Personal Online Banking FAQs
A: There are two easy ways for Bank Independent accountholders to enroll. The first option is to visit www.bibank.com, click “Enroll Now” on the Online Banking sign-in box on the right side of the screen and then follow the easy instructions:
- Enter your Social Security number, your Bank Independent account number, the email address, and the phone number we have on file for you then click “Next.”
- Next, you will need to verify a code that is received through text. If the number on file cannot receive text messages, you can choose to receive the code by phone call.
- You’ll be prompted to accept the Terms and Conditions of Online Banking
- Then you will create a user name and password.
If you are having trouble enrolling in Online Banking, you can contact Customer Service at (256) 386-5000 or (877) 865-5050 Monday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time.
A: With Bank Independent Online Banking, you have control over nearly every aspect of managing your Bank Independent accounts. You can:
- View balance and transaction history for your Online Banking accounts
- Transfer funds between your authorized Online Banking accounts
- Transfer funds between your Bank Independent account and accounts you hold at other financial institutions (conditions will apply)
- Pay one-time, occasional and recurring payments online with Bill Pay
- Set up personalized alerts
A: There is no charge for personal Online Banking services.
A: The first time you log in you will be prompted to accept the Online Banking Terms and Conditions, then setup a user ID and password.
In addition to user name and password, you will be asked to provide a phone number where a code can be relayed whenever additional authentication is needed. This code can be provided in an automated phone call, text, or through an app on your device. This is accomplished through an industry-leading application called Authy.
A: Authy generates a unique code each time you log in from an unfamiliar device. The code is random and constantly changing. Only you will have access to this code through your personal phone number or the Authy app on your device. Authy is also used by tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Twitter.
A: Online Banking user IDs must consist of at least one letter and may contain numbers and special characters. User IDs are not case sensitive.
A: Passwords must be between 8 and 25 characters, and must contain at least one letter and at least one number. The following special characters are allowed in Online Banking passwords: +_%@!$*~. It must not match nor contain your User ID. Passwords are case sensitive.
A: Bank Independent Online Banking is online and real time. Most transactions that occur within your account are available for viewing immediately.
A: Our Customer Service representatives will be available at (256) 386-5000 or (877) 865-5050 Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to personally assist you with any Online Banking questions or issues.
A: Transfers can be made at any time. However, only funds transferred before 8:00 p.m. Central Time can be applied toward previous transactions.
A: Transfers memos are coming soon but may not be available in Sync Online Banking immediately after launch. An alternative would be to add a “Tag” to the transaction, which can be done after it hard-posts.
A: Yes. Alerts are available via email or upon log in to Online Banking or Mobile Banking. Alerts provide you with a convenient way to be made aware of various activities occurring on your accounts. Simply click your name at the top-right corner of the screen, select the “Settings” option, select “Bank Independent” located in the Accounts section, then “Manage alerts” under each account. Alert options include balance and transaction alerts.
* You are responsible for any text messaging fees from your carrier (not from Bank Independent), and carrier message and data rates may apply.
A: To remove an account from the dashboard of Online Banking, simply click your name at the top-right corner of the screen, select the “Settings” option, select “Bank Independent” located in the Accounts section, then you can toggle the “Show in app” button off. This does not remove the account from Online Banking, but it will hide it from the dashboard. To permanently remove an account, please contact Customer Service at (256) 386-5000 or (877) 865-5050.
A: Simply select the account from the dashboard.
A: Bank Independent Online Banking supports the latest version of major browsers like Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
Internet Explorer 11 will still be supported, for now, but IE 11 users may see a message stating they are using an outdated browser. Even with our robust layered security system, one of the best lines of defense continues to be using an up-to-date browser. Internet Explorer 11 is no longer under active development by Microsoft. While it continues to receive updated security patches, it does not support all of the modern security features. We recommend using the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
A: During each session in which you use Bank Independent Online Banking, the system will pass a “cookie” to your browser for the purpose of identifying you during that session. A “cookie” is security data that is given to an internet browser by a web server that is returned by the browser to the server on subsequent transmissions to identify the user and encryption information. When you log in to Bank Independent Online Banking, a “cookie” enables the bank to process multiple transactions during the same communication session without you having to provide your Online Banking user ID and password for each individual transaction.
A: You must notify Customer Service immediately at (256) 386-5000 or (877) 865-5050 if you believe your User ID or password has been compromised or if an unauthorized transaction has occurred.
A: You are allowed three attempts to enter your password. If you are unsuccessful after the third attempt, you will be locked out of Online Banking. Immediate access may be regained by using the “Forgot your Password?” option or calling Customer Service at (256) 386-5000 or (877) 865-5050.
A: Online Banking has a ten-minute time-out feature. If you are logged in for ten consecutive minutes without using Online Banking, the system will alert you that time-out is going to occur and allow you to choose to continue your session. If you don’t continue, the session will log you out.
A: We take numerous steps to keep your account information secure. However, you must take precautions as well. We suggest the following:
- Choose a strong password. Your Online Banking password and your user ID authenticate you when you begin an Online Banking session. You should carefully select a password that is hard to guess. You should not use personal information or a word that can be found in the dictionary.
- Keep your password safe. Even the best password is worthless if it’s written on a note attached to your computer or in your checkbook. Memorize your password and never tell it to anyone. We do not need your password to assist you with your Online Banking account, so we will never ask for it.
- Remember to sign off properly. You may not always be at your own computer when you bank online. Therefore, it’s important to sign off when you’re finished banking. If you forget to do so, the system automatically logs you off after ten minutes of inactivity.
A: Bank Independent Online Banking supports the latest version of major browsers like Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
Internet Explorer 11 will still be supported, for now, but IE 11 users may see a message stating they are using an outdated browser. Even with our robust layered security system, one of the best lines of defense continues to be using an up-to-date browser. Internet Explorer 11 is no longer under active development by Microsoft. While it continues to receive updated security patches, it does not support all of the modern security features. We recommend using the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
A: Bank Independent’s Bill Pay service allows you to set up payments to just about anyone. You tell us the person or company you want to make a payment to, and we will withdraw the money from your account and send the payment to the payee. You may schedule one-time, occasional or recurring payments to be paid right away or on a date in the future.
A: Anyone who has access to a transaction account (checking or savings) in Online Banking is eligible to use the Bill Pay service. You can pay virtually anyone you want using Bank Independent Bill Pay, as long as they have a valid US mailing address. There is no limit to the number of payees you can set up within Bill Pay. You cannot pay a government agency or court-ordered obligation, and payments to an address outside the US are not allowed.
To sign up for Bill Pay, simply log in to your Bank Independent Online Banking account then click “Manage payments” within the “Move money” menu. Simply follow the online prompts to complete your enrollment for Bill Pay and you can begin using it immediately.
A: When you are ready to set up your first bill in Bill Pay, simply add a payee, select your funding account, and schedule a payment. You can select a default funding account from “Manage payments” within the “Move money” menu.
A: When scheduling your payment, you tell us the payment amount and the due date of the payment for the payee. Your payment is sent to the payee either by check or electronically to insure the payee receives the payment on the due date you’ve designated.
Within Bill Pay, simply enter the date your payment is due (or the date you would like for your payee to receive the payment), and our Bill Pay system will do the rest! The handy calendar option to the right of the payment date blank will highlight the first available date for your payee to receive your payment. If your payment is sent electronically, it will be delivered to your payee on the date you have selected, and your funds will be deducted from your account on that date. If your payment is sent by check, it will be mailed in time for your payee to receive it on the date you have selected, and will be deducted from your account when the check clears, which may occur earlier or later than the “Deliver By” date selected.
Payments will be processed each business day (Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays) starting at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. You may only edit or stop a scheduled payment if it still appears in your Scheduled Payments list. Payments scheduled after 3:00 p.m. Central Time can be processed as soon as the next business day.
A: An eBill is an electronic bill presentment process. After you have established this service within Bill Pay, your electronic bills will pull automatically into Bill Pay each month. Then it’s just a matter of clicking on the bill to make your payment. No separate login is required. Please note that you must have login credentials established with your payee in order to utilize this convenient feature. Some electronic payees may not be available for this service.
A: Certain fees will apply to services within Bill Pay for business. There are no fees for regular payments from personal accounts within personal Bill Pay. However, some additional options will result in minimal additional fees, such as rush payments and personalized gift and donation checks. Fees for these services will be displayed within Bill Pay.
A: This is a unique feature within Bank Independent Bill Pay that allows you to customize a Bill Pay check that you may send to anyone for many different occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries. You may insert your own customized greeting on the check voucher and decorate the check with the appropriate image. The donation check allows you to send an email to any charity notifying them of the donation; you may also choose to send the donation in honor or in memory of an individual.
A: Yes, it is possible. Our Bill Pay service performs a periodic review of payment types. If we find that your payment type can be changed from the check to electronic type, our system will automatically make that change. If a payee no longer accepts electronic payments, your payee would then be changed to a check payment type. This is done to send payments to your payees in the fastest, most efficient and secure way possible. If you wish to be notified of a payment type change, please click on the Bill Pay “Options” menu, and select “eNotifications” to choose the alerts you’d like to receive.
A: Bank Independent personal Bill Pay has a predetermined limit of $5000 per day; however, this does not mean that your payment(s) cannot be processed. Any payment(s) over the $5000 daily limit will simply be sent to your payee via check rather than electronically. Upon entering payments exceeding the $5000 daily limit, you will receive a notification that your payment(s) will exceed the predetermined limit, and you will be prompted to enter a remittance address and refresh the date to complete your payment scheduling. To request a predetermined limit over $5000, please call Customer Service at (256) 386-5000 or (877) 865-5050.
A: Bill payments do not process on non-business days. For recurring payments, you have the option to select the payment date to be the business day before or the business day after the weekend or holiday when you set up your payment.
A: Bill Pay history is maintained for 18 months.
A: The status field may have one of the following entries:
- Processed: Your payment has been processed and sent
- Rejected NSF: Your payment has been rejected due to insufficient funds in the funding account
- Communication Failure: There was an error due to communication problems
- Vendor Refund: Your payment was rejected and your checking account will be refunded
A: You may set up payments in any of the following frequencies: One-time, weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. A recurring scheduled payment can be set up in advance for any date in the future. A one-time payment can be set up to be sent five years into the future.
A: Yes. Any text entered in the memo field will print on the check. The account number that you entered when adding the payee to your personal payee list is also printed on the check. This lets the payee know to which account the payment should be applied.
A: If your payment has not yet been processed (as noted on your Bill Pay screen), you can cancel the payment from within Bill Pay. If the payment was remitted electronically and has already been processed, you may not stop the payment. You can stop payment on “check” bill payments if they have not yet cleared your account. Stop payments can be placed by calling Customer Service at (256) 386-5000 or (877) 865-5050 Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time to speak with a Bank Independent representative. Please note that fees may apply to stop payment requests.
A: To postdate a single payment, just set the payment date for any date in the future. Single payments are actually set up in two categories, current payments and future payments, which allow you to schedule payments in the future or for the current date. Current date payment will be sent to your payee the same day (Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays) if entered prior to 3:00p.m. Central Time.
Recurring payments can also be postdated. For example, if a monthly recurring payment is set up to be paid on the 15th and the current date is November 12, a payment will be scheduled for the month of November and set up to occur the 15th of every month until the expiration date is reached. However, if the payment is set up to be paid on the 15th and the current date is November 16, the first payment will occur on December 15.
A: You may edit a payee address for check payments, but for electronic payments, you must establish them as a new payee with the correct address and delete the old payee record. The only items you can edit on an existing electronic payee are the nickname you’ve assigned to the payee and your account number with the payee. If you’d like to change any other information about the payee, such as the mailing address, the payee must be deleted and re-entered. On check payees, however, all fields may be edited.
A: These actions must take place prior to 3:00 p.m. Central Time (Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays) in order for processing to begin on the same day. Entries, edits and deletions made after 3:00 p.m. will be processed on the following business day. You may edit the dollar amount on a recurring scheduled payment as early as the next business day after the scheduled payment date.
A: Once you have set up your new payee, visit the dashboard payee listing within Bill Pay. The delivery method of your payment will be listed with the payee information.
A: If you have no scheduled or recurring bill payments for three months, your Bill Pay functionality within Online Banking may be disabled.
A: Your payment will be submitted to the payee and handled in the same manner as a check written out of your checkbook against an insufficient balance.
A: This option within Bank Independent Online Banking allows you to electronically transfer funds to and from your Bank Independent personal checking and savings accounts and those you hold at other financial institutions.
A: Personal checking and savings accounts are eligible for transfers to and from your Bank Independent accounts.
A: If you have been an Online Banking customer for thirty days and your accounts are in good standing, the "Bank-to-Bank Transfer" option will be enabled for you within your Online Banking account.
A: After logging in to Bank Independent Online Banking, click the "Transfer" option in the Move Money card and complete the following steps:
- Select the “Make external transfers with another financial institution” button.
- If prompted, enter your Online Banking password.
- Complete the required fields to submit an external account (including the financial institution’s routing number and your account number) and click “Submit.”
- Upon enrollment of your external account, our system will generate two small credit transactions (less than $1.00) to the external account. To complete the verification process, note the amounts of these small credit transactions from your external account. The total of these two credits will be deducted from the external account as one amount.
- Within 14 days, log in to Bank Independent Online Banking, select "Settings" and then select "External Transfers” and the pending account. Enter the amounts of your two small deposits in the “Verification Amounts” and click “Confirm.”
- Watch for your enrolled account status to change to “Verified.”
A: You can schedule a one-time transfer, or schedule recurring transfers to occur at weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly or monthly intervals.
A: There is no fee.
A: Yes. You are allowed three inbound transfers per day not to exceed a total of $1000, and three outbound transfers per day not to exceed a total of $1000.
Please note: Your Savings or Money Market account may be subject to an excessive usage fee based on our current fee schedule for outgoing transfers above the stated limits.