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BillPay FAQs

Below you will find answers to some frequently asked questions about BillPay. If you need additional information, please review the FAQs for Online Banking or Microsoft® Money and Quicken®. If you are still unable to find the answer to your question give us a call.
General Information
Features
Browser Requirements
Help
General Information
What is BillPay?
BillPay is Sovereign Bank’s online product that allows you to pay bills, review payment history and pending bill payments as well as receive e-Bills (electronic bills) through the Internet. BillPay has a Payment Center where all of your payment information is kept which saves you time and money—no more writing checks or buying stamps; no more rushing to the post office to mail your bills; and no more late fees! Because BillPay lets you pay your bills when it is convenient for you—anytime, anywhere as long as you have a computer with Internet access.
Is there a fee for BillPay?
BillPay is absolutely FREE.
How do I enroll?
You may submit an application for BillPay directly online via our Website. Simply complete and submit the enrollment form directly to us. Or, you may stop by any local branch to do so.
Do I have to have a checking account in order to use BillPay?
Yes. BillPay may only be used with checking accounts. You will automatically have access to all eligible checking accounts that appear in your online profile.
Who can I pay using BillPay?
Any payments that you wish to pay through BillPay must be to a Biller located in the United States. We reserve the right to restrict categories of Billers to whom payments may be made using the service. You should not use the service to make: 

a. Tax Payments.
b. Court-ordered payments.
c. Payments to settle securities transactions.
d. Satisfaction of loan payoff amounts.

Is there a limit as to how many bills I may pay per month?
No, you may use BillPay to make an unlimited number of payments.
What is the maximum dollar amount for a BillPay payment?
A single payment may be made in any US dollar amount between $.01 and $99,999.99.
Can I still write personal checks?
Yes. The BillPay service simply provides you with an electronic option to send payments to your Billers. Your paper checks are still valid should you decide to use them.
Why is BillPay safe and secure?
BillPay is safe and secure because Sovereign Bank utilizes several layers of technology to ensure the security of your transactions on the Internet. In addition we require that our Online Banking and BillPay customers utilize a secure browser with 128-bit encryption. This is the industry standard.
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Features
What is the Payment Center?
The Payment Center is where all of your payment information is consolidated. You are able to:
  • Schedule multiple payments at once, in a fraction of the time it takes to write multiple checks.
  • View pending payments.
  • Access one year of BillPay history on a rolling basis so you never have to wonder whether you paid a bill or not.
  • Access your electronic bills that are delivered to your Sovereign.
When will the Biller receive my payment?
The Biller will receive the payment on the Pay Date that you have entered.
How are my payments sent?
There are 3 payment methods:
  • Electronically
  • Electronic Check (Corporate)
  • Paper Check (Laser Draft)
How do I know what method of payment will be used?
When entering a payment to be sent, click on the Calendar icon next to the Pay Date field. The first available Pay Date will appear in bold text. For a payment that will be sent Electronically, the first available Pay Date will be 1-2 business days into the future. For a payment that will be sent in the form of a Check (electronic or paper), the first available Pay Date will be 4 business days into the future to allow for mailing.
When will the funds for a payment be deducted from my bank account?
The checking account designated will be debited for the amount of the payment on or after the scheduled Pay Date:
  • Electronic—Funds are deducted electronically on the scheduled Pay Date.
  • Electronic Check (Corporate Check)—Funds are deducted electronically on the scheduled Pay Date and the Biller receives a check for payment drawn on our BillPay processor’s account.
  • Paper Check (Laser Draft Check)—A check is created on your behalf, drawn on your designated checking account. Funds are deducted from your account when the Biller presents the check for payment.
How long is my payment history stored in BillPay?
Payment History is stored for 6 months (180 days). If you need to view payment information prior to this time frame, you may contact us at 877-SOV-BANK (768-2265), main menu option 4.
What are Electronic Bills?
Our BillPay vendor, CheckFree, has established relationships with many Billers nationwide that offer electronic versions of bills, also known as e-Bills. Electronic bills contain the same information that is included in the printed bills normally sent to you by your Billers.

All electronic bills are delivered to BillPay. After the request for an electronic version of a bill is successfully processed, an electronic bill icon will appear next to the Biller Name on the Payment Center page.
Can I receive Electronic Bills from all of my Billers?
Participating Billers establish their own criteria for reviewing requests to send e-Bills and have sole discretion in accepting or declining your request. Participating Billers typically require five (5) business days to act upon your request to receive e-Bills.
How do I know when a new Electronic Bill has been sent?
There are two (2) types of e-Bill notifications:
  1. Electronic Bill via email notifies you of the delivery of an e-Bill and provides a summary of the bill (typically due date, amount due, balance, etc.), as well as the “Pay” button. After you click the button, you must sign in to BillPay to go to the Welcome page and pay your bill. You will receive an email message that subject line reads: “You have Bills.”
  2. Email reminder simply notifies you of the delivery of an e-Bill to BillPay but does not contain any summary information or payment options. You will receive an email message that subject line reads: “You’ve got Bills.”
How do I dispute an Electronic Bill if the information is inaccurate?
We are not responsible for the accuracy of information contained within an e-Bill. Any discrepancies or disputes regarding the accuracy of your e-Bill must be addressed with the Biller directly.
How do I discontinue receiving Electronic Bills from a Biller?
You may cancel e-Bill at any time by going to the “Manage my Bills” section within BillPay. It may take up to sixty (60) days for an electronic delivery to stop. We will notify your Biller when you cancel e-Bill. It is your sole responsibility to make arrangements for an alternate form of bill delivery.
How do I cancel a BillPay payment?
Pending Payments that have not yet been processed may be cancelled. To cancel a payment, look for the Pending Payments section on your Payment Center screen. Click on the Cancel link for the appropriate payment and confirm.

You may also cancel a pending payment on the Bill Detail page. Go to the Bill History page and find the payment, and then click View Detail to check the status of the payment. If the payment has not started processing, click the Cancel link and confirm.
What is the Messages page?
The Messages page provides you with the option to send and receive secured messages within BillPay. You may use this option to send us Feedback or Questions about your accounts and services. To send us a message, simply click on the Messages link at the top of any page in BillPay and then click Create Message. Messages will be responded to within the BillPay service.

If you have a question about a specific payment, you may send us a Payment Inquiry.

When a new message arrives, you will see a link at the top of the Payment Center page, “View new messages from customer service.” You may either click on this link or go to the Messages page and click “View” next to the new message.
What is the Sovereign BillPay Guarantee?
Here’s how it works—Sovereign Bank will pay your late payment charges if a payment you’ve scheduled within the guidelines outlined in your BillPayment agreement should arrive after its due date. Suspect fraud? Notify us within two business days of when you suspect an unauthorized transaction, and you'll have 100% protection!
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Browser Requirements
What are the supported browsers for BillPay?
For best results, we recommend using one of the following supported browsers:
  • Microsoft® Internet Explorer versions 5.5 and 6.0
  • Netscape® 6.2, 7.1
  • AOL 9.0

For Macintosh® users:
  • Netscape® 7.02 with OS 9.X
  • Netscape® 7.02 with OS 10.X
  • Safari 1.2
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Help
I have a question about a payment. Who do I contact?
Questions about a specific payment may be submitted using our Payment Inquiry option. To do so, you may go to your Bill History within the BillPay and locate the payment in question. Click the View Detail link to display the Bill Detail page. A recap of the payment is presented along with the following link, “If you have a question about this payment, you can send us a payment inquiry.” You may then complete the inquiry form, entering the requested information about the payment. Payment inquiries will be responded to within the Messages page. Click here to find out how to view messages received.
I am having difficulty accessing the BillPay service. Who can I contact?
You may contact us at 877-SOV-BANK (768-2265), main menu option 4. So that we may best assist you, please make note of any error messages or error codes received.
How do I cancel my BillPay service?
To cancel your BillPay service, you may contact us at 877-SOV-BANK (768-2265), main menu option 4.
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* For further information on all features and functionality, you may refer to the detailed Help link available on each screen within BillPay.
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