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24 Hour Access | Billpayer FAQs
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BillPayer Frequently Asked Questions
This page addresses many common questions that Members have about our BillPayer service. If you have a question about BillPayer, check this list first. If the answer isn't here, feel free to please email us at memberservices@centra.org or call (800)232-3642.
The e-mail link(s) provided are not transmitted via a secure domain and confidential information such as passwords, Social Security numbers, account numbers, etc., should NOT be included in your correspondence.
What is BillPayer?
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BillPayer is a feature of our
Internet Home Banking service, CentraLink. BillPayer allows you to conveniently pay bills (such as electric, phone, water, etc.) online.
Where can I report a payment that has not posted or a payee that is not active?
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If your payment has not been credited within 10 business days of your payment date or a payee has not changed from inactive to active within 10 business days of setting it up, please email us at memberservices@centra.org or call (800)232-3642.
The e-mail link(s) provided are not transmitted via a secure domain and confidential information such as passwords, Social Security numbers, account numbers, etc., should NOT be included in your correspondence.
If I'm trying to pay several accounts with the same payee, can I list all of the account numbers in the account number field? ^Back to Top
No. You should set up separate payees if you have more than one account number with the payee. If you set up only one payee to pay multiple bills, there is a possibility that your payment will be applied all to one bill instead of being divided between multiple bills.
Can I pay my Centra loans through BillPayer?
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All non-credit card loans should be paid by using the "transfer" button in CentraLink which immediately transfers the funds to pay on the loans. BillPayer withdraws funds from your account and sends them through BillPayer processing. The payment would not get credited to your loans immediately.
How soon can I start to make payments?
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If your payee is not on the Master Payee List, or the account number mask and address do not match your payee, you will need to add a payee in the "Add Payee" section. Once you have set up a payee in the "Add Payee" section, you will need to wait up to 10 business days before scheduling a payment. This allows our payment processor to verify your information. If the payee is on the Master Payee List or our payment processor can confirm your information sooner, your payee may be available in less than 10 days. You can watch under the "Payee" section to see when your payee has been verified. The payee status will change from "inactive" to "active." Once the payee has an "active" status, you can begin scheduling payments.
How do I check my payment status?
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Click on the "Payment History" button in the BillPayer section of CentraLink. Each of your payments will have a "Status". If the payment has a status of "In Progress," it has been processed by the Credit Union and is awaiting processing by our payment processor. If your payment has a "Check Sent" or "Electronic Pmt Sent" status, this means that the payment has been processed by our payment processor and sent to your payee. If your payment has a "Ck Cleared MM/DD/YY" status, this means that the payee has deposited the check with "MM/DD/YY" as the date that the check cleared our payment processor's bank. On electronic payees, the status will not change from "Electronic Pmt Sent".
Are there any bills that cannot be paid with BillPayer?
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Our payment processor does not process payments to Government entities (local, state, or federal), Internal Revenue Service, collection agencies, or recipients of court-ordered payments such as child support or alimony. Organizations or individuals with addresses outside of the United States are also excluded.
Are there any fees for using BillPayer?
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The use of internet BillPayer service is free. However, you will be billed a flat fee of $4.95 per month for not using the BillPayer service to pay at least one bill in any 90 consecutive days.
Do I need to be signed up for CentraLink to use BillPayer?
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Yes. Since BillPayer is integrated into CentraLink, in order to use BillPayer you must be enrolled for CentraLink and have a checking account with Centra Credit Union.
How do I sign up for BillPayer?
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When you log in to CentraLink, there is a "BillPayer" button in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen. After clicking this button, you can click on "Enroll BillPayer" to begin the process of signing up for BillPayer.
How do I get started using BillPayer?
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Once you have enrolled, the first step is to set up your
payees. Since payee information must be verified by our
payment processor, you should set up your payee information
as soon as possible. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO
PAY BILLS BEFORE SETTING UP YOUR PAYEES. Setting up payees early will avoid any unnecessary delays when you are ready to pay bills. Since there is no "per item" or "per payee" charge until you reach the 20 payee limit, the best method is to set up all of the vendors with whom you may schedule payments using BillPayer. If you have multiple accounts with the same vendor, set up multiple payees to ensure that your accounts are credited correctly.
How do I set up a payee?
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First, click on the "Payees" button in the BillPayer section of CentraLink. Next, click on the "Find Payee" button to search through our Master Payee List and find a payee to add to your Personal Payee List. If you do not find the payee that you are looking for in the Master Payee List, try searching on different variations of the name. If a payee with exact address and account number "mask" are not found, go to the "Add Payee" section to add your payee.
What information do I need to "Add Payee"?
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The simplest way is to have your complete bill handy. The information requested will include the payee name, address the payment should be mailed to, account number with this payee, phone number for this payee, and the name on your account with this payee.
What is the difference between a bill paid by "Check" and one paid by "Electronic"?
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A "Check" payment is a paper draft sent through the US Mail system. You must allow sufficient time for the payee to receive this type of payment, just as if you were mailing the payment yourself. An "Electronic" payment is sent out electronically and is the preferred payment method, however, some payees are unable to receive this type of payment. "Electronic" payments clear within a few days.
What payment method does my payee use?
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BillPayer payees are paid either by check or by electronic payment. To verify which of these methods is used by your payee, look at the "Payment Method" column in the Payees section.
Is the payee account number the same for "Check" and "Electronic" when setting up a payee?
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Not always. Some payees use a different account number than what is shown on your bill if you use an electronic method. If you find the payee on the Master Payee List as an electronic payment, you will need to contact your payee to identify what account number they will accept electronically. If you do not find your payee on the list, you can add the payee and use the account number shown on your bill. Our payment processor will contact the payee to determine if they will accept electronic payments and they will adjust the account number if needed.
When can I schedule a payment?
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Payments are processed on regular Centra Credit Union business days, excluding holidays. Any payment scheduled on Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday will be processed on the next business day. All payments must be scheduled before 8:00AM (EST) each business day to be processed that day.
How do I cancel the BillPayer service?
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From the BillPayer section of CentraLink, click on the "Cancel BillPayer" button. If you decide to enroll at a later date, you will need to go through the process of setting up your payees and payments again.
How can I get a payment sent electronically?
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Electronic payments are more convenient for you because
they clear much more quickly and they cost our payment
processor less to process. The decision on whether or
not your payee can be paid electronically lies with your
payee. If you have a payee that does not accept electronic
payments, talk to them and ask them to start accepting these
payments.
Is there a maximum dollar amount that I can schedule for payment on Billpayer?
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Yes, currently our online processor does not allow transactions exceeding $9,999.00.
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