Internet banking can make paying bills quick and easy. Once you set it up, it can be done automatically, if you choose to do it that way. However, you can pay each invoice individually. Either way, it will be more accurate and save time as well.

Some Internet banking companies allow you to pay bills online for free. Typically, you must have a “qualifying account,” but the rules for that vary. You can also get free online bill pay if you have a large balance in your Internet banking account.

For some banks that amount is $1,000, for others it is $5,000. If not, you will have to pay a fee, which will be well less than $10 per month for a certain number of bills paid, and an additional fee for additional bills. This additional charge is typically less than $0.50 per bill.

To sign up for automatic bill payment through Internet banking, start at your bank’s website. There should be a tab marked “bill pay” or something similar. Click on that and you will be able to sign up for their bill pay services.

You will then be directed to set up your payees. You will go to a tab marked “Add Payee”. This will give you options on how to list the people you are sending money to. You will probably be asked for the business name and zip code. Some Internet banking services will also ask for the business address.

Write down the information you have about your beneficiary. However, if the company you want to pay is on a list compiled by the Internet banking company, you can simply click on it and select it. You have already set up the person who will receive the payment.

Next, designate from which account that person or company will be paid. This is particularly important if you have multiple accounts with the same Internet banking transaction. Your accounts will be in a dropdown list where you can select the one you want.

You can set up a bill payment up to one year before it is deducted from your account. You cannot make an immediate bill payment. It will take a certain amount of time for the payee to receive the payment.

You can set up recurring payments to be deducted from your account periodically. These payment arrangements are commitments. Unless you cancel them in time, they will be paid. If you don’t have the money in the internet banking account for them, you will be overdrawn.

You can know if your payment has been made in different ways. You can choose to receive an email notification from your bank each time they pay a bill. The payment will also appear in your online banking account transactions on the website. You’ll also know on your next bill from that company if a payment has been credited to your account.

Paying bills through Internet banking is easy once you learn how to do it. If you set it up correctly, very little administration is needed to maintain the constant flow of payments from your account to those with whom you do business. Now, if Internet banking could find a way to stop you from having to pay bills, it would have done it!