Bill Pay Service FAQ

FAQ Quicklinks:



  • How do I sign up for the Harrington Online Banking Bill Pay service?

    Bill Pay is an option you can sign up for when enrolling in Harrington Online Banking.

    Please call a Harrington Bank representative during normal business hours for answers to your questions about the Bill Pay service.


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  • How do I start using Bill Pay?

    The first time you use the Bill Pay service, there are some one-time set-up steps to perform.

    1. You must first identify which account(s) to use as your Bill Pay account(s):
      • From the account list on the main Harrington Online Banking page, select "Set up as bill payment account" from the drop down box next to the account from which you wish to pay bills.
      • You must indicate the number with which to start your bill pay check numbers and accept the fee schedule.
      • After selecting "Accept", a green message will appear that your account has successfully been setup for bill pay. The option to "Set up as bill payment account" will now read "Pay Bills" for this account.
      • Repeat these steps for any additional accounts which you wish to designate as bill pay accounts.
    2. You must now set up your Payees
      • Select "Add Payee" from the Bill Payment drop down menu.
      • To add an electronic Payee, click on the binoculars icon to perform a search (an electronic Payee cannot be added without performing a search).
      • If you find your payee in the search results list, click the checkmark beside the Payees name. The Payee name will display on the "Add Payee" screen.
      • Complete the remaining fields and select "Add Payee".
      • If you could not find your Payee in the search results list, manually enter the Payee information in the required fields and select "Add Payee".
      • Complete this process for each new Payee you wish to add.
      • Once Payees have been added, they can be viewed, and certain information can be edited by selecting "View Payee List" from the Bill Pay drop down menu.
    3. Now you can set up your payments:
      • Select "Pay Bills" from the Bill Pay drop down menu or from the drop down box next to the account list on the Harrington Online Banking main page.
      • From the drop down menus, select the account from which the bill will be paid and the Payee.
      • Enter the dollar amount of the payment and any memo information (memo information is transmitted with check payments only).
      • Choose the frequency of the payment.
      • For recurring payments, enter the expiration date of the payment and whether or not the amount is different for each payment.
      • When payment information is complete, click on "Submit Payment".
      • Repeat these steps for each additional payment you wish to make.

    Once you have set-up your bill pay accounts and entered your Payees, you will only need to complete the directions in Item 3) above for future bill payments. You will need to enter any new Payees that you have not previously set up.

    NOTE: The first time you utilize the Bill Pay Service, to ensure your Payee(s) receives the payment on time, schedule all your payments at least eight (8) business days before your bill's due date. You can always adjust the lead-time as you observe how quickly a Payee posts your payment, but we recommend always using at least a five (5) day lead time in case of unforeseen delays.


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  • What is the difference between a bill payment and a transfer?

    A transfer refers to the ability to move funds between individual accounts that are linked to you, such as checking and savings. A bill payment is a payment to a third party. A bill payment is synonymous with writing a check.


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  • How will I know what payments have been made?

    When you log into Harrington Online Banking, you will always be able to view all of your transactions that have posted to your accounts. Any payments that have been made using Bill Pay will also appear on your regular monthly or quarterly bank statement.


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  • Which of my Bank accounts can I use to pay my bills?

    The Bill Pay Service is offered through your checking account with the Bank, or if you have more than one checking account, you may select which checking account(s) from which to make the payment.


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  • Who can I pay?

    You can make payments to virtually any business or individual located within the United States.


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  • Is there anyone I shouldn't pay through Bill Pay?

    The Bill Pay service may not be used to make payments to settle securities purchases, federal and state tax payments, or court-ordered payments.


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  • Do I need to contact my payees to tell them I am using Harrington Online Banking Bill Pay?

    No. Your use of Harrington Online Banking Bill Pay will be seamless to your payees. It will not change how your payments are credited or how money moves through your accounts.


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  • How are my bills paid?

    Payments that are entered or scheduled prior to 2:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on a business day will be processed at our 3:00 a.m. EST processing time.

    Payments that are entered or scheduled between 3:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. EST on a business day will be processed at our 1:00 p.m. EST processing time.

    Payments entered or scheduled after 1:00 p.m. EST will be processed the next business day at our 3:00 a.m. EST processing time.

    Payments are sent to your Payees in one of two ways:

    1. For those Payees you have set up as Electronic Payees, payments are made electronically by Princeton eCom, our third party service provider. Although the funds are debited from your account the same day, it may take 3 to 4 days for the electronic payments to reach your Payee(s); or
    2. For all other Payees, payment is made by check, with your name listed as sender, mailed that same day through the U.S. mail to your Payee. The checks are laser printed and MICR encoded at the JHA Houston Service Bureau, our third party service provider. The checks are encoded with the routing number of Harrington Bank, your account number, and a sequential check number. These checks clear against your account just as if you had written the check from your own checkbook. Sufficient time must be allowed for the post office to deliver the check to your Payee(s).


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  • When is my account debited for my scheduled bills?

    For all scheduled payments, whether they are to be made electronically or by check, there are two processing times daily - one in the morning at 3:00 a.m. EST, and one in the afternoon at 1:00 p.m. EST.

    For any electronic payments entered or scheduled by 2:45 a.m. EST on any business day, your account is debited at the 3:00 a.m. EST processing time. For any electronic payments entered or scheduled between 3:00 a.m. EST and 12:45 p.m. EST on any business day, your account will be debited at the 1:00 p.m. EST processing time.

    For payments that are to be made by check, the check is prepared and mailed on the scheduled date, however, your account is not debited until the check is deposited by your Payee and it clears the Bank, just as if you had written the check yourself.

    12:45 p.m. EST is the "end-of-day" cut off time for Harrington Online Banking Bill Pay transactions. Bill payments entered after 12:45 p.m. EST may be processed the following business day during the 3:00 a.m. EST processing time. Payments scheduled on a bank holiday or weekend may be processed the next business day.


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  • Can I schedule recurring payments?

    Yes. Refer to the "How do I start using Bill Pay" section above. Bill Pay will continue to automatically schedule and send the payment at the specified interval until the number of payments remaining are zero or you cancel the recurring payment option. Note: Payments scheduled on a bank holiday or on a weekend may be processed the next business day.


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  • How do I cancel a bill payment or recurring payment?

    Select "View Scheduled Payments" from the Bill Pay drop down menu. Click on the delete option beside the payment that you want to delete and then click confirm. If you are deleting a payment due today, you must delete it prior to the earliest processing time for the day - no later than 2:45 a.m. EST if you entered or scheduled it prior to that time, and no later than 12:45 p.m. EST if you entered or scheduled it between 3:01 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. EST.


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  • Can I change or delete a payee?

    Yes. Select the "View Payee List" from the Bill Pay drop down menu. From the list of Payees, select either edit or delete beside the name of the Payee you wish to edit or delete.


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  • Can I change a scheduled payment?

    Yes. To a change a payment, select "View Scheduled Payments" from the Bill Pay drop down menu. From the Payment Schedule, select the payment(s) to edit by clicking in the "Quick Edit" box next to the payment. Once you have selected all of the payments for editing, click the "Quick Edit" button. From there you will be able to modify the amount and memo of each payment selected. You can also delete a scheduled payment (see "How do I cancel a bill payment or recurring payment" above).


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  • Can I place a stop payment on a bill payment that has already been processed?

    Stop payments can be placed on Bill Pay checks after they have been printed and mailed. We cannot place a stop payment on an electronic bill payment that has already been processed. There may be a fee for any stop payment request.


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  • What is the cut-off time to change or delete pending payments?

    You may cancel or change any scheduled payment through Harrington Online Banking by no later than earliest processing time on the scheduled Payment Date after you have scheduled the payment. There are two processing times each business day: 3:00 a.m. EST and 1:00 p.m. EST.


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  • What should I do if a payee has not posted my payment or I've received a late notice?

    First, you should always allow enough time for the payee to receive and post your payment. Remember to allow at least 72 hours for electronic payments and up to 8 days for check/draft payments. If you receive a late notice, and more than enough time was given for the payment, call the payee directly to ensure your payment and late notice did not cross in the mail. You may also check your account transactions by using Harrington Online Banking to see if your payment or check has cleared. If you believe an error has occurred, you can email us at cust...@bankatharrington.com   (Email Security) with the payee's name, payment date, amount, account number, and telephone number or call a Harrington Bank representative and we can research the payment.


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  • What happens if I don't have enough money in my account to cover a Bill Payment? Will I be notified?

    Electronic payments are verified against available funds in your account before they are debited. If there are insufficient funds, the payment will not be processed. You will need to resubmit the payment when there are sufficient funds in your account.

    Checks issued through Bill Pay are not verified against available funds in your account before they are processed. If your account has sufficient overdraft protection to cover the payment, we'll draw against that, otherwise the payment may be canceled and not processed. If a payment is canceled due to insufficient funds, the Bank will send a "Non-Sufficient Funds Notice" to your mailing address on file.


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