed the next day." Does this mean my transfer will not go through today?
While your funds transfer is still initiated today, the transaction will not appear in your register until after nightly processing on the host system is completed. You should receive a message back from the system indicating that your transfer has been successful and the Available Balance will reflect the change in your balance the next time you log on to the system.

When I try to sign on to Bill Pay Banking Online, I receive a message saying "Login failed, retry." What happened?
It is possible that you have entered your user name and/or password incorrectly. The password is case sensitive so we recommend that you verify that your Caps Lock button is not turned on and that you have entered the password correctly. Also, when entering your user name, make sure you include dashes. If you still are unable to access your account information, please call Bill Pay Banking Online Customer Service at 877-203-6724.

Can I change my password any time?
Yes, you can change your password any time, by clicking on Administration and selecting Password.

Will my password expire?
Yes, it will expire every 90 days and you will be prompted to change your password.

If I forgot my password, how can I have the password reset?
Call Bill Pay Banking Online Customer Service at 877-203-6724 to request a new password.

Can I limit the amount of money that can be electronically withdrawn from an account?
Yes, you can change the default but cannot exceed the maximum limit for the dollar amount.
Max Total Scheduled per day - $50,000
Max Total Paid per day - $50,000
Max Total Amount Paid per Item - $9,999

Can I transfer funds between my First Midwest Bank deposit accounts using Bill Pay Banking Online?
Yes, you can transfer funds between your First Midwest Bank deposit accounts as long as you are a signer on both deposit accounts and have completed the Bill Pay Banking Online Fund Transfer Authorization form.

Can I transfer funds using Bill Pay Banking Online as many times as I want?
Although most deposit accounts have no limitations (checking and checking with interest type accounts), saving accounts (savings and money market), by Federal Regulation, are not allowed more than six preauthorized withdrawals or transfers per month (three of which can be by check, draft, or similar order for money market accounts). To authorize additional accounts contact Customer Service at 1-800-322-3623.

Can I pay my First Midwest Bank loan on Bill Pay Banking Online?
You can use the bill payment function to pay your First Midwest Bank loan, but you can not do an online transfer of funds to pay the loan.

Can I see information on my business accounts in Bill Pay Banking Online?
No, only personal account information is available with Bill Pay Banking Online.

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Bill Payment Questions
How does Online Bill Pay work?
Online Bill Pay is a service that allows you to set up bill payments to businesses and individuals. Once you enter a payment instruction in the system, the request is submitted to Bill Payment Services (8:00 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday). The following business day, your payment is sent electronically or by check and the funds are deducted from your funding account.

Can I use Online Bill Pay from outside the United States?
Yes, as long as your bank account is in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Which accounts can I use to pay bills?
Demand Deposit Accounts (Checking / NOW), and Money Market accounts are the only type of accounts you can use to pay bills.

How do I change a funding account?
If the funding account has pending payments, you should select a new funding account for the bill payments before changing the current funding account. You MUST have at least one account set up as the bill payment account in Account Preferences at any given time.

How long is bill payment history kept?
Bill payment history is kept for a minimum of 90 days.

Can I set up a payee in another country?
Online bill payments may only be made to a United States payee (which includes Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and international U.S. military bases) in United States dollars.

Do I need to contact my payees to tell them I am using a bill payment service?
No. Your payees do not need to do anything different to process online bill payments. Online Bill Pay uses the ACH electronic network or a paper check with your payment information clearly indicated.

How do I add a payee (merchant/vendor)?
Use the Payee Search function within the product to find and add your new payee. If the new payee is not listed, simply select Manually Enter Payees and enter the required information.

How long does it take to setup a new payee in Online Bill Pay?
Once the new payee is entered, you can use the payee immediately.

How do I know if a payee will receive payments electronically or via paper check?
When you conduct a Payee Search, electronic payees are indicated by a message under Payee Name that the payee "Provides EPayments". If only the payee's name appears under Payee Name, that payee currently accepts only paper check payments.

Can I make multiple payments to the same payee on the same day?
Yes, you can make multiple payments to the same payee on the same day as long as the payment amounts are different. For your protection, the system will not pay duplicate items for the same payee on the same day.

How do I change a payee's name and address?
To change any payee from the Payee Summary list, click the pencil icon under the Edit column to make necessary changes. The only fields that may be changed are AMOUNT, ACCOUNT NUMBER, and PAYMENT STATUS. For any other changes, delete the payee and re-add it with the correct information.

How do I delete a payee?
Cancel all scheduled payments for the payee by accessing the Pending Payments screen and clicking the scissors icon under the Edit column. Then, select the payee you want to delete by clicking on the scissors icon.

What does the payee receive with my payment?
Your payee will receive either an ACH electronic payment or a paper check. In either case, the payment is appended with the information that you have provided, such as your name and account number with the payee, so the payee can properly credit your payment.

When should I set up my payments to make sure they are paid on time?
Minimum payment "lead times" will be provided based on whether the payee accepts electronic payment ( designated by an "e" symbol) or paper check payment ( designated by a paper check symbol). Payments to electronic payees should be scheduled a minimum of 3 days before the payment due date. For paper check payments, payments should be scheduled a minimum of 5 days before payment due date.

Are there minimum and maximum payment amounts?
The minimum payment amount is $1.00. The maximum amount per single payment is $9,999.99.

Are there any payments that I cannot make using Online Bill Pay?
Payments cannot be made in foreign currency or to international payees. For payments to U. S. government agencies, Online Bill Pay has limited ability to research any issues that may arise due to the government's strict adherence to the Consumer Privacy Act. Online Bill Pay will not be responsible for any late fees or penalties that may be incurred by these types of payments.

How far in advance can I schedule payments?
You may schedule a one-time future payment up to 364 days in advance. How late in the day can I enter, edit, or delete a payment? Cut off time is 8:00 p.m. CT. Payments entered after this cutoff will be processed on the next business day.

How often does the payment processor make payments?
Payments are processed Monday through Friday excluding holidays.

Can I make changes to an already scheduled payment?
If the payment is still pending, changes can be made. However, once the payment has been transmitted, you can no longer make changes to or delete payments.

When can I cancel a payment?
You can cancel or modify your payment online at any time before the cutoff time of8:00 p.m. CT on the payment transaction date.

What date do I put in the TRANSMIT DATE field?
For a future dated payment this should be the date that you want your payment to be transmitted. This is the date the payment is extracted for processing.

Can I place a stop payment on a bill payment that I have already set up?
You yourself cannot place a stop payment on a bill payment. If the payment has been processed and is a paper check that has not yet cleared, you may contact the metavante Customer Care Center or your Financial Institution's bill payment support area, and they can place a stop payment on it for you.

What if my payee says that they have not received my payment?
Contact the Customer Care bill payment support center who will research your payment at 1-877-203-6724.

Can I get a copy of a canceled check?
Contact the Customer Care bill payment support center to request a copy of a bill payment check. A fee may apply.

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Security Questions
How does Bill Pay Banking Online security work?
Imagine sending a friend a letter. For us it’s as simple as dropping it in a mailbox for the carrier to pickup and deliver. Now imagine that instead of just dropping it into the mailbox, you put the letter through a shredder that only you have the key to and then into the mailbox. And instead of one carrier coming to pick up the letter, the post office sends 100 carriers to each take a piece of your letter. They each go on their own route through all sorts of neighborhoods to your friend’s house. Once there, your friend takes this pile of incomprehensible paper, puts it through a reverse shredder to which only he has a key, and out comes your letter, safe and sound.

If we sent information through the traditional manner of one letter, one carrier and one route, it would be easy for a criminal to find the truck carrying your letter and pick it out. So we use the 100 carrier method, otherwise known as RSA public-key cryptography. It’s become a standard on the Internet wherever private or sensitive information is concerned. The government uses it, the financial industry uses it, and now, so you can.

Security has always been a top priority. We will ensure that by adopting new technologies only after they’ve passed our unchanging business principles of confidentiality, flexibility, commitment and stability. To have it any other way would not only endanger your finances, but in turn, our reputation, and that is never good for business.

To keep my banking information private, what recommendations do you have?

  • Use the latest version of either Netscape Navigator/Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, or any browser that supports SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol with 128-bit encryption.
  • Keep your password confidential. Change it frequently to ensure that no one else can guess it, and do not let anyone else use it.
  • Never walk away from your computer without exiting the system first. When you are finished with your banking, click the Exit button located at the top or bottom navigational toolbar. Once you have ended your session, no further transactions can be processed until you signon to the system again.
  • If you are using a high speed Internet connection like Cable or a DSL line it’s a good idea to have a personal firewall. These high speed connections are dedicated lines to your computer and as long as your computer is turned on, you are always connected to your ISP’s network and to the Internet.

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    Personal Financial Management Software Questions
    How can I use Quicken with Bill Pay Banking Online?
    You can download data from Bill Pay Banking Online to Quicken software by selecting "QIF Format" from the Download Activity screen from the Accounts menu.

    Why does my other bank’s Internet Banking connect with Quicken just by one or two clicks?
    Your other bank is a participant in Quicken (Intuit) direct connect or web connect service. First Midwest Bank is not currently a participant in this service.

    Why is my Quicken 98 not giving me the correct date when I download from Bill Pay Banking Online?
    Quicken 98 is not Y2K compliant and when you download from Bill Pay Banking Online, it will put the date when you downloaded the data not the actual transaction date. Quicken versions 99 and 2000 are recommended.

    Can I use Microsoft Money to download and upload from Bill Pay Banking Online?
    You can use Microsoft Money to download from Bill Pay Banking Online using the same format (QIF) as Quicken, however you can’t upload categories to Bill Pay Banking Online because Money uses different field placements in the QIF format. First Midwest Bill Pay Banking Online does not offer direct or web connect for Microsoft Money.

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    Hardware Questions
    What kind of computer equipment and software do I need?
    You need a computer, Internet access and one of the following recommended browsers with 128-bit encryption; Netscape Navigator/Communicator version 6.2.3 or later, or Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 or later. You can use either a Macintosh or an IBM compatible computer.

    I’m a Mac user - will I be able to access Bill Pay Banking Online?
    Yes, you may access Bill Pay Banking Online with a Macintosh computer, as long as you also have Internet access and a browser that supports SSL protocol for security.

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    Browser Questions
    Can I use pocket I.E. on a Windows CE system?
    Yes, to access Bill Pay Banking Online via Microsoft Pocket Internet Explorer on a Windows CE system, such as a palm PC, you must disable the cache on Pocket IE.

    What do I do if I receive the following message: "Server is busy or is not responding?"
    Check the location box and make sure that the address was entered properly. A complete web address must be entered. Sometimes you will receive this message when the server is busy. Try a second time to connect and the connection should go through. If, after three attempts, you still do not connect, please call Bill Pay Banking Online Customer Service at 877-203-6724.

    While trying to go back to a previous page, I was taken back to the log on screen. Why did this happen?
    Sometimes using your browser’s back button will cause you to be logged out of Bill Pay Banking Online. For security reasons, some pages are automatically expired so that you cannot return to them. By using the navigation toolbar found at the top of most Bill Pay Banking Online pages, rather than the browser navigation, you should not encounter this problem. It should be noted that some Bill Pay Banking Online screens will require you to use your browser's back button.

    How can I tell if I have a secure connection to Bill Pay Banking Online?
    The visual indicators of a secured connection vary among browsers. Netscape Navigator/Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are described below:

  • Netscape Navigator/Communicator 6.2.3 or higher - look for an icon of a lock in the bottom left corner and in the toolbar at the top of the browser. If it is in a locked position, you should have a secured connection. If unlocked, you have an unsecured connection.
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher - a small lock will appear in the bottom bar of the browser to indicate a secured connection. If you don’t see a lock, you don’t have a secured connection.

    Help Sources
    If you still have questions regarding your browser, we encourage you to contact the browser publisher through their normal customer support channels. However, if you have any questions regarding Bill Pay Banking Online, your accounts, or are having difficulty connecting to Bill Pay Banking Online, please call Bill Pay Banking Online Customer Service at 877-203-6724.

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